Day: January 8, 2016

Freemans Journal 3rd October, 1879 p7 (abridged)

On Sunday last a large and influential meeting of the people of Kinvarra and the surrounding districts was held in the chapel yard after last Mass. The meeting was convened to consider the present general depression, which is telling very severely on the tenant farmers in the neighbourhood. Kinvarra is essentially an agricultural district and the principal crops, being potatoes and barley, have been very seriously damaged by the constant wet and the late severe storms. The Rev. John Molony P.P., presided and Mr. James Curtin acted as secretary. The following resolutions were unanimously adopted:
Proposed by Mr. Henry Fanagan, Esq., and seconded by Mr. John Lynch;
That this meeting is of opinion that the agricultural produce of this district, on which the people have almost entirely to depend for the payment of their rents and the support of their families, has been so much injured by the unprecedented wet summer and the late storms as to render it impossible for the tenant farmers to pay their present rents; and moreover to give just grounds for learning that the coming winter and spring will find many of them almost destitute.
Proposed by Mr. William Flatley and seconded by Mr. Stephen Leech;
In the face of the great losses we have sustained, caused by three successive bad harvests and the depreciation of agricultural produce arising from foreign importation, we are compelled to make an earnest but respectful appeal to our landlords to make such a reduction in our rents as will enable us to pass through the present severe crisis and save us from utter ruin.
Proposed by Mr. Thomas Corless and seconded by Mr. Michael Kelly;
That we feel we have good grounds to hope that our appeal will meet with a favourable response, as many of our landlords reside outside the parish, and consequently there is not so much employment given to the labouring classes in the district, nor that encouragement to local trade which might naturally be expected from resident proprietors.
Proposed by Mr. Peter Burke and seconded by Mr. John Burke;
That copies of these resolutions, signed by their respective tenants, be forwarded to the landlords of the parish, and that another copy, signed by the chairman and secretary, be sent to the Freeman’s Journal, the ever-faithful friend and advocate of the rights of the tenant farmers in Ireland.
(signed)
J. Molony, P.P., Chairman
James Curtin, Hon. Sec.