THE IMPENDING DISTRESS. CASTLETOWNBERE.

# THE IMPENDING DISTRESS. ## CASTLETOWNBERE. *Kerry Sentinel (Tralee), Wednesday, November 12, 1890, p. 3. Read from the clipping image (72 ppi) by claude-sonnet-5-5; proofed by claude-opus-5-5, 4 Oct 2026. A query in square brackets marks letters lost or unclear in the print.* After the transaction of routine business at the Castletownbere Union on Thursday, a public representative meeting was held in the boardroom of the union for the purpose of hearing the reports of [the?] guardians and relieving [officers?] on the condition of the potato crop [in?] their respective districts, and also for drawing up a series of resolutions impressing upon the Government the necessity of taking immediate steps in coming to the relief of their distressed people. A meeting for a similar object was held on Thursday fortnight, at which the clergymen of the Deanery attended. At the suggestion of the Rev. Canon Carmody, P.P., Castletownbere, the matter was considered such a serious one that they unanimously agreed to defer the discussion till Thursday last to give the guardians and officers of the union ample opportunities of examining the crops in their districts and ascertaining the extent of the failure of the potato crop, and of furnishing reports on the state of their respective districts. Mr. Daniel Moriarty, Chairman of the Board of GuardiansIreland: movements, law & landPoor Law, workhouse & Board of Guardiansfrom 1838Ireland’s system of poor relief: the country was divided into unions, each with a workhouse run by an elected Board of Guardians and paid for by local rates. In the Famine it was overwhelmed.More in Key terms →, presided. Amongst the others present were—The Very Rev. T. Canon Carmody, P.P., Castletownbere; Rev. J. Larkin, P.P., Eyeries; Rev. M. M'Carthy, P.P,, Cluin; Rev, W. O'Halloran, P.P., Bere Island; Rev. Fr. M'Donald, P.P., Adrigole; Rev. Father [Kiely?], C.C., Castletownbere; Rev. H. O'Sullivan, C.C., do; Dr. D. J. Lyne, J.P., Castletownbere; Messrs. C. V. Handcock, J.P., Castletownbere; R. M'Carthy, P.L.G.; J. Dwyer, P L.G.; J. Harrington, P.L.G.; T. Kelly, P.L.G.; D. Sullivan, P.L.G.; P. Harrington, P.L.G.; D. Harrington, P.L.G.; James Donovan, Clerk of the Union; Daniel Kelly, relieving officer; J. J. O'Sullivan, relieving officer; John Harrington, rate-collector; Daniel Murphy, &c. The Rev. Canon Carmody having stated the object of the meeting, questioned the relieving officers as to the inquiries they had made. Mr. Daniel Kelly, R.O., said he visited the entire of the western parish which was portion of his district, Kilcatherine, Ardgroom, and several other places. He had almost travelled the whole of his district. The crop was, in all cases, an almost [total?] failure. Rev. Father Larkin—There is not a family in Kilcatherine have potatoes. Mr. J. O'Sullivan. R.O., said he visited every townland in his district (Castletown). The average yield in his district was 10 per cent., and the quality was of the worst kind, and utterly unfit for human food. He found that the police had in many cases preceded him in making inquiries, and for a similar object. In several cases he found that the information given by the police was grossly exaggerated, notably one case at Clonnagaskin he found that the potato crop was far under the yield reported to the police. He asked the man who supplied the information to the police why he exaggerated, and said that he was afraid his credit would be stopped in Castletown. Mr. T. Kelly said he went through the greater portion of his division, and he did not see such bad potatoes during the past forty-four years. Mr. Dwyer, Mr. D, Harrington, and Mr. B. M'Carthy reported that they had never seen the potato crop so bad in their districts. The Rev. Father Larkin, P.P., Eyries, said that the use of the [potato?] grown this year is likely to impair the constitution of those who use them (hear, hear). Dr, Lyne—There is not a shadow of doubt about it. Father Larkin—I am corroborated in that supposition by the doctor, who is a judge in the matter, It is so bad in quality that I firmly believe that outside Ireland there is not a country in the world where this crop would be placed upon a table for a human being to partake of. The failure of the potato crop produced want more than once in Ireland. It will continue to do so until her resources are developed (hear, hear); and it will continue to do so as long as Ireland is governed by Dublin Castle from across the Channel. He begged to propose the following resolution—"That having regard to the serious ravages inflicted by the blight on the potato crop in many parts of the Deanery and union of Castletown-Bere (a fact well-known to us from our observations in our different parishes and respective localities, and from the reports which we have heard from our officers who have been charged by us to examine and report conscientiously in the matter), we view with alarm the prospects of the poor people of this remote region during the coming winter and spring. We apprehend the distress will be as widespread and will assume such magnitude that we could not cope with it by using the local rates for that purpose. Accordingly, we, the priests of Castletownbere Deanery, and the Guardians of the Castletownbere Union, in meeting assembled—in the interests of our respective flocks and of the poor people