168 ON THE STATE OF IRELAND. [BOOK II. 



of kindness on the other, will be left unimpaired, whilst a 

 large fund, now lying idle, will be applied to the support 

 of the people. 



County of Mayo ; examinations taken by J. Spencer, Esq., and W. Gray, 

 Esq. ; parish of Aughavale, barony of Murrislc. Fourteen witnesses. 



There are in this parish thirty-five old persons past 

 labour ; thirteen are supported by their children, and 

 three by more distant relatives ; twelve are begging, and 

 seven are supported by their neighbours. 



The poorer farmers, when they become old, do not 

 generally live with their children ; they subdivide their 

 land among them as they marry, retaining to themselves 

 a cabin and a small portion of* the land, generally rent- 

 free, which the neighbours and children till for them ; 

 and what it wants of supporting them, they make up by 

 gathering provisions among the children and the neigh- 

 bours : this is not considered begging. 



Tobacco is become an absolute necessary for the old 

 people, and they oftener beg for want of this than of food. 



Dudley Toole may be taken as an instance of a worn- 

 out labourer, partly begging, partly living among his old 

 neighbours. He states his own case as follows : 



" I am 88 years of age. After spending a great part of my 

 life at sea, I came home here, when I was becoming too old 

 to serve, and turned to labouring for my support. I have but 

 two children, sons, who are sailors in the American mer- 

 chants' service ; they do not assist me in any way. Having 

 laboured for ten years, I was two years ago seized with rheu- 

 matic pains and a dizziness in the head, which has disabled 

 me from working since. I did hold an acre of land on a lease, 

 that I cultivated myself, and that supported me, with the 



