Land Acts (Ireland) facts for kids

The Land Acts were a set of laws made in the United Kingdom between 1870 and 1909. These laws aimed to change how land was owned and rented in Ireland. Before these laws, most farmers in Ireland rented their land from landlords. They didn't own it.

In 1870, only 3% of Irish farmers owned their land. The other 97% 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 1870: A First Step

Why the Act Was Needed

The British Prime Minister, William Ewart Gladstone, wanted to solve problems in Ireland. He hoped this would help his political party. There was also growing violence from groups like the Fenians. Gladstone wanted to bring peace and fairness to Ireland.

This first Land Act was created by Gladstone and others. At the time, farming in Ireland was getting better. Also, fewer people were putting pressure on the land after the Great Irish Famine. Some landlords who were in debt had already started selling their lands.

Gladstone's government was careful with this law. They didn't want to upset powerful English landlords. These landlords worried about how the law might affect their own property rights in England. So, the law was a compromise.

What the Act Did

• It made the "Ulster custom" a legal right. This custom meant tenants in Ulster had certain rights, like selling their right to a farm.
• Most other tenants got more security.
  • They could get money for improvements they made to their farm if they left it. Before, these improvements belonged to the landlord.
  • They could get money if they were forced off their land for reasons other than not paying rent.
• The "John Bright Clauses" allowed tenants to borrow money from the government. They could borrow two-thirds of the cost to buy their farm. They would pay it back over 35 years. But landlords had to agree to sell.

The law also said that rents should not be "excessive." However, the House of Lords changed this to "exorbitant." This made it easier for landlords to raise rents very high. If tenants couldn't pay, they could be evicted without getting any money for improvements.

What Happened Next

This Act didn't work very well. Fewer than 1,000 tenants used the Bright Clauses to buy land. The rules were too hard for most farmers. Many landlords didn't want to sell.

Legal arguments over rents and customs actually made things worse between landlords and tenants. When an economic downturn hit in the late 1870s, many tenants couldn't pay rent. They were evicted without protection. This led to more violence and the start of the "Land War" by the Irish National Land League.

The government had to pass a law to stop the violence. This Act also made Gladstone's party lose support in Ireland. People started supporting the Home Rule Movement more.

Even though it didn't work perfectly, the 1870 Act was important. It was the first time the law gave tenants a legal interest in their rented land.

Bessborough Commission: Investigating the Problem

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. Tenants often felt forced to accept higher rents. This was because they didn't want to lose the improvements they had made to their farms.

The commission said that for most Irish tenants, "freedom of contract" (being able to freely agree to terms) didn't truly exist. Most of the commissioners agreed with the Land League's demands for "Three Fs":

• Fair rent: Rents that were reasonable.
• Free sale: The right to sell their interest in the farm.
• Fixity of tenure: The right to stay on their land.

Farming Hardship: A Time of Change

From 1873 to 1896, farmers in Britain and Ireland faced tough times. This period was called the "Long Depression". Prices for farm goods went down. Cheap grain and meat from other countries like America and New Zealand arrived in Europe.

This meant Irish tenant farmers earned less money. It became harder for them to pay their rents. The western parts of Ireland, which were poorer and wetter, suffered the most. They also faced a famine in 1879. These hard times showed that more land reforms were urgently needed.

Land Law Act 1881: More Security for Tenants

The Land Law (Ireland) Act 1881 gave tenants much more security. This law said that both the landlord and the tenant had ownership rights in the land. It made the "Ulster Custom" legal across all of Ireland. It also said tenants should get money for improvements.

Most importantly, this Act created the Irish Land Commission and a special Land Court. Tenants could now go to this court to get their rents lowered. In most cases, rents were reduced by 15% to 20%.

Gladstone said this Act was meant to make it impossible for landlords to own land without caring for their tenants. The Act also helped some tenants buy their land. The Land Commission would lend them three-quarters of the money.

Even though rents went down, this Act didn't solve all economic problems. Farmers focused on getting their rents cut instead of making their farms more productive. Also, because tenants now had more rights, they had less reason to buy their land.

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 helped tenants who owed back rent. It allowed the Land Commission to cancel debts of less than thirty pounds. About two million pounds in back rent was cancelled.

What These Acts Meant

These Land Acts aimed to weaken the Land League, a group fighting for tenant rights. The 1881 Act brought some calm. But it was clear more changes were needed.

The Act gave tenants fair rent control, the right to stay on their land, and the freedom to sell their interest. The new Irish Land Commission oversaw all these changes. This was a big step for the government to get involved in how land was owned.

