Luggacurran Evictions

The first evictions from the Luggacurran estates took place on Tuesday 15^th March 1887 when Denis Kilbride, a sub tenant of Lord Lansdowne with a holding of 868 acres, was evicted.  Just before the Bailiffs and the R.I.C. men had completed their work under the supervision of the local sub sheriff, William O’Brien M.P. arrived at the scene accompanied by Patrick Meehan of Maryborough.  As the policemen withdrew following the completion of the eviction process, some to Luggacurran village but the larger number to Athy, William O’Brien and Denis Kilbride addressed their supporters.  O’Brien encouraged the Lansdowne tenants, most of whom were now under threat of eviction, to continue with the Plan of Campaign and to withhold their rents until rent reductions were granted by Lord Lansdowne. 

Denis Kilbride who would be later elected Member of Parliament for Kerry and subsequently for Kildare, was a local leader of the Plan of Campaign.  Lord Lansdowne who was then acting as Governor General of Canada wrote to his mother on 23^rd July 1887: ‘Trench [Lansdowne’s agent] cables that he has just evicted our ringleader at Luggacurran.’

John W. Dunne who leased 1305 acres from Lord Lansdowne was later evicted from Raheenahone, together with his sub tenants.  Amongst those evicted during 1887 was Michael Kelly and his family.  Kelly was the sub tenant of 22½ acres of Lansdowne’s land for which he paid a yearly rent of fifteen pounds five shillings.  Michael Kelly’s family were distinguished from the other Kelly families on the estate by the name, ‘Kelly’s of the Hill’.  Michael Kelly had married Ellen Kealy and they had six sons and one daughter.  Sadly Ellen died in her forties when her daughter Margaret was just 8 years of age and the youngest son Tommy was only 5 or 6 years old.

The Kelly family following the eviction from Luggacurran went to live in Wolfhill and it was from there that at least one of the Kelly sons attended the Christian Brothers school in Athy.  He was Patrick Kelly who was just one year old when the family were evicted.  At 17 years of age he enlisted in the Royal Artillery British Army and four years later emigrated to Canada where he joined the Royal Canadian Artillery.  Patrick Kelly would go on to have a distinguished career in the Canadian Army. 

He transferred to the Canadian Army Pay Corps in Quebec in 1913 and a year later arrived in England with the first Canadian troops sent overseas to serve in the First World War.  He was commissioned as a Lieutenant in 1915 and the following year he was sent to France where he was attached to the Canadian overseas base pay office.  A year later he returned to England as assistant head of the officers pay branch.  Promotion to the rank of Army Captain followed in April 1917 and following the ceasefire of 11^th November 1918 he returned to Canada.  Appointed a member of the Pay and Allowance Board he subsequently received various promotions and appointments, culminating in his appointment as District Pay Master Military District No. 2 Toronto on the outbreak of World War II. 

The young man from Luggacurran was once again sent overseas in October 1939 on promotion as Lieutenant Colonel and appointment as Senior Officer Pay Services Canadian Military Headquarters.  Further promotion followed a year later when he was appointed Chief Pay Master of the Canadian Army overseas with the rank of Colonel.  Two and a half years later the former Athy Christian Brothers school boy was promoted to the rank of Brigadier and a year later he was awarded the CBE by King George VI in recognition of his distinguished army service during both world wars.  On his return to Canada in 1945 Patrick Kelly was appointed Pay Master General of the Canadian Army from which position he retired on 7^th January 1947.

Brigadier Kelly was a frequent visitor to Athy during the 1950s and 1960s, always taking the opportunity to visit both Wolfhill and Luggacurran.  His Athy base was always the Leinster Arms Hotel and he took enormous pleasure in meeting the people of the area and especially the family members whose predecessors like the ‘Kellys of the Hill’ were evicted from their small farm holdings on the Luggacurran estate during the War of Campaign. 

