Land purchase and radicalisation in county Galway, c. 1881–1931. Issue 1 (2nd January 2020)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Campbell, Fergus
• Is Part Of: Irish studies review. Volume 28:Issue 1(2020)
• Page Start: 20
• Page End: 42
• Publication Date: 2020-01-02
• Subjects: Land reform -- United Irish league -- Sinn Fein -- land purchase -- land redistribution -- Ireland; Ireland -- Periodicals; English literature -- Irish authors -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; Irish literature -- History and criticism -- Periodicals; Irish periodicals; 941.5
• DOI: 10.1080/09670882.2020.1703284
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0967-0882

Abstract

ABSTRACT: Land purchase in Ireland is often regarded by historians as resulting in the pacification and de-politicisation of formerly unsettled local communities. This conclusion may be premature given that we do not yet know the details of how land purchase was actually implemented at the local level, and why, and with what consequences. By exploring the way in which land purchase was conducted in a single community, this article suggests that the United Irish League, a major influence on the actual operation of land purchase, often contradicted its own constitution by allocating additional grazing land to large farmers and shopkeepers rather than to poor small farmers or the landless. As a result, alternative tenant movements were established to defend small farmer' rights – like the Galway Secret Society – and these sometimes became the basis for subsequent Republican organisations including Sinn Fein. Far from bringing peace, land reform – as overseen by the United Irish League – actually generated greater conflict within local communities and may have provided the impetus for violent Republicanism in some communities.