Liam's Irish Traditional Music - Irelands culture and tradition

Ireland was one of the countries on the itinerary of travellers who we're making the "Grand Tour" of Europe. Few of the people who visited were uncritical, and many were appalled by what they saw. The income of Irish landowners ranged from £7,000 to £20,000 a year. There was a great gulf between the rich and the poor.

A land of freedom:

To discover what the liberties of a people is, we must live among them, and not look for it in the statutes, of the realm: the language of written law may be that of liberty but the situation of the poor may speak no language but that of slavery… The cottages of the Irish, which are all called Cabbins, are the most miserable hovels that can well be conceived: they generally consist of only one room; mud kneaded with straw is the common material of the walls... These are rarely above seven feet high... They are about two feet thick, and have only a door, which lets in light instead of a window.

Source: Arthur Young, A tour in Ireland; with general observations on the present state of that kingdom made in the years 1776, 1777 and 1778 and brought down to the end of the year 1779, London 1780

An illustration from Arthur Young's book. Irish people were often to poor to make improvements on their land. When they could afford to do so, they could get no additional reward for being good farmers. Many landlords offered no security of tenure to their tenants. They called them 'tenants at will' and could evict them without notice.

Half a dozen children, almost naked, were sleeping on a little straw with a pig, a dog, a cat, a chicken and a duck. The poor woman spread a mat on a chest, the only piece of furniture in the house, and invited me to lie there. The animals saluted the first ray of the sun by their cries and began to look about for something to eat: I got up very soon for fear of being devoured.

Source: Le Chevalier da la Tocnaye. A Frenchman's walk through Ireland. 1796-1797