Patrick Kelly died in 1973 and is buried in Clopook cemetery.  His only sister Margaret who had married Patrick Burke of Clogh, Castlecomer, came to live with her daughter Stasia and her son Eddie in McDonnell Driver after her husband died.  Eddie Burke, grandson of the evicted sub tenant Michael Kelly, had bought Carolan’s shop in Emily Square following the sale of his father’s land holding in Clogh.

Athy and Luggacurran are interlinked by events and people connected with the Plan of Campaign on the Lansdowne estate of the 1880s.  Nowhere is this more apparent than in the extended family of ‘Kelly’s of the Hill’ where Kellys, Burkes and Kealys have been found and are still to be found in the Anglo Norman town in the South of County Kildare.

Luggacurran Evictions

The Luggacurran evictions started on Tuesday, 22^nd March 1887 when the Sheriff came to Denis Kilbride’s residence, Wood Home, Luggacurran.  Denis Kilbride and his sister Mary were the first to be evicted.  Kilbride went to stay with his brother Dr. James Kilbride in Athy.  As one of the leaders of the local Plan of Campaign Kilbride had addressed the first Land League meeting in Luggacurran in late 1886.  His involvement in the campaign may have been due to the Kilbride family’s financial difficulties rather than any allegiance with their tenants.  Middle class families of that time were generally loyal subjects of the Crown and in keeping with that tradition Kilbride’s brother Joe was a Resident Magistrate in County Galway.

The evictions continued throughout 1887 and a total of 31 tenants of Lord Lansdowne were removed from their homes and lands in that year.  These included John William Dunne of Raheenahone, who was the tenant of more than 1,300 acres of land which compared with the 860 acres tenanted by the Kilbrides.  However, for the remainder of Lansdowne’s tenants their holdings ranged from 25 acres to 80 acres with just three other tenants having more than 180 acres each. 

It is believed that the Lansdowne tenants were capable of paying the landlord’s rent.  While several tenants were undoubtedly happy to join the Plan of Campaign, evidence of clerical intimidation resulting in some tenants joining the Campaign with reluctance was recalled in later years.  Fr. John Maher, ordained in Carlow College in 1880 and who came as a curate to Luggacurran in May 1886, was an uncritical supporter of the Plan of Campaign.  His Parish Priest was the elderly Fr. Thomas Kehoe.  Fr. Maher’s brother, also a priest, had been involved with some success with the Plan of Campaign in his parish and this undoubtedly encouraged the youthful curate to promote the campaign in Luggacurran.  Fr. Maher is alleged to have intimidated his parishioners and many of them were forced by him to join the Plan of Campaign.  They witnessed how the Kavanagh brothers who had refused to join were shunned by Fr. Maher and boycotted by some of their neighbours.

Fr. Maher was undoubtedly the driving force behind the Plan of Campaign in Luggacurran and I recall the late Fr. William Prendergast, P.P. of Kelleigh, whom I invited in the mid 1980s to give a talk on the Luggacurran evictions in the Leinster Arms Hotel, tell how Fr. Maher refused to baptise a child of William Brennan when the parent refused to join the Plan of Campaign.  The Brennans eventually gave in to the cleric’s pressure and the child (later Fr. Owen Brennan) was baptised and the Brennan family were in time evicted.

Andrew Dunlop, a Scottish journalist who worked for over 50 years in Ireland, wrote an account of a Land League meeting in Luggacurran at which Fr. Maher and William O’Brien spoke.  Fr. Maher’s opening words as reported by Dunlop were ‘three groans for the Kavanaghs’.  O’Brien, when he finished his speech, realising that Dunlop was reporting for the Irish Times sought, by threatening Dunlop, to have Maher’s remarks excluded from the Press Report.  When the reporter refused to comply O’Brien publically called him a spy, following which some men menaced Dunlop.  His account read ‘the crowd was shouting and yelling, down with him’. 

