"Peaceful" Ireland.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 9 February 1912, Page 4

"Peaceful" Ireland.

. CAITLE DRIVING IN THE STREETS OE A TOWN. The " peaceful Ireland" to which the British public' is directed by various orators does not appear to' present a very peaceful aspect when it is examined or when one reads the local Irish newspapers. At Westport, Mayo, for instance, there has been furious fighting between a cattle-driving mob and tlio police, reulting in mnoh bloodshed. At a meeting of tho Westport District Council tho Government has 'been denounced for sending tho JM>lieo to interfere with the law-break;-ers, and suitable resolutions were passed unanimously. On Tuesday of last week, according to the .Mayo News, there was a "splendid open-air cattle-drivo" through the streets of Westport, with a mob of over 1000 people urging the bullocks over the pavement! From the same journal we take the following illuminating account in "peaceful Mayo," which seems up to now to have lagged "behind it 9 moro enterprising sister counties in tho matter of Lawlessness. The article is 'headed: THE WEST'S AWAKE. JSXTENSI YE CATTLE-DIU VJ3S NEAR WESTPORT. To-day the whole countryside is afire with enthusiasm, and with tho wrong inflicted by landlord tenants during tho last century rankling in their breasts. The bullocks are no longer left in the undisturbed enjoyment of the farms willicli onco fed hundreds of people. The early hours of Sunday morning witnessed a cattle-drive which exceeded .any that had yet taken place in the locality. Off a farm at Cogaula, belonging to Mr Richard Gibbons, J.P., Barley Hill, Westport, fifteon sheep and one /horse were driven, but they returned in tho coui'se of the day to their pastures. Seven bullocks, tho property of MiJoyce, The Demesne, were also removed olf the same farm, but tlioy tfilso returned that day. From the farm of Cushoeii-keel, belonging also to Mr IT. Gibbons, forty-eight cattle were driven on tho same morning. The police were out all day on Sunday looking for those cattle, and as a result of their fruitful la'bours, seven were recovered before night. Monday morning again saw the custodians of law and order and stray cattle abroad, and at about 11.30 a.m. Const-aides M'Keown and Grier, 'Ihc Quay, were the object of much attentive amusement as they passed through the town driving about thirty of the. missing cattle before them, which they discovered in Bnackloom Wood, about seven miles from their native pastures. The remainder were recovered on Tuesday by the police in the same wood. The farm of Knockrooskey, at present grazed by a Mr Moloney, and from which scores of people Ave re evicted in the black days of tho famine, was nlso cleared early on Sutulay morning of its stock to the miniber of thirty-three. Those Ave re, boAvevor, recovered by tho police after some searching. Deerpark Kami, grazed by Mr Mo ran from Mulraniiy. had its stock, twenty-eight- in all, driven. The police and the herd experienced much difficulty in recovering those cattle, and up to Wednesday a couple Ave re still missing. On Sunday morning three stacks of oats, the property of ia man named Derrig, of Knappabeg, Avere knocked : wlii!;> a neit.rhliour ol' his, a man named DnlTy. bad Ihc thatch pulled off three sta"ks of oats. No particular reason is for those latter acts.

A ('Jittli'-clnn l c.vffiorliiiir in it.s scope awl m:i s^ni 1 urlp any that lms vet taken place in tlio district of W<*stport took pliicc on 'riniisrliiy niorniii.!£. when practically ctll tlio farms from tlio "Wostpnrt Frhan boundary down to the borders of Newport- were cleared of their stock. Tlio following is a list of sill the farms cleared, as ascertained .so far: Dover's, at Ardkeen; Bockotl'.s, Ki'-ocknabola ; Hawks-haw's, ; Lord Slijio's, Roigh and Carrowhilly (portion of the demesne) : King Bros., Rose Hill; Ingham's. Myna ; Win. .Falicv'k, Moynn : David Faho.v's, Fl.vnn's, Buokfield: Kelly's, do; Hurke's, Oushalopirt.

.1 ho extra polico who arrived in ostl>ort on ednosda y evening moio all day -on r l liursd-ay, accompanied by mon from the local stations, prosecuting a diligent search for the cattle, which it is stated nro seen to he wandering about on all the roads leading to Westport. Some of the cattle were found in the railway station yard at Newport. Eyewitnesses from the Newport district state.that the rmads leading to that town were literally hlnek with bullocks; and that the town and other

places in the locality presented the appearance this morning of a large fair. The key to the whole situiation is found in two advertisement.-, in the Jta.vo News, in which the advertisers illustrate the terrorism of the United Irish League. Fearing the dreadful boycott, these men advertise as follows:— A DENIAL. .1. Austin Derrig, Knappaghbeg, am accused by my enemies, tiie friend of the rent office, that I have paid my rent. I have done nothing of tlie kind, nor do T intend to do so until 1 get the 6s in the £ reduction that my brother tenants are fighting for.—Signed on mv behalf, PATRICK DERPTG (Sen.) CoO CHALLENGE. 1 offer the sura of £50 to any man or woman who can prove that Boots or any other goods were sold in my shop to Dolan, the Bailiff, on Thursday, 7th December, or afterwards. M. BROWNE. Draper, Westport. In the meantime there are about '100 police at "Westport on Lord Slice's estate. The tenants steadfastly refuse to pay their rent unless they have a reduction of six shillings in the pound. Tlio.se who pay have their cattle driven from their farms.