ll off in
only one case, at Bunbeg, and there only to a nominal amount. At Youghal
they much more than doubled, increasing about 133 per cent. Yet in all
these places the Plan of Campaign has been invoked "because the people
were penniless and could not pay their debts!"

NOTE K.

THE COOLGREANY EVICTIONS.

(Vol. ii. p. 216.)

Captain Hamilton sends me the following graphic account of this affair
at Coolgreany:--

In the _Freeman's Journal_ of the 16th December 1886, it is reported
that a meeting of the Brooke tenantry, the Rev. P. O'Neill in the chair,
was held at Coolgreany on the Sunday previous to the 15th December 1886,
the date on which the "Plan of Campaign" was adopted on the estate, at
which it was resolved that if I refused the terms offered they would
join the "Plan."

I had no conference at Freeman's house or anywhere else at any time with
two parish priests. On the 15th December 1886, when seated in Freeman's
house waiting to receive the rents, four priests, a reporter of the
_Freeman's Journal_, some local reporters, and four of the tenants
rushed into the room; and the priests in the rudest possible manner (the
Rev. P. Farrelly, one of them, calling me "Francy Hyne's hangman," and
other terms of abuse) informed me that unless I re-instated a former
Roman Catholic tenant in a farm which he had previously held, and which
was then let to a Protestant, and gave an abatement of 30 per cent., no
rent would be paid _me_ that day. Dr. Dillon, C.C., was not present on
this occasion, or, if so, I do not remember seeing him.

On my asking if I had no alternative but to concede to their demand, the
Rev. Mr. Dunphy, parish priest, replied, "None other; do not think, sir,
we have come here to-day to do honour to you."

The Rev. P. O'Neill spoke as he always does, in a more gentlemanly and
conciliatory manner, and I therefore, as the confusion in the room was
great, offered to discuss the matter with him, the Rev. O'Donel, C.C.,
and the tenants, if the other priests, who were strangers to me, and the
reporters would leave the room. This the Rev. Mr. Dunphy declared they
would not do, and I accordingly refused further to discuss the matter.

After they left the house, one of the tenants, Mick Darcy, stepped
forward and said, "Settle with us, Captain." I replied, "Certainly, if
you come back with me into the house." The Rev. Mr. Dunphy took him by
the collar of his coat and threw him against the wall of t