The Nationalist, December 9th 1908
(from our special correspondent)
On Sunday one of the largest and most enthusiastic demonstrations over held in Mid-Tipperary took
place at Beakstown near the village of Holycross. The meeting took place on Mr E. Butler's farm which is situate about a
mile and a half from Mr Clarke's mansion and demesne. It was called together ostensibly with the object of pressing forward
the demands of the people to have the grass ranches and demesne land in the locality
In anticipation of a renewal of the recent disturbances over four hundred policemen were drafted into the village. They took up position on the approaches leading to Mr Clatrke's mansion, which is one and a half miles distant from the meeting place.
For days it was freely rumoured that police and people would come into conflict and the authorities accordingly had made preparations. The Crown ordered the compulsory closing of the public houses in the village. The people however acted prudently and elected to hold their Meeting one and a half miles from the village. Not a policeman was to be seen during the proceedings which were of a very harmonious nature. Bands with contingents attended from the following centres:- Holycross, Ballycahill, Inch, Borrisoleigh, Rossmore, Killea, Drom, Moyaliffe, Moyne, Loughmore, NewBirmingham and Castleiney.
On the motion of Mr Finn, seconded by Dr Ryan, Rev M. Bannon, Adm.. Thurles, was called on to preside.
The Rev Chairman was loudly received on rising to address the people. He expressed regret
that the revered and venerable pastor of Holycross was unable to be present to occupy the Chair of that meeting, more
especially because he had always been in thorough sympathy with the agrarian agitation (Cheers) He had been 63 years
a priest and he was now as true in heart to the cause which they all favoured as he was when a young priest of 25
years. (Cheers) They were bound to ask themselves the question how it was that they were assembled there that day
in such large numbers: Were they assembled there to do an injustice to any man? (No No) Were they there to inflict
ill-treatment on any man? (No No) They were not assembled to do any of these things, and if they were, they would not
have the clergy there on the platform nor would they have him as their chairman. They dare not come on the
platform under such circumstances. (hear hear) He said they had not come there to do an injustice to any man or
offer an insult to any man ( hear hear). There was a gentleman in the locality; a man of culture, of high education, a
Sportsmen: Mr Clarke. (groans). He, (Father Bannon), had been present in Cork when the
At the trial of the prisoners in Cork, the judge said "I know very well that these boys either
in the day or in the night would not Injure a hair of Mr or Mrs Clarke head". That was what they all said. (applause)
They were not going to do an injustice to Mr Clarke or they were not going to offer him an insult. They were not
fighting against an individual; they were fighting for a principle (hear hear) He spoke that day on the authority of
the archbishop and they knew there was no man in Ireland sympathised more with the people in this agrarian movement than
does the Archbishop of Cashel. (Cheers). He (Father Bannon) asked them to hearken to what the Archbishop desired
when he spoke with that authority he would ask them persevere, but persevere consistently in season and out of season to
effect an alteration of the laws of the country and at the same time not offer any personal insults to Mr Clarke or anyone
else and to do nothing outside the law. They could have the country replanted without outstepping the law. He asked the
committees of the various branches to keep the people in hand and then there would be no disturbances and the young men
of the country would not suffer. He hoped as result of that meeting that there would be no disturbances, as they knew that
the 'carrion crows' wanted such disturbances in this country (hear hear) They exaggerate every incident in
England as an outrage when it was only a petty thing or a joke. He would ask them to be on their guard and not put
themselves within the pale of the police. They had great power within the law, they had the power to break up the
ranches. (Cheers) Within the last few days, the Estates' Commissioners had sent down their inspector and he had prophesied that, in
the near future, there would be a change for the better. (Cheers) He drew attention to one of the resolutions to be
proposed. It concerned the support of the Irish Parliamentary party. (hear hear) He did so for he felt that, at
such a splendid gathering as that
Mr James Dwyer, President of the local branch UIL, then read the following resolutions.
"Resolved that this monster meeting of Tipperary Nationalists, assembled at historic Holycross, desires to place on record our unalterable adhesion to the principle of home-rule for Ireland and to express our firm conviction that there can be no real peace or prosperity in Ireland until the people of this country achieve the rights of making their own laws"
That we pledge ourselves to continue to fight the redistribution of the grazing ranches, until the people are again planted on the land from which they were ruthlessly evicted in the past .
That we strongly protest against the action of Dublin Castle in sending numbers of men from this district to prison without giving them any semblance of a trial, and we think that this action is quite at variance with the past record of the Liberal Government. We pledge these men our moral and material support in the brave fight which they are making for the distribution of the grass lands.
That we think the Land Act Amendment Bill before parliament will go a long way to settle the land question, subject to some necessary amendments. We call on the Irish Parliament to insist on having clauses inserted that will give compulsory powers to the Estates Commissioners to acquire grass ranches for redistribution outside what is known as the congested districts, and compel recalcitrant landlords to sell to their tenants at a fair price.
We welcome the spread of the movement for the betterment of the conditions of our own
tenants, as we are convinced that
We strongly condemn the action of those farmers and landlords who oppose the erection of labourers cottages as we believe the labourers of the country of the County are fully entitled to a decent home and plot of ground in the land of their birth seeing the many sacrifices which they have made in the interest of the national cause.
That we pledge ourselves to support the Gaelic League and to purchase, as far as possible, only goods of Irish manufacture.
That we demand the readjustment of our financial relations with England aswe consider
it a terrible grievance for a poor country like Ireland to have to pay millions of pounds annually into the