New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-03-17
LETTERS FROM PARISH PRIESTS.


LETTERS FROM PARISH PRIESTS.
DRFARY PICTURE OF HUNGER AND BARRENNkss
FROM THE WEST OF IRELAND-BEsIEGING TIRE
HOUSES OF PRIESTS FOR BREAD-LIvING on
ONE MEAL DAY OF THIN GEUEL--A PEAS
ANTRY IN RAGS AND WITHOUT DECENT BEDS
PAINTING FROM HUNGER.
lTRoM THE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
DUBLIN Feb. 27.-I have remained In Dublin
longer than at first intended in order to obtain au-
thenc accounts of the distress in the West OF Ire
land for M guidance In a tour Of personal observa
ton II is difficult here to get infO1nation unco-
ored by party sectaran pIeiudices. The friends
of the Government, for example, while they admit
the great distress and work nOby to alleviate it,
give more hopefnl accounts of the condition of the
people and dwell with greater stress Oh the amount
of good that has been accomplished by the relief
societies than the priests whom have met fresh
from the scenes of distress. The landlords, as Is
natural give cheerful reports 1t is possible to
make even within telescope range of the famished
people have written to number of Roman Catho
lie priests IN the West of Ireland and have received
the following replies, which it has been necessary
to abrdee retaining however, the most significant
passages:
COUNTY SLIGO
The dve following letters, or rather extracts from
letters make a vivid picture of the distress prevail
ing in County sligo. which is bounded on the east
by Leitrn, the south by RoScommon, on the
west by Mayo and on the north by Sligo and Done
gal Bays:
BuNrSADDEN. Feb. 2o.-I am the pastor Of three
rlrtshes-KutnrIa. Cl0onaghn aud Iilshalry. now
commonly termed Bunnadden. There are II those
three parasites about 900 families. TIE lands are in
par. good the good lands chiefly in the hands OF
The landlords and grazers You could travel miles over
Ilehands an only herds or laborors Of some
absentee landlord. Thirty landlords this parish Of
Bnunaddeu. OF these tweniyseyCn are aOseEtees, ana
the three resident Landed propretOls are poor and
needy themselves You can iIdge OF the condition OF
the tenant farmers and of their rel tons with their
lGad0rds By statement OF facts. There are IN Ey
parish two ron huts one protect tie baif Of an
sentee landlord the other protect resident landlord
sllir state OF things cannot be pointed ont ia Ire
land. Again. in district containing 100 families,
eighty processes jecment ordered to be served
by the landlords the process
declined to act ana IN others the processes were Ioc
Al'ow me to state the condition Of some Of those
whom processes were 10 have been served Pat
Grady OF lngmore has fourteen children, thirteen Of
them LIVING with him in small nut. He holds aDoat
five unreciamed land for which he pays at the
acalf He Aas not morsei 10 feed his children except
Tue quarter OF hundred Of Indian meal dole out TO
Office Ia CharlestowD for his very bedciothes HIS
msuy with five in the family is in precisely the same
destitute condition. He Is threatened with an ejecment
for want Of the e9mnopest food could addnee hun.
times MS meal. His mother bad been two Gays with
out food lie himself staggered and tell twice on his
way home. JAMES CANON hODERMOTT, L. +.
DRAMoRE WEST, Feb. 25.-The area OF this parish is
over 10000 ceres greater part Of which ia bog and
mOuntan. aud the remaining portion, with the e1eep-
ton OF q couple hundred OF grazing land, con-
ssts Of poor iaarshy owand The average size o. the
holdings is bc weeu and eight acres and the popu
latioa. including ali denominations Is about GOO fam
lies, nearly 900 individuals over 400 families are
dependent the relief committees aud 100 families in
parish almost entirely i'll want Of clothing snd
the children m a state OF semi-nudity
Or Sunday morning last was about going to
chaich a poor young woman, prenaturey aged by
poverty ad lressed me. Beng ia hurry l saidi 1" /
have time tOpeak to you Mrs. Calpni are you not
on the relief list p" No, Father" she answered, "and
We are starving" Her appearance caused me 10 stop.
She hal no shOes and her wretchcd clothing made her
picture Of misery L asked her why her husband had
not come speak Her reply He has not had
coat last years. ana this being Sunday did
moi wish 10 trouble Thomas Feoncy loan Of
es me sometimes lends one 10 him" Have you any
other clothes beside what see on your " Father I
az sF unGerc oihSs Wy How many chliorSn have you -
-Four, Father" What their aeosi Z" The eldest
lille one on the breast" Have they any clothes ~
No sur you might remember when You were passing
last September you called into me house and h4d TO
pnt the children aside fer their nakedness so hae
yGa o any Sog y ye for th1 last e P tell You
sr. went to my brother Martin Niece, Of Ianein-
meal each day, from which ! riaie Indian crne'; OF
s1nc IN the nei1S" Had Won apyfhihg for the
cAiGrei ." .Oh, Father" she exclaimed, the fret
question they lut in the morning IS Mother. have
meal tins day T. II say have, they are happy;
n not they sad aud cominencc 10 cry At lhese
words she showed great emotion, and could Dot
lnsin unnOvcd. This is of the might
adauce IN proof of the misery Of %g people Years
truly, JOHN j. O'kEANE, +. p.
BALLYMora. Feb. 22.-My parish called The United
Parishes Of Mclsfad and Kimorgan," has population
of about 900 Oncnrd Of the soil Is ricn erassands
width are tia hands OF landlords and large grazers.
The remainder Of the parish occupied by small tenants
having holdings OF from four TO twenty generally
Of very inferior quality situated on reclaimed mountain
slopes or Ia lying, swampy places. We give weekly
relief In Indian meal all distressed andhoders and
unemployed abOrers, and have oar relief lists 500
persons
The endurance OF the Irish is proverba and in these
sad times have striking Instances of #. an ac-
quainted with families that have Only meal in the day
OF Indian meal porrdge. know large families that
have 10 suppet Mt what committee gives by eating
rotten potatoes which. day after day, they Dig ont Of
lands which the blight or early frost ha roted them
tion relief on the point OF starving know
eating orsel for breakfast because they had nothing
toeat My teachers have tod me that vomiting ana
NV with the poor ascertain
extent OF the present distress II Is appalling
unneard OF else where 1t a feudal legacy and bane
fuI one. which country but weak and enslaved
one would tolerate a moment. dear tir, your
faithful servant NJ, CAsOS FISH. DID, PIP.
BAILIsADARE, Feb 22.-In the parishes skreen and
Dronard under my Jurisdiction. there Is population
of over 600 families. Since January / havs been
feeding 500 OF those families week TO week this
supply or relief was withheld even for week, they
would die by the hundreds
The land IL light and stony The farms small,
,hree or four large grazing ones There Is not shilling
10 be gwen for labor present. have known TO
offer their labor for support without any pay and
wousd not be ayaied OF. Your Obcdient servant,
MICHAEL A. CONWAY, r. p.
CoILooNKY Feb. 26.-The district represented by the
Collooney Baysodare, and BGllnacarTow Relief Com