New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1880-04-27
THE CONDITION OF ACHILL ISLAND.
no EMPLOYMENT FOR PEOPLE WILLING TO WORK

A PRECARfoUS EXlSTESCE-THE PEofL" DE
PENDENT on CREDIT FOR FOOD AND CL0r"lNG.
frRoM TIE SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT OF THE TRIBUNE
Cork March 2S-Everybody told me when down
in Comfy MAYO that if wished TO see the greatest
restitution should leave the mainland and visit
the Islands In Clew Bay. The tradition was, ana
perhaps still is among the peasantry, that there
are 3G5 islands in Clew Bay. One day attended
the meeting of tho Duchess of Nariborongns funo
Committee at Westport. There were large dele
cation of fishermen and small tenants from various
islapds at it, They came to ask that their islands
shoud each have representative OIL the local COM
mttee of their locality. Lord John Brown asked
ono Of them, " Is your parish an islantP Well
sirn he replied, "one half of the year
it is an island and the rest OF tne
time it is surrounded by the say" He meant that
for six months it formed part of the mainland and
That for six months it was all island. 1t was
thu first genuine Irish bull had heard, and l
"lauchcd right out in meeting" Then Lord John
told mo how this notion originated. Government
surveyor few years ago visited all the islands, ana
was asked If the tradition true. No., he sald;
"there are not 365 Islands-there arc exactly one
half that number" When asked to explain tins
orphie reply he spoke of this locality and It's
amphibous popularity. So he reported that there
were 1922 islands III Clew Bay. made several
efforts 10 reach the islands. but when found that
IL succeeded should have to feel i'll going ike the
pol:cemcn in the Pirates of Penzance with no
certainty of returning--l abandoned my enterprise
and travelled east again. But Father Fattley. the
parish priest of Acbll Island gave me SO full an
account of his island that am sure report OF
what n said will interest as much as personal
description could have interested the reader.
Father Flattley said he would have written me q
letter for THE TRIBUNE, but he had not found time
His duties had fairly crushed him since The distress
began. From before dawn on MOnGaY morning TIL
Saturday at midnight he had not an hour to spare
He had 10 attend to the wants of 1000 out OF the
5000 persons in his parish, who would have dled
from starvation unless charity had fed tbemo NO
description he said convey true picture OF the
distress. Men who had seen the worst distress on
the mainland had admitted that they would not
have believed how intense the distress was i'll Achill
unless they had seen it with their own eyes. The
people are suffering not from want of food only
but clothing and those who have covering Tor
their bodies are clad in filthy rags.
"Whst ia the size Of Achilli"
"WelI IN the first place." said Father Flattley
"you should understand that tho parish OF Achli
and the Island of Achill are not co-eStensve. lie
parish embraces the entire island, but is much
larger than it. IL extent the parish is $1,000 acres
There are some 81 600 $4,000 acres in the island
1t is Oh immense tract OF wild bogGy mountain
Eleven hundred families. numbering III the aggre-
cate some 5000 souls, are eking an existence as
miserable, | believe. rs any ON the face OF the
known earth. Now, to my personal knowledge,
some 5000 Of these unfortunate beings have not
this very day as much as morse of food of their
own to keep them alive, and before another month
goes past 1000 and upward will be all in the same
condition.
"The soil Is all poor -
"The soi,n replied Father Faherty, " is most
unpenerous and uugrateful soil, and nothing else
could be expected from it. Originally the whole
surface Of the Island was shaking Dog. and 1t IS
not much better to-day There Is no draining or re-
clamaiion. TIE tenant has no capital to invest IN
draining. and he certainly would be o very great
fool il he had capital to invest it in DRAWINGS for IL
would soon be the landord's-all. Every landlord
in Acbilc. sir. knows his rights-wherher justly or
ministry acquired but scarcely ono of them will
acknowledge bis dates. Every species of tyranny
AMI oppression may DO met with here III other
piaees bad Landlords dread public opinion but the
light of public opinion never dawns ON tho Is
lands"
what is the average size of the holdings in
Achillp
otis hard to be precise" said the priest. " in
sncokius of them Every division of land in Achle
IL called Stripe and that may be anything from
half acre to eight or ton acres. Except some four
ar Eve dozens of pers0na-in fact don't think there
nra 80 nauy-no man In Achill rents more than two
or three acres at that Some hundreds have not
even one acre. should like to tell you of one OF
the cases that came under my notice when visiting
some of the wretched cabins OF the village OF K
i went with London visitor who tried to get P
to tell him how large his strlpe' was At last !
found out that he rented for 4s. cd. ISL OBJ yeaI
only one-sixth Of stripe, which ts think ABOUT
three-quarters of an acre."
~. IL. fhnunc tyao I'm or.
binary seasOnsT
"Well.n replied the Father. Gin ordinary seasons
the people employ themselves,' IL may use the
term. in doing nothing from November till the
Mareh following. In March they begin to plant
potatoes, aud from that month till June they are
all IL may be said literally on fire. Not moment
Is lost or msspent As soon as small patch o.
potatoes is titled by almost every man in Achile,
general emigration sets IN for England and Scot
land Every ono able TO walk is Oft at once Only
the blind and lame remain at home. This general
emigration is rendered absolutely necessary for all
In view of the heavy load Of debt put up by each
and every man in Achile during tho previous Win.
ter IL has been SO during all my experience o.
Achile and that extends over fourteen years Untll
within the last two yoars wages were 80 high IN
England and Scotland that the poor OF Achll were
heavy but they have also been able to live IN COM
paraiiye comfort. Bat when wages declined III
EERanU ana SCOJlbhU ulOot AS,' v"
TIC poor OF Achlle They are steaped IN debt and no
one will give them the smallest credit Ii it we're not
for the Credit extended to them by people at all
times they should have been long since swept OF
On this island of Achin in the most favorable
wears would not suffice 20 Support the Immense pop
6iation living on it. Credit vas the very stan OF
their lives Tins lost and 30 their CONDITION Is
% jsplorable as can be we'll conceived. IL good
Providence will not raise up boDefactors for them,
they will undoubtedly perish from munger ana
starvation. Private charity can scarcely support
a people so immense and 80 wretChed. There is not
q penny being spont ct present ON any sor6 OF
public work for the employment OF tho people. Inc
unfortunate people willing to work. Dut they
nnLar uiun fiara q n TO employ