Paschal Mooney (Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I wish to put on record the extraordinary work that has been carried out by the Department in this revision of statutes. In a way, it is a pity these statutes will now be consigned to the dustbin of history, because many of these statutes, particularly those within Part 1, which relate to the period from 1600 to 1603, bring those of us who grew up learning about Irish history of that period and the Elizabethan wars back to that period.I also have a particular interest in that period because of the long march of O'Sullivan Beare from Castletownbere through Glengarriff to County Leitrim where he joined up with the O'Rourkes. The hope was that they would then meet up with the Earl of Tyrone, Hugh O'Neill. A reference was made which brings home starkly the turbulence of that period of Irish history, which marked the death of Celtic Ireland following the Battle of Kinsale in 1603. In 1601 the proclamation renewing the offer of a reward for the capture or death of the Earl of Tyrone, Hugh O'Neill, referred to him as the arch traitor of Tyrone. There was another reference which was related to another one of the Irish chieftains. These were laws that were passed at the time and enforced to the detriment of the people. Another one that has resonated throughout history in the context of North-South relations is the proclamation of 1618 ordering the Irish to depart with all of their belongings from lands given to planters during the plantation of Ulster. We are living with that law to this day.

On a note of levity, I am not at all objecting to the removal of the proclamation of 27 June 1746 ordering tories, robbers and rapparees, presented by the grand juries of a number of counties, including my county of Leitrim, to surrender to the authorities. Whatever about tories, I never thought there were robbers and rapparees in County Leitrim, but I am glad to see that law being removed.

I compliment the Minister of State's Department. The body of work carried out has been extraordinary. It must have been a painstaking experience for all those involved. Will the Minister of State indicate if there was just one, two or half a dozen individuals involved? They have given us a great deal of food for thought and I do not object to many of the laws being removed.