The Era of the Plan of Campaign, 1886–1891

Casey, Brian

doi:10.1007/978-3-319-71120-1_7

Brian Casey²

143 Accesses

Abstract

Landlords were of the opinion that nationalists vilified them indiscriminately, with the improver being as reprehensible as the evictor. While there is justification for them feeling unjustly maligned, they often did very little to counteract public perception and their withdrawal from public life was interpreted as hubris, which further antagonised tenants. Land legislation and declining deference resulted in the slow disintegration of estates in Ireland. This silent revolution of aristocratic decline presented landlords with a multiplicity of problems in controlling their remaining local interests as they became increasingly isolated. In east Galway, previously infrequent criticisms towards Clancarty and Clonbrock became more regular, with hostility towards other landlords such as Ashtown, Clanricarde and Dunsandle becoming much more vocal and animated.

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Notes

1.
Western News, 26 May 1888.
2.
Virginia Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power in late nineteenth-century Ireland (Manchester, 2006), p. 36.
3.
Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power, p. 36.
4.
W.E. Vaughan, Landlords and tenants in mid-Victorian Ireland (Oxford, 1994), p. 219.
5.
Eugenio Biagini, Gladstone (New York, 2000), p. 105; R.V. Comerford, The Fenians in context, Irish politics and society, 1848–1882 (Dublin, 1998), p. 224; Terence Dooley, The decline of the Big House in Ireland. A study of Irish landed families 1860–1960 (Dublin, 2001), pp. 211–12; Vaughan, Landlords and tenants, pp. 221–2.
6.
L.P. Curtis, The depiction of eviction in Ireland, 1845–1910 (Dublin, 2011), p. 137.
7.
Philip Bull, ‘Land and politics, 1879–1903’, in D.G. Boyce (ed.), The revolution in Ireland, 1879–1923 (Dublin, 1988), pp. 28–9.
8.
Virginia Crossman, Politics, law and order in nineteenth century Ireland (Dublin, 1996), pp. 153, 156.
9.
Western News, 8 Mar. 1886.
10.
Western News, 8 Mar. 1886; 13 Mar. 1886; 27 Mar. 1886; 23 Jan. 1888.
11.
East Galway Democrat, 29 Mar. 1913.
12.
Western News, 2 Jun. 1888.
13.
Western News, 2 Jun. 1888; 28 July 1888.
14.
C.S.O., R.P. 1888/12353, in the National Archives of Ireland (NAI).
15.
Western News, 28 July 1888; The Royal Commission on Market Rights and Tolls. Precis of the minutes of evidence taken from the Royal Commissioners and the assistant commissioners in the United Kingdom, xii [6268–v], pp. 93, 192, 218 qs 8443–6, 8671–2, 8678–80.
16.
Market Tolls (Ireland), return to an order of the Honourable The House of Commons, dated 3 Mar. 1884 for return of the values of the market tolls, of the rates, and of the other sources of local revenue in each of the towns of Galway, Ballinasloe, Loughrea, Portumna and Gort in the county of Galway; see also C.S.O., R.P. 1888/12353.
17.
Western News, 28 Jul. 1888.
18.
Western News, 23 Jan. 1888; 19 May 1888; 28 Jul. 1888; 26 Oct. 1889; The Royal Commission on Market Rights and Tolls, pp. 93, 192, 218, qs 8183–90, 8596–8, 8671–2, 8678–80.
19.
Western News, 7 Jul. 1888.
20.
Western News, 5 Jan. 1889.
21.
Western News, 19 May 1888; 13 Apr. 1889.
22.
Western News, 7 Jul. 1888.
23.
Donald Jordan, ‘The Irish National League and the “Unwritten Law”: Rural protest and nation-building in Ireland, 1882–1890’, Past and Present 158 (Feb. 1998), p. 164.
24.
Western News, 14 Jul. 1888; 28 Jul. 1888.
25.
Western News, 14 Jul. 1888.
26.
Declan Kelly, Ballinasloe from Garbally Park to the fair green (Dublin, 2007), p. 32.
27.
Western News, 13 Mar. 1887.
28.
