Although much of the recent writing on agrarian society in Ireland has concentrated on the peasantry, there also existed alongside the small farmers (and still exists today) another significant group of land occupiers. These were extensive farmers, commonly known as graziers or ranchers, who held large tracts of land and engaged in cattle and sheep grazing. In fact, certain areas of Ireland have been for generations mainly populated by graziers. They have been a cornerstone of the cattle and sheep industry, and thus a vital force in Ireland's agricultural economy. Their importance grew as the country shifted from a tillage- based to a pasture-based economy during the nineteenth century. Yet until now graziers have not been the subject of extensive study.

Here David Seth Jones examines the ranching system and its role in the far-reaching political, social, and economic changes that overtook Ireland during the late eighteenth, nineteenth, and early twentieth centuries. Much of his inquiry relates to the period from 1880 to 1914, which includes the rise of the so- called ""eleven-month system,"" the land war, the anti-grazier agitation, and the commencement of a program of land distribution.

The first part of this study considers the economic characteristics of ranch farming, its development, and the origins and position of the grazier in the rural community. Particular attention is given to the graziers' dependence and influence upon the land market. The latter part of the book examines how they responded to and were affected by the struggle for land reform and land distribution, and it deals at length with the rise of the anti-grazier agitation after 1900 and the ensuing program of distribution of ranch land. The study concludes with an examination of why the graziers failed to gain acceptance in the Irish agrarian community.

Drawing upon a wide range of sources, including rental and farm accounts and other personal records (diaries, letters, notebooks, daybooks, as well as many official documents), this long-awaited, highly original study sheds much-needed light on the important role of the graziers in Irish history. It will be valuable reading for both scholars and students of Irish economic, social, and political history.

David Seth Jones earned a Ph.D. in politics from Queen's University of Belfast in 1977. For three years he served as a professional officer in the Department of Agriculture of the Northern Ireland Civil Service, and for a further three years was a university lecturer in southern Africa. He is now senior lecturer in political science at the National University of Singapore, where he has taught since 1982.