Irish Land Acts facts for kids

The Land Acts were a series of important laws in Ireland during the 1800s and 1900s. These laws aimed to change how land was owned and rented. Before these acts, most farmers in Ireland rented their land from landlords. The goal was to help farmers own their own farms.

In 1870, only 3% of Irish farmers owned their land. The rest were tenants. By 1929, this had completely changed! About 97.4% of farmers owned their farms. This shows how successful the Land Acts were. However, even with land ownership, some challenges like people leaving Ireland and economic problems continued.

Landlord and Tenant Act of 1870: First Steps

Why the Act Was Needed

The British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, wanted to solve problems in Ireland. He hoped to bring peace and fairness to the country. There was also growing violence from groups like the Fenians, which made the government act.

Gladstone and others worked on the Landlord and Tenant (Ireland) Act 1870. At this time, farming in Ireland was getting better, and there was less pressure on the land after the Great Irish Famine.

What the Act Did

The Act had a few main parts:

• Ulster Custom: If local rules (like the "Ulster custom") already gave tenants certain rights, these rules became official law.
• Compensation for Improvements: If tenants made improvements to their farms, they could get money for these improvements when they left the land. Before, landlords often kept these improvements without paying.
• Compensation for Disturbance: Tenants could get money if they were unfairly evicted (kicked off their land) for reasons other than not paying rent.
• Bright Clauses: This part allowed tenants to borrow money from the government to buy their farms. However, landlords had to agree to sell, and not many tenants could afford the loans.

The law tried to stop landlords from charging "excessive" (too high) rents. But the House of Lords changed this to "exorbitant" (extremely high). This change made it easier for landlords to raise rents, evict tenants for not paying, and avoid giving compensation.

What Happened After the Act

Even though the Act meant well, it didn't work very well.

• Very few tenants used the Bright Clauses to buy land.
• Legal arguments over rents and customs actually made things worse between landlords and tenants.
• When a farming crisis hit in the late 1870s, many tenants couldn't pay rent. They were evicted without protection.
• This led to a period of unrest and violence called the Land War, led by groups like the Irish National Land League.

Despite its problems, the 1870 Act was important. It was the first time that tenants in Ireland had legal rights to their land. It started to change the idea that landlords had absolute control over property.

Bessborough Commission: Calling for Change

In 1881, a group called the "Bessborough Commission" looked into how the 1870 Land Act was working. They found that the Act didn't really protect tenants. They said that tenants often felt forced to accept rent increases to protect the improvements they had made to their farms.

The commission famously stated that "Freedom of contract... does not really exist" for most Irish tenants. They strongly recommended the "Three Fs" that farmers were demanding:

• Fair Rent: Rents should be reasonable and set by a court.
• Free Sale: Tenants should be able to sell their interest in the farm (like their improvements) to a new tenant.
• Fixity of Tenure: Tenants should have a secure right to stay on their land as long as they paid rent.

Farming Problems and New Laws

From 1873 to 1896, farmers in Britain and Ireland faced tough times called the "Long Depression". Prices for farm goods dropped because cheaper food was coming from places like America and New Zealand. This meant Irish farmers earned less money but still had to pay their rents. This was especially hard in the poorer, wetter parts of western Ireland, which also suffered from a famine in 1879. These problems showed that more land reforms were urgently needed.

Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881: More Security for Tenants

The Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881 gave tenants much more security. It created the idea of "dual ownership," meaning both the landlord and the tenant had rights to the land. It also made the "Ulster Custom" (local tenant rights) legal across the whole country.

A very important part of this Act was the creation of the Irish Land Commission and a Land Court. Tenants could now go to this court to get their rents reduced. In most cases, rents were lowered by 15% to 20%.

While this Act helped lower rents, it also meant farmers spent more time in court trying to get rent cuts instead of finding ways to make their farms more productive. The part of the Act that allowed tenants to buy land wasn't very popular because the new rules gave tenants little reason to buy.

Quick facts for kids Arrears of Rent (Ireland) Act 1882
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision respecting certain Arrears of Rent in Ireland.
Citation	45 & 46 Vict. c. 47
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	18 August 1882

The Arrears of Rent (Ireland) Act 1882 was passed to help tenants who owed back rent. It allowed the Land Commission to cancel rent debts of less than thirty pounds. This helped write off about two million pounds in unpaid rent.

What These Acts Meant

These Land Acts showed a big change in how the government thought about land ownership. Gladstone, who used to believe strongly in free markets, now supported government involvement in setting rents and land sales. This was a major shift!

