Irish Land Acts - Irish Land (Purchase) Act 1885

Irish Land (Purchase) Act 1885

Continued land agitations throughout the 1880s and 1890s culminated firstly with the passing of the Purchase of Land (Ireland) Act 1885, also known as the Ashbourne Act, named after Baron Ashborne, putting limited tenant land purchase in motion. The Act allowed a tenant to borrow the full amount of the purchase price, to be repaid at 4% over 49 years. Five million sterling were made available, and about 25,400 tenants purchased their holdings up to 1888, many in Ulster. In all 942,600 acres (3,815 km2) were purchased, which made an average holding of 37 acres (150,000 m2). The purchase price was equal to 17 ½ years rental. The Acts was amended by the 1888 Land Purchase Act providing a further five million to the amount granted for purchase under the Ashbourne Act.

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