APHAthenry by Vincent J Carlyle
Athenry Correspondence
Source: Galway Express 1st June 1889.
The present year shows great prospect of a most beautiful harvest, and no doubt the surrounding tenantry have everything to hope for, and nothing to fear, except, their own inclination to squander the rent which justly belongs to the landlord. A great change has taken place in the manners and living of the tenants around Athenry the past six years. It is first necessary to remark the great lack of industry and their prominences to sloth and drunkenness, which prevails as a wide-spread malady among the tenantry of this locality. The general custom of these foolish people is to repair to our “old town” every night to indulge in strong and “ardent spirits”, — a practice which was unknown in this neighbourhood six years ago, and in this manner the rest of the land is buried into the tills of our beer merchants in Athenry. The population of our “old town” is about 800, and yet it contains 33 thriving beer shops! It is easily therefore to imagine that those 800 inhabitants are not capable of supporting these thriving liquor shops. The “country evening trade” has adorned our “little village” with at least twenty of these liquor “evening palaces”. We have also in our town a most historic building, which is known as the Temperance Hall, but I am sorry it is only nominal. This Hall is capable of accommodating five or six hundred members, and disregarding the few grabbers who play the “tin band”, a baker’s dozen would embrace its members. It is impossible to have a flourishing temperance society under such circumstances. Now what has caused this revolution in our town? The answer is simple indeed. The infamous teaching of the Land League which has darkened our horizon with bloody crimes and has led our people from the peaceful level of social unity to the towering heights of perdition and vice. The tenants have been taught, or as I might correctly say, duped by this hellish doctrine to pay no rent, and what has befallen them? They were evicted, and some are now living in the wild but prolific lands of Canada, others we can see jostled from one house to another earning an occasional day’s hire, whereas if they ignored the false doctrine of the League, they would be comfortable and worth some money today. Another great change has taken place among the tillers of the soil round here, and one which is impossible to detect from an exterior knowledge of their habits – and that is, their diet has changed from that simple bill of fare which for generations has proved wholesome to those engaged in farm labour, to a higher class, which would bear comparison fairly well with what we would find in a third class hotel. We may next direct our attention to a fact which makes itself self-evident to every person who can see for himself, that the great improvement in the clothes now worn by our country folks, and those worn a few years ago. It may be the idea of the peasantry to encourage Irish Industry by purchasing Irish tweeds, but they should not be blind to the fact no Irish tweed is fit to stand in the field against a good Scottish corduroy. Latterly no matter what tailor’s shop one enters, bales of Irish tweed are to be seen, while not a particle of corduroy can be seen, which has been proven by the test of a century to be the cheapest, most endurable, and best article of clothing for our once industrious peasantry. But alas! The days of industry has fled, and with them, has fled peace and prosperity. Another characteristic presents itself to the mind of any thinking individual in connection with the tenantry round here, vis. They are disinclined to pay their rent. This propensity no doubt is engendered amongst them by the false teaching of the Land League, which has unfortunately destroyed this country as the locust plague destroyed everything prolific and fruitful in the land of verdure. A very good suggestion, and one which after a little would bear fruit in Athenry, would be for those peasants who are given to “ardent spirits” to join our Temperance Society, which only requires a small sum, and by this means avoid squandering the rent, which justly belongs to the landlord, in our local beer shops, for which Athenry is proverbial. Instead of their being only a few members, there should be a least a hundred, as was the case before the Land League began to exist, but which is now dead, and its successor, thanks to Providence. I hope after a short time that the peasantry around here will consider their position as critical, and lower their present ensign of “drinking well” – clothing well – and paying nil”, and erect the standard of moderation, temperance, and industry, in its place. I may, with the kind permission of the Editor, in next issue show the success of the plantation scheme, and how it would work in the Athenry district.
VINCENT J.CARLYLE.
