Times, Co. Tipperary, Ireland - 1927
Ireland Genealogy Projects Archives
Tipperary Index
Tipperary Newspapers
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Contributed by: Mary Heaphy
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Times March 27th 1927.

LAND TROUBLE IN IRELAND.

Dublin March 27th 1927.

DISTURBANCES IN COUNTY TIPPERARY.

A serious revival of agrarian disturbance is reported
from County Tipperary, where exciting scenes were
witnessed yesterday. Recently the Free State Land
Commission acquired 3000 acres of the Loran estate
midway between Roscrea and Templemore, and decided to
distribute the land among landless men. Taking advantage
of the powers which it obtained under the land act of
1923 the commission allotted certain holdings on the
estate to half-a-dozen families from other parts of
Tipperary, to the intense annoyance of the local
inhabitants, who demanded that they alone should share
the distributed lands. When the new tenants of the farms
arrived at their holdings, the local people organized a
big demonstration. Having mobilized all the available
young men they marched with several bands to the Loran
estate, where they proceeded to maltreat the so-called
usurpers. At first they confined their activities to
booing and insulting remarks, but afterwards their
indignation broke all bounds and they drove the
unfortunate people from their farms, handling them
severely. While these disturbances were in progress news
was conveyed to the Civic Guards at one of the
neighbouring towns, with the result that a substantial
force of police was hurried to the scene in
Motor-Lorries. Their arrival put a stop to the
demonstration , and after a short struggle 16 of the
rioters were arrested. They were taken by Motor-Lorry to
Limerick where they will be put on trial.

This revival of trouble on the land has been expected in
Ireland for some time. The new land act was designed
specially to redress the grievances of the landless men
and "Congests" but the wide powers given to the Land
Commission took no account of the fierce local
jealousies which has been a dangerous feature of the
Irish Land Problem. The attempt to import strangers into
any new agricultural area will always be attended by
grave risks in this country, and the outrage on the
Loran estate is symptomatic of the unreasonable attitute
of the persons whom the land commission is trying to
help. Without some transference of "Congests" from one
area to another nothing can be done to relieve the acute
land hunger which prevails throughout Southern Ireland,
but while memories of the old land war remain,the best
efforts of legislation to solve the problem will be
liable to shipwreck.