From Carlow Nationalist 1890.
At Bagenalstown court Mr Denis
Robert Pack-Beresford recently obtained a decree for the
possession of Mrs Anne Watters farm at Kilcloney,
Borris.
For the past 6 years Mrs
Watters, a poor widow and her family have been resisting
the attempts of the landlord to extort a hanging-gale
that has been due from time immemorial.
The costs heaped on the tenant
during this struggle have been enormous. Mrs Watters has
offered to pay the rent due minus these costs, but the
landlord shows no disposition to come to a reasonable
settlement.
From the time that Mr Beresford
became the landlord, six years ago, he has sought to
continue the policy of Lord Beresford of evicting
Catholics from the land.
The rents being paid on time and
up to date he had no weapon to make his power be felt
and to chastise a tenant but to fall back upon the
"hanging-gale" which course of action would mean utter
ruin in 19 out of every 20 cases on his estate.
William Ward J.P. of
Bagenalstown , one of our great peacemakers, frequently
sought justice for the tenant but Mr Beresford defied
his reasoning.
Should the landlord proceed to
extremes, the tenant and her family will have the
sympathy and support of every honest man in County
Carlow.
Following "hanging- gale"
Beresford's manoeuvres a Convention of the Irish
National League was called and addressed by Father B. O'
Neill. He stated that he knew the landlords of Carlow
perhaps better than any other clergyman present, and he
would say,: "For deeds that are dark, and for tricks
that are mean, the landlords of Carlow are peculiar".
He heard the name Beresford
mentioned, (hisses) well he knew Beresford and through
persecution by the Beresfords the parish over which he
ruled was reduced in population from 10,000 Catholics to
a little over 5,000.
Where are all these men gone?
Who put them out?
Charley Doyne -(pitchcap) that's
who a most unmitigated scoundrel (groans) He was the man
who done the dirty work for Kavanagh and Beresford
(groans).
The people of Carlow are the
most obedient, self-sacrificing people in Ireland but
they are been bruised and trampled upon, and if a worm
were trodden upon it would turn, and turn the people
will (loud cheering and applause).
Old Whitty, the parson, of
Ballyoliver had told a Catholic asking for a Lease that
he would not get it because he would vote against him.
He (Father O'Neill) knew what
happened to Tom Cloven when he went in with a half-years
rent, he could give no more because his cattle were
dying ...Beresford put him out (hisses).
Bruen and Kavanagh
misrepresented Carlow for 25 years, no doubt it was said
that Carlow had a number of gentry of the bluest of blue
blood....Well we all know the origin of some of these
blue-blood aristocrats (laughter).
Father Ryan, Dwyer Gray, A.M.
Sullivan and himself (Father O'Neill) were to speak from
a platform on a Saturday night in Borris but the whole
platform was blown up, and there was no dynamite
anywhere in the neighbourhood except what was in Mr
Kavanagh's demesne.
Self preservation was the first
law of nature and he now proposed that they form a
defensive combination of the Irish tenants and approve
the objects and aims of the Irish Tenants' Defence
Association. (cheers). The meeting then concluded.
The above is a true and
accurate transcript of the original document.
Transcribed by Jean Casey, January
2010