At a recent meeting of the Limerick County Council, chaired by Mr John Ryan of Killenure, a significant and pressing matter was brought to the forefront. Mr Ryan expressed regret at the necessity to address such an issue, focusing on the plight of an evicted tenant. He emphasized the importance of ensuring that even a single tenant, no matter how small their holding, should be safeguarded in their tenure before the purchase process was finalized.

Highlighting the collabourative efforts of the local branch of the United Irish League and the Limerick Executive in vain attempts to resolve the matter, Mr Ryan voiced his hope that the combined weight of the Council’s recommendation, alongside the landlord and agent’s involvement, would lead to the reinstatement of the evicted tenant. This, he believed, would heal the rift and foster positive relations.

During the meeting, the Chairman read aloud a letter from Michael Power, an evicted tenant on the Croker estate near Herbertstown. Power sought the Council’s assistance in his endeavour to be reinstated on his farm at Mobane. He cited numerous influential bodies that had recognized his case, including the Estates Commissioners, the National Directory of the United Irish League, and various local authorities. Despite assurances from both the landlord and agent regarding his reinstatement upon the sale of the estate, Power had not received any official communication on the matter.

Turning his attention to the broader context, the Chairman remarked that while the Land Act was designed to address the restoration of evicted tenants and the alleviation of congestion in the West, it had met only partial success in these areas. In the county itself, he urged the landlord and agent to act justly and to lead by example in rectifying the situation for the tenant in question.

In response, Mr Coleman proposed that a deputation be organized to meet with the agent, Mr Barrington. Believing in Mr Barrington’s sense of justice, Coleman was confident that a meeting would be fruitful. Mr E Mitchell, however, expressed skepticism about the agent’s willingness to entertain a deputation.

After further deliberation, it was resolved that the Chairman, accompanied by Messrs. Hayes, Bourke, and Coleman, would form a deputation to meet with Mr Barrington and discuss the situation in detail. The County Council’s actions underscored its commitment to seeking resolution and advocating for fairness for the evicted tenant.

Limerick Echo – Tuesday 17 October 1905