Page:Confiscation in Irish history.djvu/170

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158
CONFISCATION IN IRISH HISTORY

very much larger number, were thus deprived of their lands.

For instance, according to the certificates, only 550 landlords were transplanted from the five Munster counties, and of these only sixty-six were from Kerry. But in Kerry the estates of nearly 550 Catholic landowners were confiscated. There were over 400 Catholic landowners in the single barony of Carbery, in Co. Cork; and about 1,000 in the whole county. Yet according to the certificates only sixteen were transplanted; the rest lost everything (except those of Cork, Kinsale and Youghal who were dispensed from transplantation). It seems impossible to believe that the returns for these and some other counties are complete; but making every allowance for error it would appear that only about one landowner out of every five was awarded any lands in Connaught or Clare.

Mr. Gardiner has examined the only surviving records of the examinations held to prove "delinquency"—those of the precinct of Athlone. Taking the first and last twenty cases he finds that eleven were dead or had gone beyond the seas, and four had taken the English side. Of the remaining twenty-five only seven would have escaped with partial forfeiture of their property, the remaining eighteen, if not protected by a special clause in their surrenders, would have been liable to be hanged under the provisions of the Cromwellian Act of Settlement.[1]