Landlords
The main landlord in Burrishoole was Sir Richard O'Donel. He owned about 70% of the Burrishoole Barony. He spent a fortune on improvements to Newport town. He built a pier and improved the quays, constructed a hotel, new houses and large storehouses. He was on the Board of Guardians of Westport Workhouse and later of Newport Workhouse but rarely attended meetings. Unlike his forbears, Sir Richard had little regard for his tenants Ó Móráin alleges that Sir Richard was 'little more in stature than a dwarf ' and rode around his estate with a whip to beat his tenants. He also alleges that Sir Richard decided to clear every Catholic from his estate when they refused to convert to the Plymouth Brethren (Ó Móráin, 1957). Both Tuke (1848) and Nicholson (1850) criticised Sir Richard, because of the number of evictions and his treatment of workers. Sir Richard denied the allegations, blaming his overseers and Tuke was forced to retract his statements. However, Asenath Nicholson compared him to slaveowners in America who also denied knowledge of cruelty. Stories of the cruelty of Sir Richard persist in folklore in Newport. One story tells of an evicted widow and her children who were sheltering under a hedge in the depths of winter, with only her shawl to cover their naked bodies. Sir Richard's agent pulled off the shawl and sold it to pay off some of the rent arrears, leaving the poor woman and children naked in the snow. Although the O'Donels worked hard to build infrastructure, trade and industry in Newport, it is the cruelty of Sir Richard that is remembered in folklore. [ |
Sir Roger Palmer was an absentee landlord. He owned vast estates in Ireland and England. He visited occasionally to shoot and fish. Agents ran his estates and the land was often sublet. He owned land in Erris as well as in Burrishoole. He used the famine as an excuse to clear his estates of surplus tenants. The Telegraph and Tyrawley Herald both criticised him over the evictions. He evicted even reasonably well off tenants, indicating that evictions were connected with land reform rather than rent arrears (Mullowney, 2002). The Marquis of Sligo was a Browne of Westport House who was related to the O'Donels. He was on the Board of Guardians of Westport Workhouse. Regarded as a very benevolent landlord, he also cleared tenants from his land in Burrishoole. Colonel Gore and Sir Samuel O' Malley also owned land in the barony. Sir Samuel was initially very concerned about his tenants. After the 1947 Act, he also cleared almost all his tenants from the land. The total number of tenants in the Barony of Burrishoole decreased by 48% during the Famine. Click HERE for information on Newport Churches |