Western News, 13 Mar. 1887.
29.
Western News, 6 Feb. 1886; 1 May 1886; 5 Jun. 1886.
30.
Galway Vindicator, 19 May 1886.
31.
Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power, pp. 45–6.
32.
Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power, pp. 38–41.
33.
Report of the royal commission on the Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881 and the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885 minutes of evidence and appendices, [496], HC 1887 xxvi, (hereafter cited Cowper Commission), p. 673 q. 21,644.
34.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
35.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
36.
Western News, 18 Jun. 1887.
37.
Western News, 14 Apr. 1888; 13 Apr. 1889.
38.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
39.
Western News, 26 May 1888.
40.
Western News, 7 May 1887; 18 June 1887.
41.
Western News, 14 Apr. 1888.
42.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
43.
Western News, 18 June 1887.
44.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
45.
Dooley, The decline of the Big House in Ireland, pp. 208–9.
46.
Virginia Crossman, ‘Middle class attitudes to poverty and welfare in post-Famine Ireland’, in Fintan Lane (ed.), Politics and the middle class in Modern Ireland (London, 2010), pp. 130–47.
47.
See Stephen Ball, ‘Policing the Irish Land War: Official responses to political protest and agrarian crime in Ireland, 1879–91’ (PhD thesis, University of London, 2000); Jordan, ‘The Irish National League and the “Unwritten Law”’, pp. 146–71.
48.
Cowper Commission, p. 674, qs 21,644–5.
49.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
50.
Cowper Commission, p. 676, q, 21,701; Patrick Melvin, ‘The landed gentry of Galway, 1820–80’ (PhD thesis, Trinity College Dublin), p. 126.
51.
Western News, 14 Apr. 1888.
52.
Western News, 14 Apr. 1888.
53.
Western News, 26 May 1888.
54.
C.S.O., R.P. 1888/10959; Western News, 26 May 1888; 2 June 1888; Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power, pp. 48, 59. My thanks to Professor Crossman for clarifying this rather tricky issue pertaining to ex-officio guardians and bankruptcy in an email dated 25 Jun. 2011.
55.
C.S.O., R.P. 1888/12970.
56.
Crossman, Politics, pauperism and power, pp. 45–6.
57.
Hansard cccxxvii 991 (22 Jun. 1888).
58.
L.P. Curtis, Coercion and conciliation in Ireland, 1880–1892 (Princeton, 1963), pp. 238–41.
59.
Curtis, Coercion and conciliation in Ireland, pp. 148–9, 158, 241.
60.
Hansard cccxxvii 991 (22 Jun. 1888).
61.
Hansard cccxxvii 990–2 (22 Jun. 1888); P.A. Chance was elected MP for Kilkenny South in 1885, defeating Raymond de la Poer, a Conservative candidate, by 4088 votes to 222. He was returned unopposed in 1886 and defeated de la Poer again in 1892 by 3346 to 253 votes, when he ran as an anti-Parnellite candidate. He resigned as an MP in 1894. See B.M. Walker, Parliamentary election results in Ireland, 1801–1922 (Dublin, 1978), p. 357.
62.
Western News, 13 Apr. 1889.
63.
Western News, 13 Apr. 1889.
64.
C.S.O., R.P. 1886/8868.
65.
R.V. Comerford, ‘The Parnell era, 1883–91’, in W.E. Vaughan (ed.), A new history of Ireland, vi: Ireland under the Union, 1870–1921, p. 66.
66.
Western News, 7 May 1887; E.F. Biagini, British democracy and Irish nationalism, 1876–1906 (Oxford, 2007), pp. 121–2.
67.
Comerford, ‘The Parnell era, 1883–91’, p. 67.
68.
Western News, 11 Aug. 1888.
69.
Western News, 18 Aug. 1888.
70.
Western News, 18 Aug. 1888.
71.
Western News, 11 Aug. 1888; 18 Aug. 1888.
72.
Divisional Commissioners and County Inspectors monthly confidential report of William Byrne for Galway east riding, 22 Feb. 1889 and 18 Apr. 1889 in NAI.
