Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (2 of 2): (2nd ed.) (1888)Hurlbert, William Henry
History
Ireland Under Coercion: The Diary of an American (2 of 2): (2nd ed.) (1888)
Hurlbert, William Henry
Ireland -- Description and travel; Ireland -- Politics and government -- 1837-1901
Our hostess's son, the trustee of the Eviction Fund, was on one of the
cars which passed us, with two or three companions, who proved to be
"gentlemen of the Press." We passed a number of cottages and some larger
houses on the way, the inmates of which seemed to be minding their own
business and taking but a slight interest in the great event of the day.
We made a little detour at one of the finest points on the road to visit
"Winn's Folly," a modern mediæval castle of considerable size, upon a
most enchanting site, with noble views on every side, quite impossible
to be seen through its narrow loopholed and latticed windows. The castle
is extremely well built, of a fine stone from the neighbourhood, and
with a very small expenditure might be made immediately habitable. But
no one has ever lived in it. It has only been occupied as a temporary
barrack by the police when sent here, and the largest rooms are now
littered with straw for the use of the force. At the beginning of the
century, and for many years afterwards, Lord and Lady Headley lived on
the estate, and kept a liberal house. Their residence was on a fine
point running out into the bay, but, I am told, the sea has now invaded
it, and eaten it away. In 1809 the acreage of this Glenbehy property was
8915 Irish acres or 14,442 English acres, set down under Bath's
valuation at £2299, 17s. 6d. Between 1830 and 1860 the rental averaged
£5000 a year, and between these years £17,898, 14s. 5d. were expended by
the landlord in improvements upon the property. This castle, which we
visited, must have involved since then an outlay of at least £10,000 in
the place.
The present Lord Headley, only a year or two ago, went through the
Bankruptcy Court, and the Hon. Rowland Winn, his uncle, the titular
owner of Glenbehy, is set down among the Irish landlords as owning
13,932 Irish acres at a rental of £1382.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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