« I am consoled by hearing of the calumnies of an apostate [Franciscan] friar, Anthony
Daly, dimidium animae of Father Phelim O’Neill. This Father Anthony sought to take away
my life here, instigating the tories to kill me. They came at midnight about six years ago to the
house of my vicar-general, where I then was. They broke open the doors and took away all the
money from myself and my vicar-general, and my secretary, Michael Plunket, who is now in
Rome, and they held a sword to my throat. The chief of this band was afterwards taken and
bafore death declared in prison to the parihs priest of Armagh and to his curate, that Father
Anthony told him to kill me and that afterwards he woulf give him absolution. The curate,
Patrick O’Donnelly, is now in Paris and before embarking swore this in the presence of the
Bishop of Clogher. I have in my possession a letter written by the same Anthony in which he
says: “If God tried to injure the Franciscan order, I would rise up against God” […]. I
suspended him from preaching and hearing the confessions of the laity […]. He nevertheless
continued to preach and to hear confessions sacrilegiously ».