73.
Cowper Commission, pp. 672–3, qs. 21,631, 21,635–7.
74.
Cowper Commission, p. 671, qs. 21,604, 21,617–20.
75.
Cowper Commission, qs. 26,131, 26,135–7, 21,637.
76.
Cowper Commission, p. 673, q. 21,637.
77.
Curtis, Coercion and conciliation in Ireland, 1880–1892, p. 143.
78.
Western News, 12 Jun. 1886.
79.
Cowper Commission, p. 673, q. 21,637.
80.
Western News, 2 Feb. 1889.
81.
Western News, 5 Apr. 1890.
82.
Curtis, Coercion and conciliation in Ireland, 1880–1892, pp. 139–41.
83.
Cowper Commission, p. 674, q. 21,657.
84.
Western News, 30 Jul. 1887.
85.
Fintan Lane, ‘Rural labourers, social change and politics in late nineteenth century Ireland’, in Fintan Lane and Donal Ó Drisceoil (eds.), Politics and the Irish working class, 1830–1945 (Basingstoke, 2005), pp. 116, 135.
86.
John Cunningham, Labour in the west of Ireland, working life and struggle, 1890–1914 (Belfast, 1995); Conor McNamara, ‘A Tenants’ League or a shopkeepers’ league? Urban protest and the Town Tenants Association in the west of Ireland, 1909–1918’, Studia Hibernica 36 (2009–10), p. 148.
87.
Hansard, cccxxi 741–2 (17 Feb.1888).
88.
Western News, 25 Feb., 28 Jan. 1888; J.S. Donnelly, Jr., The land and the people of nineteenth century Cork: The rural economy and the Irish land question (London, 1975), pp. 322–4.
89.
Curtis, Coercion and conciliation in Ireland, 1880–1892, p. 139.
90.
Comerford, ‘The Parnell era, 1883–91’, p. 71.
91.
Laurence Geary, The Plan of Campaign, 1886–1891 (Cork, 1986), pp. 122–8.
92.
Western News, 14 Dec. 1889.
93.
Western News, 11 Jan. 1890.
94.
Western News, 11 and Jan. 1890.
95.
Curtis, The depiction of eviction in Ireland, p. 138; Thomas Feeney, ‘The Woodford evictions’ (MEd thesis, NUI Galway, 1978), pp. 24, 30.
96.
Western News, 21 Apr. 1888.
97.
See obituary for Bowler in Western News, 11 May 1889 and Limerick Chronicle, 7 May 1889.
98.
Paul Bew, Conflict and conciliation in Ireland, 1890–1910 (Oxford, 1987), p. 10.
99.
Bew, Land and the national question, 1858–82 (Dublin, 1978); P.K. Egan, The parish of Ballinasloe: Its history from the earliest time to the present (Dublin, 1960), p. 267; A.B. Finnegan, ‘The Land War in south–east Galway’ (MA thesis, NUI Galway, 1974), p. 22.
100.
Fergus Campbell, Land and revolution. Nationalist politics in the West of Ireland, 1891–1921 (Oxford, 2005), p. 18; Finnegan, ‘The Land War in south–east Galway’, pp. 23–4.
101.
Western News, 19 Apr. 1890.
102.
Western News, 19 Apr. 1890.
103.
Western News, 19 Apr. 1890.
104.
Western News, 2 Apr. 1887.
105.
Western News, 7 May 1887.
106.
Vaughan, Landlords and tenants in mid-Victorian Ireland, p. 216.
107.
See Newby, ‘Deferential dialectic’, pp. 143–4.
108.
Dooley, The decline of the Big House in Ireland, pp. 211–12.
109.
Dooley, The decline of the Big House in Ireland, pp. 90–6.
110.
David Cannadine, The decline and fall of the British aristocracy (New Haven, CT, 1990), p. 66.
111.
Divisional Commissioners and County Inspectors monthly confidential report of William Byrne for Galway east riding, 4 Nov. 1887, in NAI.
112.
K.T. Hoppen, Ireland since 1800: Conflict and conformity (London, 1989), p. 108.

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Brian Casey

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Casey, B. (2018). The Era of the Plan of Campaign, 1886–1891. In: Class and Community in Provincial Ireland, 1851–1914. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71120-1_7

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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-71120-1_7
Published: 26 April 2018
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