I shall give two instances from this history, as a sample of the fashion in which the new doctrine of the royal supremacy was propagated.  In 1539 the Prior and religious of the Convent of Atharee were commanded to take the oath of supremacy, and to surrender their property to the crown.  The Superior, Father Robert, at once assembled his spiritual children, and informed them of the royal mandate.  Their resolution was unanimous; after the example of the early Christians, when threatened with martyrdom and spoliation by heathen emperors, they at once distributed their provisions, clothing, and any money they had in hand amongst the poor, and concealed the sacred vessels and ornaments, so that not so much as a single emblem of our redemption was left to be desecrated by men professing to believe that they had been redeemed by the cross of Christ.  Father Robert was summoned thrice to recognize the new authority.  Thrice he declined; declaring that “none had ever sought to propagate their religious tenets by the sword, except the pagan emperors in early ages, and Mahomet in later times.  As for himself and his community, they were resolved that no violence should move them from the principles of truth:  they recognized no head of the Catholic Church save the Vicar of Jesus Christ; and as for the King of England, they regarded him not even as a member of that holy Church, but as head of the synagogue of Satan.”  The conclusion of his reply was a signal for massacre.  An officer instantly struck off his head with one blow.  As the prisons were already full of “recusants,” the friars were placed in confinement in private houses, some were secretly murdered, and others were publicly hanged in the market-place.  These events occurred on the 12th and 13th of February, 1539.

An almost similar tragedy was enacted in the Trinitarian Convent of Limerick, where the Prior was coadjutor to the Bishop of that city.  He also assembled the brethren, exhorted them to perseverance, distributed their few poor possessions, and concealed the sacred vessels.  On the feast of St. John Baptist, 24th June, in the year of grace 1539, he preached in his cathedral against the new heresy, and exhorted his flock to persevere in the faith.  The emissaries of Government were afraid to attack him openly; but that evening they visited him at his private residence, and offered him his choice between death and apostacy.  For all reply the venerable prelate knelt down, and exclaimed:  “O Lord, on this morning I offered to Thee on the altar the unbloody sacrifice of the body of my Saviour; grant that I may now offer, to Thy greater honour and glory, the sacrifice of my own life.”  Then he turned towards a picture of the most holy Trinity, which was suspended in his room, and scarce had time to pronounce the aspiration of his Order, “Sancta Trinitas, unus Deus, miserere nobis,” ere his head was severed from his body, and he entered upon the beatific vision of the Three in One, for Whom he had so gladly sacrificed his life.