Land League - Irish political clay pipe bowl (1880’s)
The Irish National Land League was a political organisation that defended Irish land tenants against exploitation by landlords and their agents as well as seeking legislative changes that would allow more tenants to become freeholders of the lands they worked. The League also organised the Land Wars to fight against unfair evictions and excessive rent increases, their guiding principal being the Three F’s (Fair Rent, Fixity of Tenure and Free Sale). Coercive policies and legislation was introduced as a reaction against the Land Wars which resulted in the Land League becoming a proscribed organisation and deemed illegal in 1882. However, the fight for the Three F’s continued through political channels with Charles Parnell leading the campaign in Parliament at Westminster. Parnell, who was President of the Land League later based his campaigning on the principal that the Land Wars and Irish Home Rule were inseparable issues.
During the second half of the 19th century Ireland was going through much upheaval as a result of social and political struggles around issues such as Land Reform and Irish Home Rule. One of the main political players in all this was Charles Stewart Parnell, a wealthy Protestant landowner from County Wicklow and MP from 1875 to 1891. He rose to prominence during the late 1870’s campaigning for Irish land laws reforms and to further his aims, joined the Irish National Land League becoming its elected President in 1879. For Parnell, land act reforms and the question of Irish Home Rule went hand-in-hand and so campaigned on both issues through parliament. By the early 1880’s, the Land League were losing their effectiveness and momentum and thereafter, Home Rule became the burning political issue for Ireland.
The Land League had paved the way towards further Land Acts and after the 1880 general election, Parnell and his political supporters forged an alliance with William Gladstone, then Liberal Leader and British Prime Minister. This alliance at Westminster saw the introduction of the second Irish Land Act (1881) that gave greater security of tenure to Irish tenants as well as providing for land purchases by tenants. Other important Land Acts followed in quick succession, the Irish Land Purchase Act 1885, the Irish Land (Balfour) Act 1887 and the Wyndham Land Act 1909.
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Height: 1 9/16” (40mm)
Widest width: 1 ¼” (32mm)
Inside diameter: 11/16” (18mm)
Find location: Mulllingar, County Westmeath.
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Note:
The design has been highlighted by gently rubbing some pencil leading over it, making it easier to photograph. The pencil markings are easily removed by a soft-rubber eraser.
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References:
irishhistorypodcast.ie/2011/05/20/an-introduction-to-the-... (The Irish Land Wars).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Land_Acts#Wyndham_Land_.28Pur... (Irish Land Acts, 1870 - 1909).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stewart_Parnell (Charles S Parnell).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_National_Land_League (Irish National Land League).
Land League - Irish political clay pipe bowl (1880’s)
The Irish National Land League was a political organisation that defended Irish land tenants against exploitation by landlords and their agents as well as seeking legislative changes that would allow more tenants to become freeholders of the lands they worked. The League also organised the Land Wars to fight against unfair evictions and excessive rent increases, their guiding principal being the Three F’s (Fair Rent, Fixity of Tenure and Free Sale). Coercive policies and legislation was introduced as a reaction against the Land Wars which resulted in the Land League becoming a proscribed organisation and deemed illegal in 1882. However, the fight for the Three F’s continued through political channels with Charles Parnell leading the campaign in Parliament at Westminster. Parnell, who was President of the Land League later based his campaigning on the principal that the Land Wars and Irish Home Rule were inseparable issues.
During the second half of the 19th century Ireland was going through much upheaval as a result of social and political struggles around issues such as Land Reform and Irish Home Rule. One of the main political players in all this was Charles Stewart Parnell, a wealthy Protestant landowner from County Wicklow and MP from 1875 to 1891. He rose to prominence during the late 1870’s campaigning for Irish land laws reforms and to further his aims, joined the Irish National Land League becoming its elected President in 1879. For Parnell, land act reforms and the question of Irish Home Rule went hand-in-hand and so campaigned on both issues through parliament. By the early 1880’s, the Land League were losing their effectiveness and momentum and thereafter, Home Rule became the burning political issue for Ireland.
The Land League had paved the way towards further Land Acts and after the 1880 general election, Parnell and his political supporters forged an alliance with William Gladstone, then Liberal Leader and British Prime Minister. This alliance at Westminster saw the introduction of the second Irish Land Act (1881) that gave greater security of tenure to Irish tenants as well as providing for land purchases by tenants. Other important Land Acts followed in quick succession, the Irish Land Purchase Act 1885, the Irish Land (Balfour) Act 1887 and the Wyndham Land Act 1909.
.
Height: 1 9/16” (40mm)
Widest width: 1 ¼” (32mm)
Inside diameter: 11/16” (18mm)
Find location: Mulllingar, County Westmeath.
.
Note:
The design has been highlighted by gently rubbing some pencil leading over it, making it easier to photograph. The pencil markings are easily removed by a soft-rubber eraser.
.
References:
irishhistorypodcast.ie/2011/05/20/an-introduction-to-the-... (The Irish Land Wars).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_Land_Acts#Wyndham_Land_.28Pur... (Irish Land Acts, 1870 - 1909).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Stewart_Parnell (Charles S Parnell).
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irish_National_Land_League (Irish National Land League).