PREFACE. xi 



dug in the grass near, fully three inches deep, as an 

 emblematical grave, in which, the notice said, I and 

 my son were to be buried. Threatening notices were 

 also stuck up about the town of Clonakilty, denounc- 

 ing all sorts of injuries to any of my tenants who 

 paid more than Grifiiths' valuation. 



On Saturday morning the Cork Examiner and 

 Herald had reports of a speech made at Clonakilty 

 the day before at the Land League by the Eev. 

 Father O'Leary, a young priest of the parish ; most 

 part of it was mere coarse abuse of me, the sweepings 

 of all the vulgar dislikes for twenty years past in a small 

 town, arising from everything besides land — e.g. that 

 as a magistrate I fined a publican, for selling porter 

 on Sunday, more than some approved of, which, as 

 there are more than forty public-houses in the town, 

 is very likely. He luckily condescended to particu- 

 lars in what he said was oppression of a few tenants, 

 which I will answer farther on. Some one was so 

 ashamed of this speech as wholly discreditable to the 

 Eoman Catholic Clergy and Church, that in both 

 papers the speaker was called Mr. O'Leary, instead 

 of Father O'Leary. 



Those who take any active part in the Land 

 League in Clonakilty are, in addition to the Priest, 

 only inferior townspeople, or a chance farmer or 