The acts also slowly reduced the power of the "Protestant Ascendancy" – a term used for the mostly Protestant land-owning class. While the land disputes were mainly about money, religion sometimes became a factor because many large landowners were Protestant in a mostly Catholic country.

Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885: Buying Land Becomes Easier

Land protests continued in the 1880s. This led to the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885, also known as the "Ashbourne Act." This Act made it much easier for tenants to buy their land. It allowed tenants to borrow the full price of the land from the government, to be paid back over 49 years with 4% interest.

Five million pounds were set aside for this, and about 25,400 tenants bought their farms by 1888. Many of these were in Ulster. This Act helped transfer nearly a million acres of land to farmers.

Land Law (Ireland) Act 1888
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend Section One of the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1887, in regard to Leaseholders.
Citation	51 & 52 Vict. c. 13
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	28 June 1888

The Land Law (Ireland) Act 1888 added another five million pounds to help with land purchases under the Ashbourne Act.

Land Law (Ireland) Act 1887: More Funds for Purchase

Land Law (Ireland) Act 1887

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Land Law (Ireland) Act, 1881, and the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act, 1885, and for other purposes connected therewith.
Citation	50 & 51 Vict. c. 33
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	23 August 1887

The Land Law (Ireland) Act 1887, introduced by Arthur Balfour, set aside a huge £33 million for land purchases. However, it had many complicated legal rules that made it hard to use at first. It aimed to replace "dual ownership" with farmers owning their land completely.

Balfour also created the Congested Districts Board for Ireland to help poor areas in western Ireland.

Land Law (Ireland) Act 1896
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to further amend the Law relating to the Occupation and Ownership of Land in Ireland, and for other purposes relating thereto.
Citation	59 & 60 Vict. c. 47
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	14 August 1896

The Land Law (Ireland) Act 1896 fixed the problems with the 1887 Act. It increased the money available for land purchase and removed the confusing rules. Between 1891 and 1896, about 47,000 farms were bought by tenants.

Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903: A Big Success

Irish Land Act 1903

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Law relating to the occupation and ownership of Land in Ireland and for other purposes relating thereto, and to amend the Labourers (Ireland) Acts.
Citation	3 Edw. 7. c. 37
Dates
Royal assent	14 August 1903
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Irish Land Act 1903 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

The Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903, also known as the "Wyndham Act," was a huge step forward. It came from an agreement between landlords and tenant representatives. The government agreed to pay the difference between the price tenants offered and what landlords wanted. This made selling land attractive to both sides.

This Act made it much easier for tenants to buy land, especially from landlords who didn't live on their estates. By 1914, about 9 million acres of land had changed hands. By then, 75% of farmers were buying their land under this Act and a later one in 1909. In total, over 316,000 tenants bought their farms under these acts before 1921.

This Act was a "complete success" in solving the land problem in Ireland. It helped create a system where most farmers owned their own land.

Labourers Acts: Homes for Workers

Labourers (Ireland) Act 1906

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Law relating to Labourers in Ireland and to make provision with respect to the application of portion of the Ireland Development Grant.
Citation	6 Edw. 7. c. 37
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	4 August 1906

Labourers (Ireland) Act 1911
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Law relating to Labourers in Ireland.
Citation	1 & 2 Geo. 5. c. 19
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	18 August 1911

Labourers (Ireland) Act 1919
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the definition of Agricultural Labourer for the purposes of the Labourers (Ireland) Acts.
Citation	9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 55
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	19 August 1919

Original 1906 Labourers' Act cottage, as seen in 1977

After the land ownership issue was mostly solved, attention turned to helping Irish farm workers. The Labourers (Ireland) Act 1906, followed by acts in 1911 and 1919, created a huge program to build homes for rural workers.

Over 40,000 cottages were built by local councils, each with about one acre of land. These acts provided homes for over a quarter of a million rural workers and their families, who had often lived in very poor conditions. This completely changed the look of the Irish countryside.

Local Government (Allotments and Land Cultivation) (Ireland) Act 1917
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to enable Local Authorities in Ireland to provide allotments and otherwise promote the cultivation of land, and for other purposes incidental thereto.
Citation	7 & 8 Geo. 5. c. 30
Dates
Royal assent	2 August 1917

To help people grow their own food, the Local Government (Allotments and Land Cultivation) (Ireland) Act 1917 was passed. This allowed local authorities to provide small plots of land for growing vegetables and fruits.

Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act 1919

Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act 1919

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to facilitate the provision of land in Ireland for men who have served in the Naval, Military, or Air Forces of the Crown in the present war, and for other purposes incidental thereto.
Citation	9 & 10 Geo. 5. c. 82
Territorial extent	Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	23 December 1919

After the First World War, the Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act 1919 helped build 5,000 more houses in Ireland for soldiers returning from the war. These homes were often built in small new housing areas on the edges of towns. This Act aimed to help ex-servicemen and their families get back to normal life.

Land Acts in the Irish Free State

When the Irish Free State was formed in 1922, new land laws were passed. The Land Law (Commission) Act 1923 continued the work of the Land Commission.

Between 1885 and 1920, the Land Commission had bought about 13 million acres of farmland. This land was then given to tenant farmers and farm workers to own. The focus was on buying large estates that weren't being farmed by their owners and dividing them into smaller farms for local families.

From 1923, the money still owed for land purchases under earlier acts was paid to the British government. This was known as "land annuities."

The Land Act 1933 allowed the Irish government to use these annuity payments for local projects instead of sending them to Britain. This led to a trade dispute between Ireland and Britain. The issue was finally settled in 1938 with a one-time payment to Britain.

The Land Act 1965 was passed to stop people from outside Ireland from buying up land just for speculation (hoping its value would rise).

The Land Commission stopped buying land in 1983. It was officially closed down on March 31, 1999, by the Irish Land Commission (Dissolution) Act 1992. Its remaining duties were transferred to the Minister for Agriculture and Food.

Ground Rents Today

"Ground rent" is a small yearly payment for properties held under a very long lease. While most land reform focused on farms, laws have also allowed people in towns and suburbs to buy out their ground rents. This means they can change their long lease into full ownership.

Even today, some ground rents still exist in Ireland. The Irish government itself pays ground rents for famous public buildings like Government Buildings and Dublin Castle. While the individual payments are small, there are an estimated 250,000 ground rents in Ireland. Many people want to end this practice completely.

Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009

After many discussions, the Land and Conveyancing Law Reform Act 2009 updated the laws about buying, selling, and owning land in the Republic of Ireland. It simplified rules about mortgages, land registration, and rights of way. Some old types of land ownership, like those from the feudal system, were officially ended.

Land Acts in Northern Ireland

Northern Ireland Land Act 1925
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Law relating to the Occupation and Ownership of Land in Northern Ireland; and for other purposes relating thereto.
Citation	15 & 16 Geo. 5. c. 34
Territorial extent	Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	28 May 1925
Other legislation
Amends	amended
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Northern Ireland Land Act 1925 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

Northern Ireland Land Act 1929
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to amend the Northern Ireland Land Act, 1925.
Citation	19 & 20 Geo. 5. c. 14
Territorial extent	Northern Ireland
Other legislation
Amends	amended
Status: Amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Northern Ireland Land Act 1929 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

Northern Ireland Land Purchase (Winding Up) Act 1935
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United Kingdom
Long title	An Act to make provision for the winding up of the system of land purchase in Northern Ireland established by the Land Purchase Acts and other enactments in that behalf, for the abolition of the Land Purchase Commission, Northern Ireland, and the transfer of functions exercisable under the said Acts and other enactments, and for purposes incidental to the purposes aforesaid and consequential thereon.
Citation	c. 21
Territorial extent	Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	6 June 1935
Other legislation
Amends	amended
Text of statute as originally enacted
Text of the Northern Ireland Land Purchase (Winding Up) Act 1935 as in force today (including any amendments) within the United Kingdom, from legislation.gov.uk

After Ireland was divided, the UK Parliament passed more Land Acts specifically for Northern Ireland. These included the Northern Ireland Land Act 1925, the Northern Ireland Land Act 1929, and the Northern Ireland Land Purchase (Winding Up) Act 1935.

Land Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 1970
Act of Parliament
Parliament of Northern Ireland
Long title	An Act to revise the law relating to the registration of the title to land; to extend the compulsory registration of the title to land; to repeal and re-enact with certain amendments the law relating to the registration of statutory charges; and for matters connected therewith.
Citation	1970 c. 18 (N.I.)
Territorial extent	Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	23 June 1970

The Parliament of Northern Ireland also passed its own laws, such as the Land Registration Act (Northern Ireland) 1970, to manage land ownership.

See also

• Land reforms by country
• Landlord and Tenant Law Amendment (Ireland) Act 1860
• Assignment and Sub-letting of Land (Ireland) Act 1826