Dunlop was escorted to the nearest crossroads by two policemen from where he walked alone to Athy.  His report continued:-  ‘several cars conveying to Athy people who had been at the meeting passed me on the way and some of them evidently gave the word to the roughs of the town.  As I entered Athy a couple of corner boys were gathered at the canal bridge ..... I was followed by a howling mob and a man whom from his appearance I should take to be a butchers assistant struck me a couple of blows. I turned into a public house but the same fellow followed me and called on the owner to put me out ..... compelled to take refuge in another public house the same ruffian again followed me and when I refused to leave caught me by the throat, struck me several times on the head, dragged me out of the place to the middle of the road ..... causing me to fall heavily to the ground.  I got up and walked on followed by the mob until I reached the Post Office which I entered.  Shortly after this a Police Sergeant came and offered me protection ..... I walked with him to the Railway Station.’

This report which appeared in the following days Freeman’s Journal and in the Irish Times was also published in the Toronto Daily Mail a few days before William O’Brien and Denise Kilbride arrived in Canada to highlight the Luggacurran Evictions in the country where Lord Lansdowne was the Governor General.  Reports of the attack on the respected journalist Andrew Dunlop in the town of Athy doomed to failure the Land leaguers campaign in Canada and prompted several physical attacks on O’Brien and Kilbride who were fortunate to leave Canada with their lives.   

Luggacurran Evictions

The Luggacurran evictions which resulted in over 60 families losing their homes and their small holdings understandably hardened the attitudes of the people of South Kildare. Nowhere was this more evident than at a meeting of Athy Board of Guardians held in the workhouse on the 22nd October 1887. At its October the local relieving officer sought to have admitted to the workhouse a young man named Patrick D.______ and his two brothers. Their parents and three younger children had been admitted to the workhouse at a previous Board of Guardian meeting. It transpired that Patrick D. _____ had worked as an emergency man during the evictions in Luggacurran earlier that year. His father, who worked for a local farmer, lost his job as a result and hence his subsequent admission to the workhouse.

James McLoughlin, a member of the Board of Guardians was reported as saying in response to Patrick D. _______ application to enter the workhouse “let him and his brothers go back to Landsdowne and get their earnings as they did during the evictions”. Another Board member was quoted as saying “let them go to hell” before the Board decided to discharge the entire family from the workhouse. Quite clearly it was not to one’s advantage to be associated with the Landlord’s side on the eviction issue.

With the re-commencement of evictions on the Luggacurran estates in May 1889 local animosity was rekindled. The Kildare Observer reported in its issue of the 29th June 1889 of a police prosecution for boycott and intimidation. William V ¬¬¬¬¬¬_____ gave evidence that he took a farm from which a tenant had been evicted. Since then attempts had been made to boycott him. One day while at the fair of Athy he saw Patrick K. ______ selling gates. He purchased four gates at three shillings each and as he prepared to pay for them a local man rushed up and said to Michael K. - “what are you doing selling gates to a boycott”. The transaction was terminated on the claim that the gates had been bought by another man. Patrick K ______ who was called to the witness box denied the previous witnesses evidence but nevertheless the resident magistrates were satisfied that the prosecution’s case was proved. As it was a first case of its kind to come to their attention, they agreed to deal with the defendant rather more leniently than they might and imposed a one month’s prison sentence. As the same time the magistrates issued a warning that any further similar cases would result in a much heavier sentence.

Even the language used by a local newspaper while reporting matters arising within the Luggacurran area clearly showed on whose side their sympathy lay. For instance on the 1st May 1897, The Leinster Leader headlined a story on an inquest on the body of a newly-born male infant. “A Luggacurran Planters Daughter Charged with Concealment of Birth”. Can anyone imagine a more pejorative term to describe a young girl. Clearly feelings were running high on the evicted tenants side and as a nationalist newspaper The Leinster Leader spoke the feelings and the language of those evicted.

Another report in the Kildare Observer of the 3rd September 1887, outlined how a woman living in Shruleen Lane, Athy, was threatened with boycott because a man who had worked on a Luggacurran evicted farm was seen in her house.