of this union—call on the Government to promote in due time, within reasonable access of our people, works of a permanent and reproductive character, such as the construction of new roads into places difficult of approach, widening roads already constructed which are admittedly too narrow, making piers and slips in various parts along the seaboard of the barony. By taking timely action in this way, the Government will prevent a recurrence of what happened in past years under similar circumstances. Furthermore, to secure to the poor of our different parishes the advantages of a plentiful harvest, we beg the Government to supply them in the coming spring with new seed potatoes. That copies of the foregoing resolution are to be sent to Mr Gil[h?]ooly, Mr Balfour, and the Local Government Board." Mr Dwyer said he had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. Mr J Harrington said he had great pleasure in seconding the remarks of Father Larkin concerning the proposed railway. He had no doubt but the railway would be very much patronised, owing to the scenery between Castletown and Kenmare, which far exceeded that of Glengariff. This coupled with the fisheries would make it a paying concern. Father Larkin—There is one thing certain—if you get a railway to Castletown, it would be one of the most prosperous towns in Ireland. If you had a railway you would certainly have a packet station. A vote of thanks to the clergymen concluded the proceedings. ## DINGLE. A Dingle correspondent writes:—Alarming as were the reports received about a month or two ago from the various parts of this union in reference to the failure of the crops, particularly that of the potato, the prospect for the labourers and small farmers is now of a more gloomy character. Indeed, it may be said without exaggeration that during the next few months many families will be face to face with actual want, which is already beginning to be felt, unless some relief is forthcoming. Persons who at first discredited the reports as to the failure of the potato crop and the result which should inevitably follow, are now fully convinced that the staple food of the people has been completely ruined, and that some means should be provided by which they may be enabled to tide over the coming months, otherwise application to the workhouse or starvation will be the lot of many. Any persons now visiting the districts in and around Dingle cannot but admit that there is scarcely one-fourth of the potato crop. The presentment Sessions were held here on last Wednesday, and I had an opportunity of interviewing several intelligent farmers from all parts of the barony as to the state of the potato crop in their districts, and all agreed that it was a disastrous failure this year. In some parts there is one-third or perhaps one-half of the crop, but in other parts it is scarcely one-seventh. In many villages the [people?] will not dig their potatoes at all as they are not worth the trouble, and a farmer informed me that he has to keep digging the entire day in order to have enough potatoes for that day. The blight made its appearance very early in the season and spread very rapidly over the entire union. Wet weather then set in, and since last July we had scarcely a month's fine weather, which caused the potatoes few, as they were, to rot in the earth, and ere Christmas is at hand the people will be without a potato to eat. Hay is of a very inferior quality, and the produce of oats is entirely inadequate, but the failure of the potato crop is the greatest loss to the farmers, who will now have to buy fodder for their cattle, as well as having no seed for the coming spring. The poor working men are also feeling the result of the loss of the potato crop, which was the mainstay of their families. They have now to buy them at 8d per stone, and in a short time they can't be got at any price, while at this time last year they were sold at 2d and 3d per stone, The price of flour and meal is also increasing, so that the labourers of the district will, unless they are given employment, experience great want at no remote date. Turf, upon which the people solely depend for fuel, is now beyond all hope of being dried, and though a good deal of it had been cut when a fine day set in, the great downpour of rain during the past fortnight has rendered it completely worthless, so that there is every reason that the people should entertain serious apprehensions, and it is to be feared that unless something is done the result will be sad, indeed. Efforts are already being made to get some works of a reproductive nature opened up which would give employment to the labourers and small farmers. It has been suggested that the Government be petitioned to relieve the taxpayers of the cost of the Tralee and Dingle railway, which was constructed before there was any thought of the passing of an Act of Parliament dealing with such matters. The extension of the railway to Ventry, whose great importance as a fishing station is universally acknowledged, is being spoken of, but it is not, at the present time, known whether it will be received with favour by those in whose power it is to recommend it to the Government. But unless remedial measures are taken up, there is every reason to believe that the people of this union will be quite unable to meet the distress during the winter and spring[.?]