The Con - Part 4

[otter]

'To answer your question Liam, every day since I was sacrificed to the priesthood I thought about that trout and last thing at night, every night for the past thirty seven years I played that trout and landed it every single time.  Catch and release, three hundred and sixty five times a year, work it out later and don't forget the leap years.

When I was sent to this parish I got back to fishing. The older priest loved an occasional trout for supper so he turned a blind eye to my wandering to the river. He even made a point of procuring the best of materials from the hunting lads and even was known to make an appearance at an occasional hare coursing event. I covered for him, he covered for me. When he died I became the main man but the younger priest that arrived had joined the priesthood of his own accord and that made life difficult for a while.

Every man has his weakness and when I discovered the magazines under his locker I laid down the law and spent even more time on the river than before. Just to be certain that there would be no issues, once or twice a year I bought a few of his type of magazine and left them on his locker as a gentle reminder of our unwritten pact.'

'Would they be car magazines or football magazines'; guffawed Sean. 'Here is a bottle of my finest, on the house.'

Father Brennan laughed loudly; 'I only looked at the covers Sean and you could be right, some of the girls were lying on the bonnet of a car.'

'Sunday was a right problem, all the club competitions were held on a Sunday and it was the busiest day of the week in my trade. It took a while to convince the bishop that I would get more sinners in the door if the twelve o'clock mass was switched to ten o'clock. It took a crate of single malt scotch to get the pious old fool to agree but agree he did.

I managed a few years of fun until I was discovered.  A couple of penguins were taking a walk along the river during one of the competitions and spotted me. Sister bloody Margaret, she went straight to the palace and reported me to the Bishop. He all but threw the bible at me and banned me from fishing ever again. That did not stop me from going fishing, I just had to be more careful.  My god, this talking is thirsty work.'

Refuelling the fathers glass, Sean urged him to continue; 'Riveting Father, have a drop of that and out with the rest of it.'

'It all ended when I caught that trout in the picture. Michael Egan, Jimmy the bastards Egan bastard father sent the picture off to the newspaper and the bishop threatened to send me to Dublin if I ever fished again. To this day I have not wet a line even though that Bishop died three years ago, I feared his ghost would come back and haunt me.'

Liam grinned and nodded; 'Okay James. Sean I know about you and Jimmy Egan's wife, before she was his wife that is. It looks like we all have just cause for revenge;

'Raising his glass he waited the others to do the same. 'I'm in, revenge it is and may god forgive us.'

'Amen to that, sure isn't God on my side: "'The sins of the fathers shall be visited upon the sons" ' ; said Father Brennan; 'We will meet here this time next week and as sure as Jesus died on the cross I will have a plan ready.'

to be continued

[bushy palmer]

Good stuff- looking forward to the next episode.

[scotgillespie]

Worthy of Flann O'Brien - When the telly rights get flogged can I play the priest...

[mario]

Brilliant :lol:

[otter]

Worthy of Flann O'Brien - When the telly rights get flogged can I play the priest...

Only if you can match him pint for pint.

[Ripple]

Worthy of Flann O'Brien - When the telly rights get flogged can I play the priest...

Lol

In the words of Sean ''Riveting''

[scotgillespie]

Okay, the barman then...