Local hotelier Alicia Kavanagh of the Hibernian Hotel, Leinster Street, Athy was refused a certificate to renew her hotel licence in September 1887 after objections by the local constabulary. The District Inspector Mr. Newell had called on Mrs Kavanagh to supply houses and carts for the constabulary on the 21st March in connection with the Luggacurran evictions. She refused claiming that the horses and carts were pre-booked for guests arriving next day from Castlecomer. Asked to show evidence of the booking, she produced a telegram dated 21st March which read “have dinner for us and beds”. Mr. Newell claimed that he went to the Hibernian Hotel in the company of his head constable Mr. Bodley and not satisfied us to the explanation offered advised Mrs Kavanagh to send the horses and carts to the barracks at nine o’clock the following morning. They did not arrive. The court found against Mrs Kavanagh and refused her hotel certificate. A similar case against Patrick Moore of the Nag’s Head was terminated when Moore withdrew his application for a hotel certificate.

The evictions at Luggacurran had a knock-on effect in Athy as business people for whatever reason felt compelled to show solidarity with those ejected from their lands. This extended even to the Board of Guardians as is apparent from the earlier mentioned report on the application of Patrick D ______ for indoor relief . A similar conclusion can be drawn from a report concerning the application of an old woman who applied for outdoor relief. A native of Ballylinan, she had been evicted by Sir Anthony Weldon of Kilmoroney House. Sir Anthony, who presided at the meeting of the Board of Guardians objected to the granting of outdoor relief to the old woman. However, the member of the Board of Guardians ignored their Chairman’s advice and granted the woman 2/6 a week when it transpired that her son had been told by Weldon’s son to go and work in Luggacurran for £1 a week. The old woman would have nothing to do with the Luggacurran evictions a sentiment obviously approved of by the Board of Guardians hence the award to her of 2/6 a week.

The watching and besetting of people involved in the Luggacurran evictions was a role adopted by members of the National League, a branch which had been founded in Athy. In November, 1887, a controversy arose at a meeting of the Athy branch when Mr. Byrne alleged that James Murphy had supplied meat to the Luggacurran people. The reference here is obviously to the emergency men working on the evicted farms. Murphy denied the charge claiming he was a responsible and honest gentleman and was not to be treated in the same way as those who were boycotted and ostracised.

The effect of the evictions was felt for decades after the last of the tenant farmers were evicted in 1889. In November of the following year, during the Athy pig fair, twenty policemen in plain clothes and about fifteen in uniform, were lined up along the main street of the town. Half a dozen men from Luggacurran, and several farmers from Narraghmore were shadowed throughout the day, one or two constables following each farmer wherever they went. The local press noted, “much indignation was felt at the conduct of the local police authorities and the town commissioners are to have a special meeting to protest against this unwarranted interference in the business affairs of the local people.”

The scars left by the evictions in Ireland during the Land League campaign were slow to heal. Athy and Luggacurran were no different in that regard. I have before me as I write, a letter from the Evicted Tenants and Land Settlement Association dated the 11th October 1922 to a south Kildare man in which reference was made to his lands taken to make room for “a grabber and emergency men”. Today, one hundred and ten years after the last of the Luggacurran evictions, I am keenly conscious of the strength of feelings still aroused in people long removed from the events in which Lord Landsdowne and his agent John Townsend Trench played a major part. Some of the families evicted were later to return to Luggacurran. Many families did not do so and the bitterness felt at the injustice and resultant hardship still lingers to this day.

Luggacurran Evictions

I received a letter during the week from a Kilkenny reader following a recent documentary on Radio Kilkenny concerning the Luggacurran evictions. He asked for information about Fr. John Maher who at the time of the evictions was one of the Catholic curates in Luggacurran. Maher was the acknowledged leader of the Plan of Campaign in the area which culminated in the series of evictions which started on 22nd March, 1887 and finally ended in June 1889. He was born in Ballyoughan, Bagenalstown, Co. Carlow and entered St. Patrick’s College in Carlow where he was ordained in 1880. He spent time as a curate in Stradbally, Hacketstown and Clonmore before arriving in Luggacurran in or about May 1886. Around the same time Lord Lansdowne who was the Landlord of vast tracts of land in Luggacurran, visited his County Kerry Estates just outside Kenmare. The small holdings in Kerry consisted of poor land, mountainous for the most part, and Lansdowne offered rent abatements of upwards of thirty-five per cent to his Kerry tenants. News of this soon reached his tenants in Luggacurran who demanded similar terms which were refused. The stage was then set for what would eventually be known throughout Ireland as the Luggacurran Evictions.

