Newspaper: News Items from 1887 - Evictions

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Kerry Index
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Contributed by Mary Heaphy

NEWSPAPER: NEWS ITEMS FROM 1887 - EVICTIONS

1887 County Kerry. (unknown newspaper)

After carrying out an eviction at Knocmanagh, on the
Kenmare Estate, on Feb. 12th, the bailiffs were about
leaving the place when someone in the crowd said that
the eviction was not carried out as a pig was still on the
premises. The bailiffs first regarded it as a hoax, but the
pig, as it were by way of defiance, followed them down a
boreen. When the bailiffs retraced their footsteps, the
pig ran towards the house, and all their efforts to remove
it were unavailing.

On Feb. 11th, four bailiffs, protected by about 40 police,
under the command of District Inspector RICE, proceeded
to the property of Justice RICE. J.P., situated in the town
land of Gurtaclahane, in the Parish of Innemore, for the
purpose of seizing the tenants stock for the non payment
of rent. The foray was unsuccessful. The
tenants--Mathew DILLANE, Matt.M. DILLANE, John
Dillane, Mr. John DILLANE, James LYONS, Denis
KENNELLY, Ned DILLANE, Timothy KIRBY, Batt DILLANE,
and John SWEENEY--had removed everything of value
beyond the reach of the brigands.

Jan. 1887,
A few nights ago a poor labourer's widow named Bridget
QUILL, living about five miles from Kilorglan in a place
called Shanara, with her daughter and son, had a narrow
escape from being buried alive from the falling down of
their wretched cabin while they were in bed and asleep.
About midnight the inmates were startled by the cracking
and falling down of the old roof. They succeeded in
getting under the bed and thereby saved their lives. The
daughter managed to bore a hole through the thatch so
that she was able to get out and call some of the
neighbours, who managed with difficulty to get out the
old woman and a boy of about 7 years. Their troubles did
not end there. A dozen or more young men of the place
assembled on the next day to make up the old house for
the widow and her family, but the farmer, Matthew
CAHILL, on whose house the land was built, prevented
them in the most determined manner from rebuilding it.
The widow should not have his house without paying
rent for it, which is 12 shillings a year. The old woman
said they were living in the house for the last 26 years,
and always paid the rent, but her husband died in June
last and she had nothing in the world now but a small
quantity of potatoes. They have to pass the nights
beneath a few old sticks of the roof thrown against the
gable, as they say themselves, to hold possession until
the Kilorglan branch of the National League can come to
their assistance.

March 25th,
Aa numerous staff of bailiffs, protected by
a large force of police under the command of District
Inspector W.H.RICE, accompanied by Lord Listowel's
Steward, Mr. SWEETMAN, proceeded to Finuge for the
purpose of evicting a farmer named James O'CONNELL
for non payment of rent. When the bailiffs arrived at the
place there were only Mrs. O'Connell and her children in
the house, Mr. O'CONNELL being in town at the time. Mr.
SWEETMAN demanded possession. Mrs O'Connell replied
her husband was not at home. Bailiff BROWNE and his
comrades set about their work. So roughly did they
hustle out the furniture and bedding that the bystanders,
smothering their feelings, actually assisted in removing
the various articles of furniture to save them from being
injured. When the house was cleared, a caretaker was
put in possession, and two policemen left to guard him.
When Mr. O'CONNELL came on the scene the eviction
was almost completed. When the police and bailiffs left
he found himself surrounded by his wife and children. He
had no place to shelter either himself or his family. He
came into town and asked the agent for a night's lodging
in the home from which he was evicted. The agent
refused. That night the caretaker took pity on Mrs
O'CONNELL and gave her shelter. The next morning the
agent, Mr. FITZGERALD, met Mrs O'CONNELL, and
warned her that if she visited the house again he would
prosecute her. Since that time the caretakers have
refused to give shelter to the poor woman and her infant
child. The neighbours, however did not leave her long
without protection. Mrs O'CONNELL is now sheltered and
has a temporary home under James MURPHY'S roof, and
the children are scattered out amongst the other
neighbours.

March the 25th,
The lone and sequestered Glen of Clydagh, about 25 miles to
the South East of Killarney, was the scene of an eviction
campaign. At an early hour the Sheriff's bailiffs,
accompanied by a large force of police proceeded to the
place. After a long and tedious drive the glen was reached,
and the operations were at once commenced. The houses of
Charles BUCKLEY, John BUCKLEY, Patrick BUCKLEY, and Julia
BUCKLEY were first visited and all evicted. The next was
Jeremiah DINEEN. He produced a letter from the agent, George
SANDES, which stated that he had recently paid some of the
outstanding rent, so the eviction was abandoned for the
present. The houses of Daniel and Florence McCARTHY, at
Knocknagowan were next visited. The passage into these
houses is through an old mountain footway, which is in a
wretched state. The public road does not go within five
miles of the place and the journey to it took up a lot of
time. During the proceedings the shrieval party were
followed by a large concourse of people, who "Booed" at
the bailiffs. On their homeward journey the police found
the road blocked. Huge stones were rolled down the
mountain sides, which completely blocked the road. It
took about a half hour's hard work to get the cars over
these impediments, and in two places so great was the
obstruction that the horses had to be unyoked and the
cars lifted over the rocks. On their way through the glen
the police were afraid that the people might roll down
stones on them from the hillsides. It was late at night
before the police reached Killarney.