y in the neighbourhood knew the perpetrators of this ghastly
outrage, but said:--

'What use would there be in our telling, as the jury would acquit them,
and we should be shot?'

Then came this announcement, which caused great excitement in
Killarney:--

'In consequence of the difficulty of getting his rents, the Earl of
Kenmare has decided to leave the country for the present. All the
labourers employed on the estate are discharged, as well as some of the
gamekeepers.'

My own opinion was that he showed great wisdom in abandoning the
ungrateful locality where only man, debased by the Land League, was
vile.

Outside my own folk, I found the people stiffer and less affable than
formerly; but at no time had I any difficulty in obtaining or keeping
domestic servants, though my wife got the majority from the
neighbourhood of Edenburn.

I used to sit, on and off, on the bench as regularly as most of the
other magistrates, whenever, indeed, my business permitted me to do so,
and to my face no one ventured to abuse me.

Quite late in the bad times when I wanted a decree of ejectment against
a fellow, the chairman, desiring to make peace, explained that his
hesitation was entirely on my account, to save me from danger.

I replied that I had not quailed all those years, and I was too old to
begin; so I had my decree, and that fellow's threats were as
contemptuously treated as all the rest.

The Bank had a decree against a tenant of mine, and, having sold him
out, entered into possession and put in a caretaker.

He was in occupation about eight hours, when he grew so frightened that
he ran away. The tenant then went back into possession as a caretaker,
whom nobody dared dislodge, and he promptly went to the Tralee Board of
Guardians to obtain a pound a week as an evicted tenant.

At that time two-thirds of the poor-rate was paid by the landlord. When
the tenancy was over L4 a year, they had to allow each tenant half the
rate he paid; when it was under this sum, they had to pay the whole of
it, and, of course, all the rates for land in their own occupation.

Thus the Board of Guardians were utilising the money of the landlords in
order to remunerate the men who were robbing them of their property.

If a tenant--who generally had some money--was evicted, a notice was
served on the relieving officer to provide him with a conveyance, in
which he was taken to the poorhouse; but if a farmer evicted a
labourer--who had