The reference to the horse in 'My Lovely Horse' being 'a pony no more'. At first glance, this looks like artistic license (which it likely is). Ponies are members of the horse species (Equus caballus) that never grow bigger than 147 cm (14.2 hands in horse measurements). Therefore, young horses are NOT called ponies; the correct term is 'foal'. However, the word 'pony' comes from the Old French word for 'foal', but the meaning does not apply today. Ted and Dougal are presumably unfamiliar with horses (Dougal more so), and therefore they are not alone in making the mistake (albeit mistaking foals for ponies instead of the other way round as people who make the mistake usually do).
Why don't John and Mary get a divorce? Ireland only passed a constitutional amendment allowing divorce in 1996 and the Catholic Church still does not permit it.
A couple has to be separated for a number of years before they can officially divorce. Neither of them can probably afford to divorce.
Word of God says that John and Mary were supposed to be a dig at Ireland's divorce laws.
In the episode "The Passion of St. Tibulus", we are introduced to Mrs. Sheridan (already seen as a fortune teller) and Mrs. Glynn. However, when Ann Rowan who plays Mrs. Glynn returns, she is credited as Mrs. Sheridan. The fact that it's hinted they've shared a lover (Mrs. Glynn's husband Billy) suggests wife-swapping is going on.
In the first episode of the third series, Ted is shown in a nice, fancy parish in Dublin. His actions in the second series finale “A Christmassy Ted" helped catch a corrupted priest-turned-thief, which the police sergeant said there would be a reward for. Also, the fact that he won the Golden Cleric Award for saving eight priests from a tricky situation, and of course, since he saved the lives of many priests and nuns in "Flight Into Terror" may have resulted in this being his reward for all of his good work from the Catholic Church.
"Chirpy Burpy Cheap Sheep": Of course a priest would have an "intuitive understanding of sheep."
Also combines with Heartwarming in Hindsight, in the final episode, despite being dead set on going to America, the others take it with utter nonchalance when Ted says none of them will be going after all. They wanted to move to America with Ted.
The only given reason why Ted, Dougal and Jack are on the island together is because of past failures. However, the offences for which they have ended up where they are implies deliberately exaggeration of the circumstances by Bishop Brennan.
Some of the other priests we are both shown onscreen and told of offscreen are involved in some seriously dodgy stuff, such as Father Bigley and "those fires", at least two priests who are Arms Dealers, and Father Jimmy Ranable, who was responsible for the Drumshanbo Massacre. Yet, there has been no public scandal surrounding these men, which makes you wonder what else the church is covering up in this universe.
