Thus wrote a critical visitor keenly surveying the situation in no prejudiced spirit, having gone on a visit to Ireland to inquire into the subjects of land tenure and estate management.

In his next chapter is a tribute to Lord Kenmare, ’a kind and considerate landlord, united to his people by strong ties of race and creed, residing for a great part of the year on his estates, ready with purse and influence to advance the interests of his neighbourhood.  On his mansion and on the town of Killarney, since his accession to the property in 1871, he has spent L100,000.  At his own expense he has erected a town hall, and improved and beautified Killarney.  Within the last twenty years L10,000 of arrears have been written off.  From last year’s rents ten to twenty per cent, was deducted.  During the last few years of distress, L15,000 has been borrowed for draining and other improvements; regular work has thus been found for the labourer; on such outlay in many instances no percentage has been charged.  Since 1870, three hundred labourers have been comfortably housed and provided with gardens or allotments varying from one to three pounds annually.’

I could not myself so tersely put the situation to-day as by quoting this contemporary narrative, the facts for which I supplied.

Once more let me draw upon Mr. Finlay Dun.  ’Unmindful of all this consistent liberality, ungrateful for the great efforts to improve his poorer neighbours, popular prejudice has been roused against Lord Kenmare; it has been impossible to collect rents; threatening letters have been sent to him.  Mortified with the apparent fruitlessness of his humane endeavours he has been compelled to leave Killarney House.

’His agent, Mr. Hussey, who for twenty years has been earnestly and intelligently labouring to improve Irish agriculture, to bring more capital to bear on it, to render it more profitable, and has, besides, most energetically striven to elevate and house more decently the labouring population, has also brought down on himself the odium of the powers that be.  For months he has had to travel armed and guarded by a couple of constables; now he has thought it discreet to leave the country.’

This, however, is erroneous.  I only took a house for my family in London for the winter, and was backwards and forwards between Kerry and the metropolis.

Against all this let me set another quotation.  In New York Tablet for 1880, a letter from Daniel O’Shea, who stated that for a large number of years he was a resident in Killarney.

’Among the most prominent tyrants was Lord Kenmare, who has so recently surpassed himself and his antecedents in despotism.  He is a lineal descendant of the original land thief, Valentine Brown, who was a special pet of ‘the Virgin Queen’ Bess, and strange to relate, this descendant of that Brown is a much-favoured pet of John Brown’s Queen.  Let me explain that he lives with the Queen in London where he holds