What a sobering letter!!! Though I realized the cruel treatment of the Irish by the English landowners, reading this very touching letter made me sit back and think about how cruel human beings can be to one another. Very sobering! Thanks very much for posting it. Maureen N In a message dated 1/27/2010 11:24:55 A.M. Central Standard Time, carlowmike@gmail.com writes: Father James Maher was the subject of a lecture delivered by Prof. Donal McCartney in 1994. The lecture was published by Michael Purcell in "Carlow Past and Present" 1995 edition.. The following extract from "The Letters of Father James Maher" County Carlow at this time suffered considerably from the depopulating mania of the Landlords, a terrible evil which soon after spread to many other parts of the kingdom. Father Maher was from the first its open and unflinching assailant. His letter to the Carlow Sentinal of May the 4th, 1836, unmasks the barbarous unfeeling cruelty of this fell system, and will be found not devoid of instruction even at the present day :