Taken from a dark microfilm quality poor. Skibbereen Eagle, National Library, Dublin.

West Cork Agricultural Society in place since 1830 Poorly supported by Gentry and Farmers, Ploughing Prizes, Prizewinners Ploughmen for Estates and Boy’s Class, comments on Leases and Prizes for August 1862.  Poor Agricultural Productivity feature of Land Tenure.

Some of the same families in the article are still winning prizes.

The last paragraph touches on a widespread local problem. In the forced sales before the Landed Estates Court of the 1850s of local Estates there are frequent references to lands being capable of drainage consolidation and improvement.  Unlike Ulster of England in many parts of Ireland the local customs and land tenure militated against improvements.  The Bantry Estate and a the Kenmare Estate had frequent covenants to drain lime apply loads of sea sand.  It is unclear if these covenants were enforced.  In the Skibbereen are it s probable that there was little in the line of improvement until later in the 19th century and in some cases only now with removal of milk quotas is the full potential of the land about to be realised.

Agricultural Prizes June 1862.