A letter written by Charles Parnell to his own estate manager suggesting the better collection of rent from tenants has emerged from the Church of Ireland’s central library.
The document was written from inside Kilmainham Gaol, where Parnell was interned during the land war of 1879-1882.
Mr Parnell refers to his agent on his lands at Avondale in Co Wicklow, with the letter appearing to suggest works needs to be done to collect rents, according to Oscar Bryan, the author of an article commissioned by the Representative Church Body Library.
“The reason of this Mr. M.J. Farrelly desires to insist in my place of Avondale and I shall be much obliged if you will give him any facilities in your power,” the then Irish Parliamentary Party leader wrote, signing the letter Chas S Parnell.
This article examines the historical significance of the letter, which was discovered by chance within the library’s holdings, the Church of Ireland said.
“Dated February 1882 and composed during Parnell’s imprisonment in Kilmainham Gaol, the letter offers a valuable snapshot of the activities surrounding the Land War, and highlights Parnell’s role in advocating for the rights of tenant farmers,” it added.
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Parnell was interned for seven months under the Coercion Acts but his imprisonment ultimately led to the Kilmainham Treaty between the Irish leader and British Prime Minister William Gladstone.
The full article about the letter is available at www.ireland.anglican.org/library/archive
