Letters on the Condition of the People of Ireland - Thomas Campbell Foster

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1846 Excerpt: ...and improvement of Ireland than all the legislative enactments that have ever been passed relative to that country. - LETTER XXV. CONDITION OP THE KERRY PEASANTRY.--THE WASTE AND UNIMPROVED LANDS OF KERRY. Tralee--The River Shannon compared with the River Humber--Want of Woods in Ireland--The Condition of the Kerry Peasantry--The Waste Lands capable of cultivation--Neglect of Agricultural Improvements--Bad Treatment of one another by the Peasantry--No encouragement given by the Landlords--Leases alone, without the Attention and Supervision of the Landlord, will not be of Service--Extent of Waste Land--The Land owned by too few persons for the benefit of the country, and those persons generally but Nominal Owners because of Debts--Facilitate the Sale and Transfer of Estates. Tbalee, Kebre, November 6.. It would not result in much public benefit to occupy your space with a description of the towns which I may visit. It 'is enough, perhaps, to say that Tralee, like most of the towns in the west of Ireland, is irregularly-built, ill-paved, unlit, and dirty. The river Lee runs through it under an archway. Neglect has suffered the archway to be partially blocked up with gravel, and whenever there is a flood, which now happens to be the case, the river, unable to pass through the archway, passes over the public street and floods the houses. It is now two feet deep in the main street. It hase always done so, and therefore it is permitted to do so. There is a prospect, however, of the town being shortly lighted through the efforts of some of the inhabitants. Wishing to see something of the river Shannon, which has. been so much and so justly extolled by every writer on Ireland, I chose that magnificent natural means of transit as mv route into Kerry. The enterp..."