The Demesne Farm at Inch, 1738–56

Abstract

During the 1770s, Arthur Young dismissed demesne farming as a source of income for Irish landlords, and instead he observed how such farms were geared towards supplying domestic requirements. This article provides a more nuanced consideration of demesne farming during the first half of the eighteenth century through a case study of the example belonging to the Tipperary estate of Daniel Ryan of Inch from 1738 to 1756. It will be shown that this farm acted as an important source of income for its owner, while also highlighting the responsiveness of the farming practices at Inch to price signals and changing market conditions.