These laws also showed how much Gladstone's views had changed. He had believed in free markets. But now, the government was controlling rent prices and setting up many land courts.

Another result of these acts was a gradual shift in power. The "Protestant Ascendancy" (a term for the powerful Protestant landowners) slowly lost influence. This was also helped by the Irish Church Act 1869, which removed the special status of the Church of Ireland.

Ashbourne Land Act 1885: Buying Your Land

Land protests continued in the 1880s and 1890s. This led to the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885, also known as the "Ashbourne Act." This law made it easier for tenants to buy their land.

The Act allowed tenants to borrow the full price of the land. They would pay it back over 49 years with 4% interest. Five million pounds were made available. About 25,400 tenants bought their farms by 1888. Many of these were in Ulster.

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 Act was later changed by the Land Law (Ireland) Act 1888. This added another five million pounds for land purchases.

Balfour's Land Act 1887: More Land for Tenants

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 was a major law introduced by Arthur Balfour. It set aside £33 million for land purchases. This Act aimed to replace the idea of dual ownership (landlord and tenant sharing rights) with "peasant proprietorship" (farmers owning their land).

Balfour also created the Congested Districts Board for Ireland. This board helped poor areas in the west of 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 increased the money available for land purchase. It also made the 1887 Act more appealing. Between 1891 and 1896, 47,000 farms were bought by tenants.

Two years later, the Local Government (Ireland) Act 1898 brought local government to Ireland. This helped the United Irish League gain power. It set the stage for a lasting solution to the land question.

Wyndham Land 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

In 1902, a Land Conference was held. It included both landlords and tenant representatives. They came up with a new plan for tenants to buy land. The government would pay the difference between the price tenants offered and what landlords wanted.

This plan became the "Wyndham Act," or the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1903. This Act made it much easier for tenants to buy land. It helped transfer about 9 million acres of land by 1914. By then, 75% of farmers were buying their land under this Act.

Later, the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act 1909 allowed the Land Commission to buy tenanted farmland even if landlords didn't want to sell. In total, before 1921, over 316,000 tenants bought their farms. This covered about 11.5 million acres of land.

This Act was a huge success. By the time the Irish Free State was formed in 1922, most farmers owned their land. A land problem that had lasted over a century was finally solved.

Labourers Acts: Homes for Workers

Labourers (Ireland) Act 1906

Act of Parliament
Parliament of the United 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 solving many land ownership issues, attention turned to Irish labourers. The Labourers (Ireland) Act 1906, followed by the Labourers (Ireland) Act 1911, and the Labourers (Ireland) Act 1919 were passed.

These laws created a huge program to build homes in rural areas. Over 40,000 cottages were built for labourers. Each cottage came with about one acre of land. These homes were rented at low prices. This changed the Irish countryside and housed over a quarter of a million rural workers and their families.

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, Parliament also passed the Local Government (Allotments and Land Cultivation) (Ireland) Act 1917. This allowed local authorities to provide small plots of land for growing vegetables and fruits.

Irish Land Act 1919: Helping Soldiers

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 World War I, another 5,000 houses were built in Ireland. These were for soldiers returning from the war. This was done under the Irish Land (Provision for Sailors and Soldiers) Act 1919.

This Act aimed to help ex-servicemen and their families get back to civilian life. It provided £800,000 for housing. Many of these new homes were built in small housing estates on the edge of towns.

Irish Free State Land Acts: New Beginnings

When the Irish Free State was formed in 1922, the Land Commission was reorganized. The Land Law (Commission) Act 1923 also closed down the Congested Districts Board. The Land Act 1923 used ideas from a meeting in 1918 to finalize land ownership.

Between 1885 and 1920, the Land Commission had bought 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 used by their owners. These were then divided into smaller farms for local families.

From 1923, money owed from earlier acts was paid to the British government. This was called "land annuities." In 1925, this amount was set at £250,000 each year.

The Land Act 1933 allowed the Irish government to use these payments for local projects. This caused a trade dispute with Britain. The issue was finally settled in 1938 with a one-time payment of £10 million to Britain.

The Land Act 1965 was passed to stop people from outside Ireland from buying land just to make a profit. The Land Commission stopped buying land in 1983. This marked the end of its work in reforming land ownership in Ireland. The commission was officially closed in 1999.

Northern Ireland: Separate Laws

Northern Ireland Land Act 1925
Act of Parliament
Parliament of the 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
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
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
Territorial extent	Northern Ireland
Dates
Royal assent	23 June 1970

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

See also

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