7 %. ▁Given ▁his ▁Catholic ▁middle - class ▁family ▁background ▁and ▁early ▁training ▁in ▁a ▁sem inary , ▁he ▁had ▁a ▁particular ▁insight ▁into ▁the ▁mind set ▁of ▁his ▁Church ▁at ▁the ▁time . ▁ ▁With ▁regard ▁to ▁Church - run ▁industrial ▁schools , ▁he ▁reported ▁that ▁the ▁per - cap ita ▁annual ▁amounts ▁paid ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁government ▁to ▁the ▁Church ▁were ▁greater ▁than ▁the ▁fe es ▁charged ▁by ▁private ▁Catholic ▁board ing ▁schools . ▁He ▁de pl ored ▁that ▁the ▁Dublin ▁administration ▁exerc ised ▁little ▁o vers ight ▁in ▁the ▁Church ' s ▁sp ending ▁of ▁public ▁money ▁and ▁its ▁management ▁of ▁public ly ▁fund ed ▁schools ▁and ▁other ▁institutions . ▁ ▁In flu ence ▁Mc Car thy ' s ▁anti - cler ical ▁views ▁were ▁shared ▁by ▁and ▁influenced ▁the ▁later ▁works ▁of ▁Frank ▁Hugh ▁O ' D onn ell , ▁and ▁the ▁English ▁social ist ▁Harry ▁Qu el ch . ▁His ▁statistics ▁were ▁also ▁used ▁by ▁Irish ▁loyal ists ▁who ▁were ▁wor ried ▁that ▁Home ▁Rule ▁would ▁become ▁" R ome ▁Rule ". ▁So ▁tren chant ▁were ▁his ▁arguments ▁that ▁Mc Car thy ▁came ▁to ▁opp ose ▁Home ▁Rule ▁before ▁ 1 9 1 0 , ▁and ▁the ▁event ual ▁creation ▁of ▁the ▁Irish ▁Free ▁State ▁in ▁ 1 9 2 2 . ▁ ▁Several ▁of ▁his ▁anti - cler ical ▁works ▁were ▁influ ential ▁on ▁James ▁Joy ce , ▁according ▁to ▁Joy ce ian ▁academ ics , ▁and ▁he ▁owned ▁a ▁copy ▁of ▁" The ▁Irish ▁Revolution "