The principal tenants on the Lansdowne Estate in Luggacurran were John William Dunne and Denis Kilbride who between them held over 2,100 acres. Both had as sub-tenants small farmers who held their lands from Dunne or Kilbride rather than from Lansdowne. The Plan of Campaign had been initiated in Ireland in October 1886 when it was proposed that where a landlord refused rent reductions tenants would offer rents they considered to be fair. On these being refused by the Landlord the rents would go into an “Estate Fund” for the support of evicted tenants.

It is not certain who initiated the Plan of Campaign in Luggacurran but Fr. Maher’s leadership through the campaign would lead one to believe that he was the person responsible. His brother, Fr. William Maher, was also a priest in the Kildare and Leighlin diocese and he had successfully operated the Plan of Campaign in his own parish. It is quite likely that encouraged by this Fr. John Maher embarked on a course of action which would have far reaching consequences for the families in the Luggacurran area.

Folk memories of Fr. Maher passed down to the present generation relate how the curate preached the Plan of Campaign from the altar every Sunday, encouraging the tenant farmers to withhold their rents from Lord Lansdowne. The inevitable happened. On Tuesday morning, 22nd March 1887 the emergency men, as the evicting party were called, travelled to Denis Kilbride’s house in Luggacurran. They carried with them ladders, crow bars and hatchets. In anticipation of his eviction local men had some time earlier removed all of Kilbride’s hay from his haggards and brought them to a safe place. William O’Brien, one of Parnell’s leading Lieutenants, arrived in Luggacurran the morning of 22nd March when he was presented with an address of welcome by a deputation from Athy’s Branch of the Irish National League. The deputation included Rev. John Staples, Catholic Curate of St. Michael’s, Athy who as Vice President of the League read the address which concluded with the words :- “May your efforts and eloquent words sound the knell of Landlordism on the Lansdowne Estates of Luggacurran today.” O’Brien and those assembled to greet him then walked towards Kilbride’s house to await the arrival of the emergency men. When the crow bar crew arrived accompanied by a large force of policemen they immediately set about attempting to gain entry to Kilbride’s house. Their early efforts were thwarted by the occupants who had barricaded every door and window. Entry was eventually made through the roof and at about 3.00 o’clock in the afternoon after almost four hours work the first of Lord Lansdowne’s tenants was evicted. On completion of the eviction the emergency men withdrew, leaving some of their numbers and a number of policemen to guard Kilbride’s house. Some of the policemen returned to Luggacurran village while the greater number of them marched back to Athy. Later that day a large gathering of Luggacurran folk was addressed by William O’Brien while he stood on the ditch adjoining Kilbride’s Avenue. The speaker was introduced by a Fr. John Maher who asserted that the Luggacurran tenants were determined to win the fight with Lord Lansdowne.

On the following day nine families, the heads of which were either labourers or sub-tenants to Denis Kilbride, were evicted from their holdings. Those evicted on that second day included Thomas Kelly, who occupied the gate lodge at the entrance to the avenue leading to Kilbride’s residence. Kelly, his wife and three children, the eldest eight years, the youngest two years were put out of their house with minimum force.

The emergency men then proceeded to the cottage of John Ryan, a married labourer with seven children who were evicted without resistance. All the while a large group of people watched in silence as their neighbours were forced from their homes. Others evicted that day were Michael Lawler, his wife and four children, the youngest being one month old; Thomas Reddy, his wife and five children and two of Reddy’s relatives aged eighty-five and eighty-three years. Ed Conroy, a sub-tenant of Kilbrides was evicted with his wife and four children, the youngest only five months, and was soon to be joined on the side of the road by Michael Cranny, his wife and thirteen children, and Thomas Rigney, his wife and three children.

