Fr. Patrick Lavelle, 'the patriot priest of Partry' and political activist, played a pivotal role in Irish affairs between 1854 and 1880. The book chronicles Lavelle's part in the great controveresies of his day, his conflicts with Bishop Thomas Plunket, a local landlord, as well as Paul Cardinal Cullen. Lavelle's first - hand experiences of distress, poverty, proselytism and evictions afford the author a unique opportunity to explore the social, political and religous issues of the time