Irish Peasantry Society - has anyone heard of it?

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Sduddy
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Irish Peasantry Society - has anyone heard of it?

Post by Sduddy » Wed Feb 24, 2021 12:23 pm

In the mid 1860s, Agricultural Societies, patronised by the gentry, began to be formed in Clare, and reports of meetings of these societies appeared in the Clare Journal – and also reports of agricultural exhibitions such as this one describing the West Clare Agricultural Society exhibition, end of September 1868. The first few lines set the scene:
Clare Journal, Mon 5 Oct 1868:
The fifth annual exhibition of stock and produce in connection with this Society took place on Thursday, at Kilrush. The weather was exceedingly fine, and the show yard was visited by a great many people from the town and neighbourhood. The aristocracy of West Clare, however, were scarcely so numerously represented as on the previous year, the absence of Lady Grace Vandeleur, (whose anxiety and zeal in promoting the prosperity and advancement of the tenantry has always been so conspicuously manifested) being particularly marked and regretted. Among the gentlemen on the ground we observed the popular landlord Col. Vandeleur, M. P., Thomas Rice Henn, Esq, Q.C., J.P., R. W. C. Reeves, Esq, BL., J.P., Captain Studdert, J.P., Captain Vandeleur, D.L., Marcus Keane, Esq, J.P., Francis N. Keane, Esq, JP, C. Delmege, Esq, J.P., W. Steele Studdert, J.P., Captain Palner, R.A., Jonathan Bruce, Esq., &c, &c.
The drum and fife band of the Clare Militia were in attendance and contributed to the amusement of the proceedings….
The report goes on to mention the animals on show (brood mares, draught horses, etc), and the farm machinery and the farm produce (root vegetables, butter, etc.). The report then lists prizes awarded for cattle, horses, sheep, poultry and butter. And then comes the piece that interests me most:
Prizes Awarded by the Irish Peasantry Society.
For the best and neatest kept cottage with not more than 2 acres attached, £2 10s, Mr John Mahony, Cappa.
2nd do [as above], £1 10s, Mr Terence Meehan, Burrane.
3rd do, £1, Mr Thomas Pyne, Kilmurry.

For the neatest and best kept cottage without any land or with land not exceeding two roods, £2, Mr Michael McMahon, Cappa.
2nd do, £1 10s, Mr James O’Neill.
3rd do, £1, Mr Wm Condon.

For the best managed kitchen garden belonging to the holder of not more than 2 acres (statute), £2, Mr Thomas Mahony, Leadmore.
2nd do, £1, Mr M Leary, Kilrush.
I did a search in order to find out more about the Irish Peasantry Society, but found only this: https://discovery.nationalarchives.gov. ... /c/F121041, which tells me nothing, but confirms that such a society existed.

P.S. The occasion ended with a dinner in the market house for the members and friends of the society.

Sheila

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