‘It’s not 1846’ - Waterford farmers being ‘driven off’ land by British aristocrat

A group of farmers in County Waterford are being “driven off” their land by a British aristocrat, a Waterford TD has said.

Sinn Féin TD Conor D McGuinness posted a video on social media in which he was pictured speaking alongside sheep farmers in West Waterford.

Deputy McGuinness said: “Irish farmers that have farmed their land for generations are being pushed off by an absentee landlord.

“Farmers here in West Waterford in the Knockmealdowns who’ve been farming sheep here for generations.

“900 per cent of an increase in the rent for lands here and it’s just not right.”

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One of the farmers, Micheal Morrissey, said that Lismore Estate is trying to “ruin his livelihood”.

He continued: “Like it’s my sole income, that land. I live off of it and without it, I have nothing.

“What’s it all for if we’re going to be evicted now? The future looks bleak now to be honest, with a 900 per cent increase.

“It’ll be the end of the heritage in the area of hill sheep farming that has been going on since the 1600s.”

Another one of the farmers, Paidí Coleman said the group don’t want to be the last generation to farm the land.

Mr Coleman said: “The increase is going to drive us off the mountain. We’re going to end up pulling the sheep off the mountain if this is the case.

“It’s something we don’t want to do. We’re just hoping for proper terms and to be treated fairly by Lismore Estate going forward.”

In the caption of the post on Facebook, Deputy McGuinness criticised the Government for its inaction on the issue.

“An injustice is being done to these men - they have farmed the Knockmealdowns for generations.

“They are now being driven off the land by an absentee landlord, a British aristocrat who is imposing a 900% rent increase. It’s 2026, not 1846.

“Listen to these young men - their love for the land, and their despair at being the last generation to tend these hills.

“The silence and inaction from Fianna Fáil, Fine Gael and the Healy Rae / Lowry independents is terrible.”

Lismore Estate manages Lismore Castle and the nearly 8,000 acres of land around it on behalf of Peregrine Cavendish, Duke of Devonshire, and his son William, Earl of Burlington.

They have told the farmers leasing mountain land that the rent is set to increase each year up to €50 a hectare a year in 2029.

The farmers were paying €5 a hectare a year for over 20 years. However, in 2024 this tripled to €15 and last year, it went up to €17.50.

After carrying out a review, Lismore Estate notified farmers last month of the further planned increases.