The Irish standard. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn. ;) 1886-1920, 1917-09-29
Land QUESTION
Of IRELAND
Resume Of the Process of Alienation
Of Ownership Given in Paper Of
Mrs. N. L. Mc6reen at Meeting
Of Irish Literary Society.
How the Clan or Sept System Was
Displaced by Absentee
landlordism.
Well Considered Review Of Important
Subject-The Irish People Are
Now Permitted to Buy Back
Their Own Land.

subject-The Irish People Are
Now Permitted to Buy Back
Their Own Land.
20 Erin! thou broad-spreading valley,
Thou well-watered land of fresh
streams,
When gaze on thy hills greenly slop-
ing,
Where the light of such loneliness
beams,
When l rest on the rim of thy foun-
tains,
Or stray where thy streams disem-
bogue,
Then I think that the fairies have
brought me,
To dwell in the bright Tirnanogue."
Ireland's beauty, as described by
the poet in the foregoing sketch, was
the cause of the innumerable woes
to which she has fallen victim The
invited guest became infatuated with
her and became her seducer and be-
trayer.
The Venerable Bede, in referring to
Ireland, calls ia land of milk and
honey, pleasant, healthful and fruit
full land, we'll fitted to maintain pros
porous and contented people. And it
doubtless would be, if the Irish peo-
pie were allowed to work out their
own destiny in their own way. But
fate willed otherwise. 1t doubtless
was not the intention of an all-wise
Providence to establish another Para
disc on earth.
All the centuried oppression, misery
and patient suffering of that unhappy
people. can be traced directly to alien
ownership of the land.
Prior to the Danish and Anglo Nor
man invasions, the land was the COM
mon property and heritage of all. The
Clan or Tribal system prevailed in
Ireland then, as it did in all Europe.
A certain amount of land was set aside
for each Sept, as they were called. and
the amount thus set aside, was pro-
portionate to the number of people
comprising the Sept A Tribe con-
sisted of several septs. each of which
had a chief. Each family had small
tract of land which was the private
property of such family for limited
number of years, or until such time
as it was necessary to Nave new ap-
portionment, as population increased
There were also public lands called
Commons which were used in common
for grazing, fuel, hunting and other
purposes. The Brehon laws which pre-
history, and which, according to all
historians, were both wise and just,
were responsible for the land regula-
tions just referred to.
AS the tribal system grew in num-
bers and wealth, it's chief also became
more powerful, and the tribal chief
of yesterday, became king of pro-
vince tomorrow.
Ireland, at one time, had five pro-
vinces: Ulster, Munster, Leinster,
Connaught and Meath. The territory
comprising Meath was later absorbed
by the other four, and so at the time
of the Anglo-Norma1 invasion, there
were four kings ruling over as many
provinces. The ENGLISH conquest of
Ireland, or more properly attempted
conquest, dates from A. D. I'LL. 1t
would be out of place in this paper,
and take too much time to recapitulate
all the details of this sad chapter in
Irish history, and I My refer to it in
it's relation to the land question.
At this time, Dermod McMurrough
was king of Leinster. He is described
by historians as man both hateful
and hated, a fitting quality to make
him an instrument for his country's
enslavement. Because of his probing
fish tendencies, he was called Demod-
Na-Gall (of the English). He griev-
ously wronged the Prince of Brefni,
and, in SO doing, committed grievious
| sin against Irish morals and Irish
law. He was defeated in battle by
the prince he had injured, and fled to
England for safety. He besought the
aid of King Henry the Second, who
was then king of England, to restore
him to his throne, promising him in
return, that he would recognize his
sovereignty. That monarch being too
busy with other wars, could not then
give him direct aid, but advised him
to seek the aid of some of his sub
jects, which he did, in the person of
the Earl of Pembroke, better known
as Strongbow, who agreed to aid him
on condition that he should receive
his daughter in marriage and succeed
him as king of Leinster after his death.
Strongbow, in, order to fulfill his part
OF the agreement, was compelled to
raise large army in England, which
he did by promising the mobiles large
grants of Irish lands, an agreement
which was later ratified by the infa.
nous MeMurrough; thing which the
historian Of the time says he had no
right to do, for the land belonged not
to him, but to the people. And thus
was English landlordism planted In
Ireland, before English government OF