The South Isles of Aran (County Galway) — John Shaqi
The South Isles of Aran (County Galway)Burke, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
History
The South Isles of Aran (County Galway)
Burke, Oliver J. (Oliver Joseph)
Aran Islands (Ireland); Galway (Ireland : County) -- History
Miss Digby, Landenstown, county Kildare, and the Hon. Thomas Kenelm
Digby St. Lawrence (second son of Thomas, twenty-ninth baron, third Earl
of Howth--by his second wife, Henrietta Digby, only child of Peter
Barfoot, Esq., of Landenstown, county Kildare), landlords.
Mr. Concannon appeared as solicitor for the tenants; Mr. Stephens,
solicitor, for the landlords.
Michael O'Donel sworn.
Mr. Concannon. O'Donel, are you tenant of this holding?
I am, your honour.
How long are you tenant?
Since I was born--and that's fifty years ago.
Do you swear that, that you were tenant since you were born? How long
are you paying rent?
Since my father's death, about eight years ago last
Pathrickmuss,--that's the time I'm the rale tenant. My father and his
father were tenants on that holding since the Deluge at all
events--couldn't swear longer than that.
Do you swear that?
Well, of coorse I couldn't swear it out and out.
What quantity of land have you in your holding?
Well, twenty-two acres exactly, be the same more or less. [Mr. Stephens,
for the landlords, said that twenty-two acres was the true area of his
farm.] Five of the twenty-two acres were nothing but rocks and stones,
without one blade of grass in them, so that it was seventeen acres of
productive land he had, at an annual rental of £3 18_s._ 6_d._, and it
was not worth that.
To the court. The last change of rent was thirty years ago.
What buildings have you?
The house is my own, and the barn. Both are thatched. [Mr. Stephens did
not claim the houses.] Improvements?--Well, there are walls, but did not
measure them, and small gardens.
In answer to Mr. Concannon: We claim to be entitled to take the seaweed
for manure. We have no turf, nor timber to burn, and have to pay £3 a
year for two boat loads of turf. The stock on his farm was a cow and a
veal calf, a horse, five sheep, and eight lambs. Shears them every year,
but the wool he never sells as he keeps it for his family. As for
tillage, he had about eighty stone of potatoes last year, and by his
stock he realized £12; that includes £6 7_s._ 6_d._ that he received for
a couple of veal calves. He had no grain crops. He had a couple of pigs
too. As for his stock, maybe it's little he'd have out of them coming
home to his wife and childher, and his was a nice wife, thanks be to
God. His sheep he brings by boat to the county of Clare, sells them at
the fair of Ennistymon. Has to pay freight 3_d._ a head for sheep and
lambs. His cattle and pigs he puts on the mail boat and sails them to
Galway--the freight being 2_s._ 6_d._ for calves, and a shilling a head
for pigs. And wasn't he sixteen days weatherbound in Galway last
February, after the fair-day?
Mr. Concannon would produce no valuer, he felt perfect confidence in the
commissioners.
This closed the tenant's case.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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