‘Byrne tells an absorbing story that will satisfy many readers curious about this sordid episode.’
Irish Times, Brendan Mac Suibhne

‘Told with pace and panache, The Preacher and the Prelate is an extraordinary and important read.’
Irish Independent, Damian Corless

‘From its Prologue, set in the present time, Byrne's new book The Preacher and the Prelate had me hooked...The referencing is impeccable, she has splendid end notes, a comprehensive index and an awe-inspiring bibliography.’
Patricia O'Reilly, Novelist

‘Fascinating Achill Island story.’
Selected by Aoife Barry, TheJournal.ie, as a ‘culture pick’ on Today with Sean O'Rourke, RTÉ Radio 1

‘This epic tale of famine and evangelisation, sectarianism and medieval imperialism, evictions and decimation, souperism and cultural clashes reveals universal themes while telling a fascinating story of one man’s passion...on its impact on a remote community. The themes explored and unfurled bedevil many other areas of the world today.’
Mayo News, Aine Ryan

‘In a fascinating book, Patricia Byrne tip-toes skilfully through this minefield, looking for the human stories amid “the collision of opposing dogmas”.’
Irish Examiner, Michael Duggan

‘In an absorbing narrative history of the Achill Mission, its fervent supporters and its strident critics, Byrne has laid bare a fascinating episode of 19th century Irish history.’
The Irish Story, Gordon O'Sullivan

‘It is not difficult to appreciate the enthusiasm of this author in her love of this place [Achill] and her interest in relating this part of its history. She excels with a beautifully written conclusion in the three-page epilogue at the end of the book.’
Tinteán (Australia), Rob Butler