DISTURBED IRELAND.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2604, 26 July 1881, Page 2

DISTURBED IRELAND.

The following is from the “Home Hews” of June 3; —An extraordinary scene was witnessed on May 19, near Pallas, Limerick. A large body of military and police were called in to assist in a number of evictions, which they effected amid showers of stone* from a largo and excited crowd. On marching to another part of the estate, however, they found the tenants had taken possession of a castle, which they had loopholed and made practically impregnable to a force without artillery. To day a flying column with four guns will march against the castle, One of the prisoners of Eilmainham, a man named Kenane, was liberated yesterday by order of the Lord Lieutenant, and two men named Fenton and O’Donnell were apprehended at Clonmore.

A serious riot occured the other night at Killarney, arrising out of some illfeeling between the Royal Marines stationed in the town and some of the inhabitants. The military charged the people with fixed bayonets, and several men were wounded on both sides. The cause of the ill-feeling is stated to be an alleged insult offered to Bishop McCarthy by some soldiers. The Land League is now so completely master of the situation in Ireland that the largest and most liberal proprietors are as much at its mercy as the little rack-renting middleman who has slipped into the shoes of some broken down landlord since 1848. The Marquis of Drogheda is the last who has been summoned to surrender in this way, and he has refused, telling his tenantry that he will not submit to dictation, but will prefer to wait for the Land, Bill which will soon become law. The order has therefore gone out that no rents are to be paid unless under an abatement agreed on by the Land League. In fact, the Queen’s writ only runs by premission of the Land League, and we must have some settlment soon, or the result will be civil war.