The evictions continued until 30th April, 1887 when forty families had been forced from their homes for failing to pay Lord Lansdowne’s rent. Two tenant farmers due for eviction paid their rent, an action which caused considerable bad feeling in the Luggacurran area, especially when it was realised that the men who were brothers were among the first to join the Plan of Campaign. Fr. Maher was particularly vociferous in his condemnation of anyone who broke ranks with the campaigners and Hurlbert in his book “Ireland Under Coercion” quoted Fr. Maher as saying :- “They must all stand or fall together”.

Fr. Maher’s activities resulted in his arrest and subsequent imprisonment in Kilkenny Gaol in May 1889 for a speech delivered by him in Luggacurran in support of the Plan of Campaign. He was released from Gaol after serving one month and on his journey back to Luggacurran was met by welcoming committees at Kilkenny and Carlow. While he was in Kilkenny Gaol the evictions resumed after a lapse of nearly two years. Tuesday, 28th May 1889 saw the emergency men back in Luggacurran and when the Luggacurran evictions ended later that year the local attitude to Fr. John Maher had changed dramatically. The disillusioned campaigners turned against him and when he left Luggacurran in June 1881 for Monasterevin Parish it is claimed that he was booed by those he had once lead in the fight against Landlordism. He was later appointed Parish Priest of Clonasleigh where he lived from 1903 to 1911. He died in Dublin in January 1916.

Board of Guardians Protest 1887

During the Luggacurran Evictions which commenced in 1887 Athy Board of Guardians granted what they considered to be necessary outdoor relief to the evicted tenants. The cheques in payment were signed by the Board's Vice-Chairman Daniel Whelan of Barrowhouse. During a subsequent audit of the accounts the Auditor disallowed the payments and surcharged Mr. Whelan in the sum of £136. The Board of Guardians immediately met and agreed to recoup this money to Mr. Whelan and a cheque was drawn on the Board's account and signed by M.J. Minch, J.W. Dunne and James McLoughlin. All three men were subsequently sued for the recovery of the money by the Local Government Auditor at Athy Petty Sessions in January 1888. The case against them was dismissed. In June 1888 the entire Board of Guardians were dismissed by the Local Government Board and two Vice-Guardians were appointed in their place. Charles Fitzgerald D.C., Castlebar, Co. Mayo and William Burke J.P. of Headford, Co. Galway were each paid the sum of £250 a year out of the rates of the Union while acting as Vice- Guardians for Athy Union.

A public meeting was called for the Town Hall, Athy, on Monday the 25th of June at 7.00p.m. to protest against the action of the Local Government Board and to support the local Board of Guardians. On the following day a large crowd congregated in Emily Square shortly before 1.00p.m. About one hour previously the two newly appointed Vice-Guardians accompanied by Mr. Robinson, Local Government Board Inspector arrived at the Workhouse. A strong force of police under the command of County Inspector Locke had arrived in Athy on the morning train and with the local constabulary were put in charge of the Workhouse. The resident Magistrate, Mr. Kennedy, was also in attendance. The Workhouse Porter received strict instructions not to admit anybody to the building.

Shortly before 1.00 o'clock the dismissed Guardians formed into processional order outside the Town Hall and accompanied by about 1,000 of the townspeople marched to the Workhouse. They included J.W. Dunne, former Chairman, M.J. Minch, M. Hickey, T.P. Lacey,
James Dolan, P. Cleary, P. Walters, James McLoughlin, John McLoughlin, T. Orford, Richard Lawler, William Murphy, T. Dunny, Edward Neill, J. Toole, John Brennan, J. Julian, John Nowlan, Stephen Hayden, John Gannon, Michael Doyle, D. Whelan, Vice Chairman and Michael Treacy.

Also marching with the Guardians were two local Curates Rev. J. Staple C.C. and Rev. J. Carroll C.C. Arriving at the entrance gates to the Workhouse Mr. Dunne addressed the Porter who stood behind the closed locked gates
"As Chairman of the Board I demand admittance for myself and my brother Guardians. We are the elected Guardians and as such the representatives of the people."

