During the Wexford rêbêllïon Fr John Murphy encouraged his parishioners to sign an oath of allegiance to the British crown and to surrender their firearms. The British gun control enforcers (mostly catholic themselves) were so brutal in the collection of arms that most people left their home to sleep in the fields as homes were burnt and men shot before they even had a chance to comply. So few firearms turned up in the sweeps that the government goons fired on a group of workmen in a field. A fight ensued in which a lieutenant was killed. The gov response was to loot and burn 170 homes and the chapel. Fr Murphy changed his mind and now encouraged the men to fight. 1000 men gathered but had only about 50 firearms between them.
They were slaughtered and Fr Murphy was hung as a traitor to the crown. (May God rest his soul)
Never ever ever give up you ability to resist.
It did result in a fine song:
Fr Murphy led his men to victory at Oulart Hill and then captured Enniscorthy, one of the largest towns in Co. Wexford. Except for a few, they were armed with farm implements turned to weapons of war. Next his army, grown to 15,000, defeated the Militia at Three Rock Hill. After that they sprung from gaol Banegal Harvey, a United Irishman and landowner who took command of a portion of the men. Then Gorey was taken. General Lake finally defeated them at Vinegar Hill, but they got far with at most one in ten having firearms.
It is some contrast between Michael Pfleger whose activism is essentially to feed his perverted lusts (and the matter is barely disguised), and Fr John Murphy who fought and died with such honour.