THROUGH THE ARCHIVES: Omagh poor law union addresses issue of cattle plague

At the weekly meeting of the Omagh Board of Guardians which was held in the town’s workhouse a circular from the commissioners was read on the subject of the cattle plague that was affecting the island.

The resolutions which were passed by the commissioner illustrate how seriously the authorities were about restricting the movement of cattle from Ireland to Britain.

One resolution stated: “That no cattle, except without a caretaker, consigned to a duly authorised salesmaster, and for which a proper invoice shall be produced, shall be permitted to leave any port in Ireland, unless accompanied by the owner or drover thereof, who shall declare the ownership and who shall deposit his or their clothes, together with £2 for each individual, at the port of embarkation, to receive the same on his return thereto, having in the meantime been provided with sufficient clothes for his stay in Great Britain at the public expense.”

But the commissioners were also eager to inform farmers of the symptoms of the cattle plague and a further resolution suggested: “That circulars be extensively posted throughout the union, describing accurately the symptoms of the disease, and calling upon the general public generally to give the earliest information to the relieving-officer or the nearest police station of the occurrence of any case of an animal apparently affected with any of the symptoms so described.”

The Omagh guardians also urged that the Government should meet with representatives of each of the unions in Ireland to halt any further spread of the cattle plague.