Refused admission Mr. Dunne penned a note which read
"The Guardians having arrived to transact the business of the Board find the gates closed against them and in the charge of a force of police. Kindly explain the reason why. Signed J.W. Dunne, Chairman of the Board."

The Porter accepted the note and brought it to the Workhouse Master Mr. Hyland who in turn brought it before the Vice Guardians and the Local Government Inspector. A reply was penned and handed to the Master, it read
"Mr. Hyland is to inform the late Board of Guardians that the Vice-Guardians are at present engaged in transacting Union business and cannot therefore now authorise the admission to the Workhouse or Board Room of any persons who have not got legal business to transact."

The dismissed Guardians returned to the Town Hall where a protest meeting was held. They were to remain out of office until the next scheduled elections for Guardians to Athy Union.

Luggacurran Evictions

On Tuesday the 22nd of March, 1887 the evictions on the Luggacurran Estate commenced. Some months previously the tenants at a public meeting decided to seek reductions in the rents payable to the Marquis of Lansdowne who owned vast tracts of land in County Laois and County Kerry. When their demands were not met Luggacurran tenants adopted the Plan of Campaign and withheld their rents. Lord Lansdowne reacted by seeking to evict his tenants.

On the first day of the evictions William O'Brien, the Nationalist leader, arrived in Luggacurran. A deputation from the Athy branch of the Irish National League met the organisation's national Secretary who travelled by road from Portlaoise. Headed by Rev. John Staples, C.C.. Timothy Byrne, Town Commissioner and Frank Fitzgerald, Branch Secretary, the deputation presented O'Brien with a formal address from the Athy branch.

After the presentation O'Brien walked towards Denis Kilbride's house. Kilbride, who was a Poor Law Guardian and a tenant of Lord Lansdowne with holdings of over 850 acres was the first to be evicted. The emergency men who were to carry out the evictions arrived with ladders, crow-bars and hatchets. Anticipating their arrival the local people had cut down trees on the avenue leading to Kilbride's house forcing the police and emergency men to travel across the fields.

The large house was secured against entry and the emergency men having unsuccessfully tried all the doors and windows were forced to go up on the roof. In a short time a large opening was made through which entry was made. Once inside the obstructions were removed and at 3.00p.m., after about four hours work, the eviction was completed and the house secured. During this time William O'Brien arrived at the house with a large following but no resistance was offered to the police or to the emergency men, some of whom were left in the house to guard against re-entry by the Kilbride family.

The police then withdrew to Luggacurran village, the greater number of them marching on to Athy where they were billeted in the Town Hall for the duration of the evictions. Immediately after the first eviction the local people held a public meeting in the village where they were addressed by William O'Brien and the local curate, Rev. John Maher, who was the leader of the Land League Campaign in Luggacurran.

On the following day the evictions resumed at 11.30 a.m. On this occasion nine families the heads of which were labourers or sub-tenants of Denis Kilbride were forced out of their homes. The first house visited was that of Thomas Kelly who lived with his wife and three children in the Gate Lodge leading to Kilbride's house. The emergency men numbering between 30 and 40 were accompanied by almost 200 policemen. Two of the Kelly children had been sent away while the youngest aged 2 years had taken refuge with her parents in the back room of the house. Most of their furniture being removed the Kellys resisted the attempts to evict them while Mrs. Kelly sat on top of a table refusing to move. Mrs. Denis Kilbride felt compelled to talk to Mr. & Mrs. Kelly after which they left their house. The fire in the grate was then put out and a couple of emergency men and a police guard were left in charge of the Lodge.

The Sheriff went to the next cottage where John Ryan, his wife and seven children lived. The family left quietly and their furniture was moved out onto the road.

Mick Lawler's house was next visited and Lawler, his wife and young children the youngest only one month old, were turned out. Thomas Reddy, his wife and five children with his 85 year old brother and 83 year old woman were next evicted. By evening time the Conroy family, the Cranny family and the Rigney family had also been evicted.

So ended the first day of the Luggacurran Evictions which were to continue until June 1889.