Una Powell's in Nenagh is a pub without peer. There, at 10pm on Monday, two Redemptorist priests and a nun, all from Edinburgh, digressed from a mission they are conducting this week to hold a "wine and whine" session.
The nearest matters came to hellfire, however, was when some found it hot due to the well-stacked grate and certain comments about the church from feisty women present.
In the lounge nine people gathered with Fr Ed Hone to air their grievances about the church while, in the kitchen, seven more were doing likewise with Fr Michael Henesy. Listening, were Sr Mary Timmons of the mission team, parish priest Fr Tom Seymour, and curates Fr Willie Tehan and Fr Anthony Casey.
The nine with Fr Hone had written their complaints about the church on cards and placed them in a basket. Each had also written their first name on a sticker, which they wore.
"Gay people are discriminated against in our church," was the first complaint drawn.
Kathleen didn't agree, where her town was concerned. "I don't think that has arisen in Nenagh," she said. "Not in Nenagh," agreed Brenda, adding, "people are not eager to let it be known they are gay" there. And that there were those who "might be more effeminate than gay". All agreed it was not an issue that divided Nenagh. They moved on to "whether divorced people should be allowed receive Communion".
"Why shouldn't they?" asked Brenda. "How do you tell your child you can't receive?" wondered Kathleen of divorced parents. "On the one hand, the church preaches the love and forgiveness of God and then it prevents people from receiving," said Willie.
They agreed the divorced should be allowed to receive. Two-thirds of them favoured women priests.
These unlikely - on average sixtysomething - radicals were "disappointed women hadn't greater equality in the church", the next complaint read. Patsy recalled a priest commenting last Good Friday in Nenagh that "the women have taken over" when he saw three women on the altar.
She told him "about time!" Jan said the local Church of Ireland rector was a woman who, all agreed, was "very impressive". Willie observed "women are the backbone of the church. All Jesus's best friends were women. It's the same now," said Brenda.
They felt fewer and fewer people went to Mass because it was "boring", while all agreed Protestants should be allowed to receive Communion in a Catholic Church. "How do you know they are Protestants anyway?" Patsy wondered.
Fr Ed concluded that "the parish priest should be trembling in his boots". Tonight's session will take place in Nenagh's Dapp Inn at 10pm.
