Abbeyfeale, Ireland – The tight-knit community of Abbeyfeale recently congregated under the leadership of Reverend W. Casey, P.P., who presided over a gathering of local residents. The meeting, held on a Sunday, brought together a diverse group of individuals dedicated to the betterment of their community. Notable attendees included Mr W. P. Broderick, Mr William O’Sullivan, Mr J. Buckley, D.C.; Mr T. J. Keane, D.C.; Mr J. R Cotter, Mr J. O’Keeffe, Mr W. Cotter, Mr J.P. Harnett, Mr W. R. Cotter, Mr M. L. Harnett, Mr J. Bealy, Mr J. Murphy, Mr J. W. Flynn, Mr D. McCarthy, Mr M. McKemna, Mr T. Carroll, Mr J. Lynch, Mr M. P. Casey, Mr M. Sullivan, Mr D. Keefle, Mr D. Riordam, Mr J. Casey, Mr T. Keane, Mr M. Collins, Mr J. Donoghue, Mr J. Dennis, and Mr J. Moloney.

Reverend Casey commenced the gathering by highlighting the importance of supporting the Parliamentary Fund. He mentioned the creation of tickets by Mr Con Keefle of Pilgrim Hill, intended to help cover the legal costs he incurred on the Listowel Estate. This initiative proved instrumental in raising awareness among tenants regarding the nature of their turbary plots, revealing that these plots were not entirely their own as previously believed. Tenants discovered that they could not cut these plots beyond a certain depth and that trespassers faced no consequences. Reverend Casey urged everyone, particularly in the Islandanny district and beyond, to purchase these tickets to support the cause.

Mr O’Sullivan raised concerns about the current system for measuring stones used in road construction under direct labour. He argued that the system posed significant safety risks and advocated for paying workers based on their productivity. Mr Collins suggested boxing the stones for safer handling, but Mr Murphy countered that even the worst contractors had not adopted such a practice.

It was also noted that the district had saved £500 in the previous year through cost-effective road maintenance, and these savings were being utilized to benefit other districts in the county. Mr Histon, hailing from Mountcollins, shared his experience of providing broken stones for road maintenance without receiving payment. The attendees agreed to consult the steward to address this issue.

Furthermore, the meeting saw the distribution of books related to the Parliamentary Salary Fund collection among the collectors, underscoring the community’s commitment to supporting this crucial initiative.

Kerry News – Wednesday 01 August 1906