Sir, - In her wide-ranging and informative article about the Gregory family of Coole Park in last Saturday's edition, Lorna Siggins, in mentioning the generosity of the father Robert towards his tenants, ignored the deeds of his son, William Gregory.
As an administrator for the British Government during the Famine, William Gregory was responsible for one of the harshest acts of the time. This was the Gregory Clause of 1847 under which any person who occupied more than a quarter of a statute acre who applied for a place in the workhouse, or for food for his family, had to give up his patch of land to the landlord or face starvation. This savage blow left countless small holders in a destitute state.
Any overview of the Gregory family would be incomplete without mention of this clause, which had such serious implications for the many less fortunate Irish families. - Yours, etc.,
Margaret Murphy, Derrymore, Tulla, Co Clare.