60 



injury may be done personally to a man, the Land League has pre- 

 vented his lordship spending that money annually for over ten years 

 (in perpetuity, for that matter), with the result that he is now a 

 richer man by a very considerable amount ! 



The greatest stumbling-block the Land League had in formulating 

 its scheme for despoiling the landlords of Ireland was Osgood landlord, 

 while, of course, their greatest stand-by was the bad. Xow it is a 

 matter of history, and we have only to go to the tenant farmers who 

 held land under them to prove it, that the Poers and Beresfords of 

 ■Curraghmore were always paragon landlords. Their land was let at 

 a fair rent, which enabled the tenant to live and thrive out of it to 

 such an extent that contentment ^preme reigned over the Curragh- 

 more estates down to the time the tenants got demoralised by the 

 Land League. It is a fact that evictions were unknown there until, 

 in 1881, demoralisation had taken such tirm hold of the property 

 that it became absolutely necessary for the landlord to assert his 

 rights in a few cases. 



With this state existing, there was the most cordial relationship 

 between the various Lords of Curraghmore and their tenantry, and 

 with no one of his predecessors was this more observable than with 

 Tthe present Marquis. 



But sedition began to be sown all over Ireland in 1879, which, budding 

 into agitation in 1880, and springing into full bloom in 1881, enabled 

 the prime movers to decide who were first to be made examples of 

 from their point of view. 



Foxhunting, they knew, was one of the great attractions Irish 

 country gentlemen had to their homes, and the object of the Land 

 League being banishment of the landlords, they attacked that sport. 

 They fixed upon Lord Waterford as the first victim, chiefly on account 

 of his high social position in the country ; secondly, because of his 

 being a good landlord, and as such impeding their progress of spolia- 

 tion ; and thirdly, his was the premier pack of hounds in Ireland. 

 It being maintained and hunted by himself, its disruption the Land 

 League considered would most strongly exhibit the power of their 

 organisation, and at the same time emphasise their malignity more 

 than in the case of a subscription pack. 



Yes, the Land League worked out their wicked will with a ven- 

 ;geance, but with what a deplorable result — not alone to the sport we 

 all enjoyed, and which many of the very members of its branches 

 often joined in and were always welcome to, but to the poorer classes, 

 ^nd to local traders generally ! ! 



Furthermore, not one pemv/ of rent ivas reduced therebi/ / / 



Waterford, from being one of the most flourishing and social cities in 

 Ireland, has since the time I allude to retrograded in the most deplor- 

 able degree. 



There is no hunting and no e&tiblishment at Curraghmore now; 

 no racing at Williamstovvn ; no visitors coming to the small towns, 



