Souper ; Protestant or Catholic? Take your pick.

Mis-information along the Way...

The Homecoming wasn't always a happy affair, and the mood could be set according to the reception you might receive within the townland. Like the year Joe-Pat met with oul McCrudden, a tailor, moral vigilante of sorts, coming along the by-road.

"Howra Barney" "Is it Joe-Pat I'm seein' ?" "I'm back to see the mother." "And well might ye be, for it could be fer the last time, I don't know." "Ah now, don't be tellin me ...." "She's very low, very failed, now.... That's the fine coat ye have on yer back. Have ye took the soup?"

As you might imagine, this sort of exchange was not exactly calculated to make Joe-Pat feel welcome. Joe-Pat, the generous soul he was, took oul Barney in his stride. For hadn't the oul codger managed down the years to slip with consummate ease between the Papish and Protestant religions depending on the state of the praties. It had been all the style some years previous, even in the highest quarters (even with some of the great Gael Houses), to change over. It was just as easy to change back. But they that stayed on in the Protestant religion were a queer lot, becoming isolated in time from the rest of the community. "The Soupers" they were known as down the generations. Which brings us to the strange case of far out cousins of Joe-Pat's who were the "Protestant branch" of the family.