alone. In former times, one third of agricultural land in Northern Ireland was let as conacre. Some historians believe that it was one of the factors responsible for the Great Irish Famine.

During the 19th century, conacre land was normally let on an eleven-month system -- considered to be of sufficient length to sow and harvest a crop but without creating a formal relationship between landlord and tenant. Holding the land under conacre granted no legal rights to the land. Rent was paid in