News: Evicted Tenants Fund, Freemans Journal 16 Sep 1886

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Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Tipperary Index
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File contributed by:  Mary Heaphy

Evicted Tenants Fund, Freemans Journal 16 Sep 1886
Thurles, Wednesday.
  
  Early yesterday morning a cavalcade of 18 cars left here 
carrying police and bailiffs to carry out evictions. Their 
destination was a property situate in the Parish of 
Kilcommon-a wild mountainy district about 11 miles from 
here, and owned by Captain Armstrong. D.L.J.P., Mealiffe, 
Thurles, whose agent is Captain Saunders, Saunders Park, 
Charleville, County Cork, who, with his son was present to 
superintend the evictions. The police leaving Thurles were 
under the command of Mr. Gamble, D.J., but their force was 
further augmented when they arrived at the scene of the 
operations by a very large body under the command of Mr. 
Moore, D.I., Newport, the joint forces being in charge of 
Colonel the Hon.S.F. Carew, R.M.
  
  Mr. Quinn, Clonmel represented the Sheriff.
  
  It was no small surprise to the officers in charge when on 
arriving at their destination they found themselves 
confronted by more than one thousand persons headed by the 
Upperchurch Fife and Drum Band. The surprise was greater 
still to the parties representing the Landlord, who thought 
to sweep down on the people asleep and seize their cattle. 
This is what they would have desired, but for that object 
their movements were wrapped in mystery, but their 
intentions were frustrated. The people were on the qui vive, 
and had removed their cattle, etc., and as a result when the 
Captain and his Bailiffs came on the holdings of the persons 
"under sentence of death" not a four footed beast was to be 
found.
  
  The forces of the Crown proceeded to the house of a widow, 
Mrs Mary Spillane, who holds a large tract of land. She had 
made every preparation for the contingency. Her house had 
been emptied of its contents, and she told the Captain she 
was prepared for the law to take its course. The legal forms 
were complied with, but some persons interfering, and the 
agent thinking better of it, half a year's rent was 
accepted, (She owed three), and she was then reinstated in 
her holding.
  
  A move was next made to the house of another widow-Mrs 
Catherine Ryan-the mother of a young, helpless family, where 
a piteous and mournful spectacle was witnessed. In this case 
no settlement was effected, and the eviction was carried out 
in due form. The widow, knowing how few were her chances of 
success, clung to her home, thinking that even at the last 
moment some unforeseen event would prevent the carrying out 
of that which was to make her and her little ones homeless. 
She did not remove the furniture and house fittings, but 
when the bailiffs made their appearance they set with a will 
about removing them. In this, however, they were assisted by 
the spectators, who knew the rough handling the articles 
would get if they were left to the tender mercies of the 
Bailiffs, and in a short time the contents of the house were 
heaped by the roadside. Everything removed, and the fire 
quenched, possession was taken of it by two emergency men 
and two constables who were left to protect them, and on the 
roadside, close to her furniture, were the widow and her 
children, huddled together, viewing their once happy home.
  
  Thomas Ryan, of Cownbeg, was also evicted from a farm, but 
his house was on another property. This concluded the 
evictions for the day but I understand they will be resumed 
after some time.