SEPTEMBER 12th, 1846: In Clonoulty, Co Tipperary, a curate tears down an "inflammatory notice" posted on the chapel gate. It urged the people to assemble on the fairgreen to devise some means to keep themselves from starvation. Father Thomas O'Carroll records in his diary that the constable was afraid to pull it down.
He speaks to two parishioners in the sacristy "on the necessity of something being done immediately to mitigate the distress and inspire confidence, as the people are in a great ferment about food. It is much to be feared that outrages will take place."
Father O'Carroll considers, however, that the extent of the distress is being exaggerated at present. Some disorderly fellows, taking advantage of the alarm, are going about the country inciting the poor to seize the cattle of the gentry. The potato crop is a total failure in all parts through which he has passed recently.
September 14th: "In pursuance of the notice, about 200 persons tumultuously assembled today in the appointed place and it is difficult to say what amount of mischief have resulted, had they not dispersed by Mr Mackey [the parish priest].
"Parties went from house to last night requiring the labourers to attend the meeting today. It is well for those folk who take such a delight in calumniating the Catholic priesthood, that we still retain so much influence over the people - it is generally exerted for their protection."
A fellow curate arrives late for dinner with a gun which he removed from a peasant engaged in target practice.
"It is really provoking to witness the efforts which the youth of this parish are making to possess firearms . . . It is quite a usual thing for servant men and paupers employed on the public works to club a portion of their earnings in order to purchase a gun. If this system be much longer tolerated, the young men of the country will be certainly demoralised and these arms will be converted to a very bad purpose. Many of these people are looking forward to an outbreak."
On the other hand, Father O'Carroll is disgusted with the conduct of some of the comfortable farmers. They were asked to provide the relief committee with information about the poor in their localities and furnish lists of families requiring employment on public works.
"Instead of co operating to carry out this charitable object, they recommend none but their own friends and dependants, many of whom were admitted to have money funded in the saving banks, whilst others were known to possess corn and cattle.
"We Irish are essentially jobbers, Father O'Carroll declares. "I was slow to believe that there were so much baseness and corruption in the Irish character, as I have seen manifested lately in the meetings of and the applications to our committee for employment on the public works."