Of the influence upon the people in Ireland of the spirit of recent legislation for Ireland, the story of the troubles on the O’Grady estate, as Mr. Kavanagh tells it to me, is a most striking illustration.  “The O’Grady of Kilballyowen,” as his title shows, is the direct representative, not of any Norman invader, but of an ancient Irish race.  The O’Gradys were the heads of a sept of the “mere Irish”; and if there be such a thing—­past, present, or future—­as an “Irish nation,” the place of the O’Gradys in that nation ought to be assumed.  Mr. Thomas De Courcy O’Grady, who now wears the historic designation, owns and lives on an estate of a little more than 1000 acres, in the Golden Vein of Ireland, at Killmallock, in the county of Limerick.  The land is excellent, and for the last half-century certainly it has been let to the tenants at rents which must be considered fair, since they have never been raised.  In 1845, two years before the great famine, the rental was L2142.  This rental was paid throughout the famine years without difficulty; and in 1881 the rental stood at L2108.

There has never been an eviction on the estate until last year, when six tenants were evicted.  All of these lived in good comfortable houses, and were prosperous dairy-farmers.  Why were they evicted?

In October 1886, during the candidacy at New York of the Land Reformer, Mr. George, Mr. Dillon, M.P., propounded the “Plan of Campaign” at Portumna in Galway.  The March rents being then due on the estate of The O’Grady in Limerick, his agent, Mr. Shine, was directed to continue the abatements of 15 per cent, on the judicial rents, and of 25 per cent, on all other rents, which had been cheerfully accepted in 1885.  But there was a priest at Kilballyowen, Father Ryan, who wrought upon the tenants until they demanded a general abatement of 40 per cent.  This being refused, they asked for 30 per cent. on the judicial rents, and 40 per cent. on the others.  This also being refused, Father Ryan had his way, and the “Plan of Campaign” was adopted.  The O’Grady’s writs issued against several of the tenants were met by a “Plan of Campaign” auction of cattle at Herbertstown in December 1886, the returns of which were paid into “the Fund.”  For this, one of the tenants, Thomas Moroney, who held, besides a a farm of 37 Irish acres, a “public,” and five small houses, at Herbertstown, and the right to the tolls on cattle at the Herbertstown farm, valued at from L50 to L60 a year, and who held all these at a yearly rent of L85, was proceeded against.  Judge Boyd pronounced him a bankrupt.

In the spring of 1887, after The O’Grady had been put to great costs and trouble, the tenants made a move.  They offered to accept a general abatement of 17-1/2 per cent., “The O’Grady to pay all the costs.”

Here is the same story again of the small solicitors behind the “Plan of Campaign” promoting the strife, and counting on the landlords to defray the charges of battle!