From the archives: Plight of 35 Mayo island families highlighted in 1936

AT a meeting of Mayo County Council on Saturday, February 22, 1936, a Catholic curate highlighted the ongoing plight of islanders in Clew Bay.

A letter from Rev. J.J. Philbin, Killeen, was read by council secretary Mr. M.J. Egan:

A Dhuine Usal, There is a matter which I wish to draw your attention to and to inquire into, and the seeding to this matter occasions me to forward this letter to you while other letters will be dispatched by me elsewhere concerning the same matter.

In Clew Bay there are quite many islands which go to constitute a part of the parochial territory of the Parish of Killeen.

In by-gone years all these islands were peopled, but at the present time (1936) several of these islands are not inhabited; they are desolate islands; they are vacated because their inhabitants of former days were forced with dire misery and utter need - with starvation staring them in the face, they were forced to abandon their simple and humble island homes to endeavour to make a living elsewhere - some in the homeland, others in the land of exile.

At the present time (1936) 11 of these islands are inhibited and the inhabited islands are: Inisraher, Inisgowla, Crevenish Island, Islandtaggart, Inishlyre, Inishgort, Cullen Island, Clinish Island, Islandmore, Inishcuttle and Inisnakellew.

These 11 islands are populated as follows: - In Inisraher one family; in Inishgowla two families; in Crevenish Island two families; in Islandtaggart one family; in Inishlyre three families; in Inishgort one family; in Cullen Island six families; in Clinish Island two families; in Islandmore six families; in Inishcuttle five families, and Inishnakellew six families.

The island families are, therefore, as yet 35 in number. All must undoubtedly admit that the islanders have a very hard and trying life; their hardships are many in number; manifold disadvantage and inconveniences hamper them, and their life is one of mere slavery and drudgery.

What sacrifices they make to produce the mere necessities of life!

Being on a mission on the Aran Islands I know from experience what the islander’s life is; I have witnessed their sufferings, hardships and needs.

The people of the 11 islands here are in similar circumstances to the other islands off the sea-board of Ireland.

What misery and hardship they endure coming in from these islands to attend church and market.

Time and again in winter and spring they get great wettings coming in and returning out home to the islands; often times they cannot come in.

Many Government grants are given; much public money is expended on works, while the people of these 11 islands have obtained no assistance for their improvement and welfare from Government money.

To come now to the matter in question I wish to point out to you that the people of these 11 islands some time ago asked that their rates be reduced for them by one half in future, as they are unable to meet all their calls, and I am given to understand that a promise was made to them to the effect that in future their annual rate would be only half the full rate.

In the year 1934-35 they had to pay only the rates as reduced by one half, but now for the year 1935-36 these islanders, as I am recently informed, are called upon to pay the full year’s rates again, and, furthermore, the half year’s rates which were knocked off for them in the year 1934-35 are demanded from them now.

What exactly is the meaning of this? The poor people were bad enough and enduring much during these very poor, miserable and slack times they are going through, and they find it very difficult to provide themselves with the mere necessities of life.

I hereby ask on behalf of these poor people that their rates be reduced by one half, and they certainly will pay the reduced rates.

They are unable to pay the full annual rates; they cannot give what they have not, and in a short time they should leave the place in utter want. I hope the people will be treated as they should be treated.

Please inform me as to the date of the next council meeting if at all possible, if this matter is not satisfactorily fixed up before then. If I am not present at the meeting introduce the matter discussed in this letter.

In their circumstances in these poor times the full year’s rates is an exorbitant tax on these islanders, and they will pay what they just can manage to pay, and that is one half of the annual rates.

Please let me be furnished with your reply to this letter in the stamped and addressed envelope herewith enclosed.

The secretary, Mr. Egan, said the Minister had previously refused to give the islanders off Kilmeena a remission of a half year’s rates, and the trouble with the islanders was that they were being asked to pay arrears for the time they refused to pay.

The county council, he said, had approved of the idea at that time, but as the Minister had declined to sanction it, the arrears for that period were still being carried forward as unpaid.

Councillor McGing said that other islanders could get off without paying rates at all although they had public services.

The islanders off Killeen had neither medical service nor roads and they were a very hard working and honest type of people and further representations should be made to the Department about securing that half year’s relief which the sought.

Secretary: You will have to ask the Government to introduce legislation in order to get over the matter.

Chairman Mr. Michael Kilroy: As far as the council is concerned they met these islanders in every way they could, and I believe the Government would have helped if they could.

The council decided to repeat the request to the Department to relieve these people of the half year’s rates in question and if necessary introduce legislation so that this can be done. On the other hand, if this was not possible, the Government was to be requested to provide the islanders with the ordinary services obtaining in other parts of the county.