, 1881-09-12
ltEDP A'TIl.
In Dark Donegal-A Parish by
the Sea.
Extreme Poverty Of the People Of
Gweedore and Vicinity.
The Result of The Operations Of "lmprosing pua
Benevolent" Landlords.

Benevolent" Landlords.
snftfa& Cnrnspondenet aI The Ehttapo Tribune.
UwEEpoI.t:, Donegal, Aug. lD-Thu ecclc-
stnstlCAl lln1,Ie vi this parish IS 'fullnxbeg-
Icy West. It Is tluasly Identical will tile |
Petty Sessions District uf BnnllcK. It con.
tains about 5o.000 acres, Il scntns 10 have u
fal,.stlnicsl nsea. which Is slut III Tor, rs
Father Atc['atttlen mere ruetrAliy termed It,
by Erent dark-gray grant
mountains THO soil Is wet, buggy. black
tnpur, thickly strewn will, grcat grant rocks
and h0wl,Iers. This IL tie character Of MI
thu ndjucent reglnM. Tho whole district
Is hiliy even wilcru It Is not MOUNT
alliol,s. The lanA IL nil broken antE
nlnny excepting where It Is flat, and
then 1t Is Or WIS, until reclaimed by the tei-
nllts {nlwnys ut their own expunse),
spongy bog, 70 soft that ac'llla .coull lmrtlly
cross II. Neither tic low land hitfs, nor the
Hats, nor tic M0s1ntatlis, in their natural
state, were cnpabc Of sustaining animal life.
excepting llnrcs or rnbpts, Tor t!luy grow
on!y Ileatl, or low mountain grass. II Is t'se
kind Of lusld of which they shy LII EoMlInught
ihat 1t would take hundred acres Of It to
feed II snpe." Tlsc enttru prntiuetIyet1ess Of
lite pnrsh IL the result Ut the ce:lseless Al4a
uaticnt toll Of generations Of unuss1stcd tel}s
antS
Tho mountains, when the sui shines tit
rarely does slIne), TIRE Ut TIC darkest gray,
but mostly they !ook |et-bIack. sou'v Of
them arc covered wi.l.boK up to their sum.
lut thls stony, sterile, boggy, bleak par-
lsli ls
rENBE1.y POPULATED.
There nrc lttfe .aons every few acrps. a
iaul,sand families, Or about 5.500 persons,
aro Ilot fet by the acre.. but by tho "cow's
h,giI tnOrn ur fewer acres. Originally 1t
seents, IN Kerry fur exntnplc. totlayc ntGant
la,ll c'iolgll Il! tlle valley lo r9tss food for
the family, while thu tcllanl paid rent an tile
iltlnbGr uf COWS, pr other cattle, Or sheep, tlr
9utts, l,e aw!ltal. nNl ll!at paslurcd OH c0llt-
nuns nr 3ll tl.e mountains.
Whatever 1llny hnvtbeell tho original t!eail-
fng of tbs turn herc-,obMty seems to know
yet tlara Is no doubt t!,at IN .gvaeticu Il
menus that uyrry PEASANT III MI tl'ls district
il forced 10 lHty fur pernltssfon t. dig IN II
lew vet .sres, altl {. live "! llthy, cnbin,
Hnd BY tfie wages tlIat lle enrHs during the
summer ihunttis IN England at!d ;Scuslallti.
Tic pcnII!r nIe nIoru wletclied tluw tflnn
formerly: With the .tycit of "il!iproyl,!x
Ind known l!utorc. At!lo .lna Within living
memory cUn1d tic parish support itself with
"nrnin"s II m"wt,r I,nu h,",, i:nmexn T n vin1'i
ENOUGH rltiipr Is, Ia;Wr ar produce, to keel,
Its inhabitants for four months; but When
1,,up GropaE mn.
n ,ou1,ord n"ro nnd .iiiiH,m E,etowtz
euIUxizGu for hfs "beucyolellce." but:t.t1.t. u
!andlortl n Gwsetiore, thfrty.tive yenrs ago,
ths cunditions Of life we're ttata harshcr than
oSEh NatMlo ,t tau ieTueie.i tneli:
commons UlI which tho peasants fell their
snEtp. I. l1ut ueulhu ii'ta ,o"uanl' ,SatALcs' '
ntll gIMuuaiiy peRai! u improve tnflll.
II tHrs Ms t15 or !qSssssy t IT. it ,y rs II
ihs.lrroel!ol, lle cantiis'y stated lllH tiethntl
i,ore seert +, ~. colhnlttse III ''e lloaso ol
Conlilo1's n la,s. Mu saia: a ,r
Tin ,Wr ~ y nas eGgssati ;; IT, p"S ,e w mno'e o o.
to teia,i,Iry nf!anp laotees 10 tlat lnr eGa
aA!h hiueI u }eh.aL Le!e Weie e1o!oc
Soie SuoleG;tS ls;t ~ .acm to"aaMH MMo asae s'1
lhlurtnfe Win ttle new regillatlolls, ailil.
teraJorG 1 patt aneia nnaer ho'1ce W aui1
f, m.Hosr H,,. o. see tnaso ,oo,,. far
VENTS ~ !lS sH!u ~ suspet;se; ltAo,a nt h.,y
ffs @ 1T !" 5 s sroke %t te Tax r1 18th s s9Es I
er GFI af &c pnstgEs a iR On aYy ,s f ,s l.
acres Df nnst!lrase witllnnt reducing their
fent @ lor tte'f "Fetchea holalnEs III inc
VaI'ey. .,,, .,,.,,.,., ,. ,..o .,.xa
TAKEN r1soM THE PEOPLE
"Tl!s rigIt If graziug Oh liz mountains" :"
sntl Fatl,sr AIcFhl,iel,, ii,e present priest 1T
wMy nf uruyhlls stosk. Tho Young foixs
who tad been ut i,frt a1ltt the men who llll
gotlo tn England or elsewhere, put their
sAr1lnEs 70 nny si!eep aile cattis. IAe yearly
lhcreeso IN my stoeE, tlo ptnlts 1fnll wool
na LIZ. It's ,na.ttastnre. a Jug profits trn n