Evictions in Ireland by big banks revive Famine memories

This is the shocking video footage from an attempted eviction in Corofin, Co Clare, last week. Banks, which were supported by the Irish taxpayer to the tune of $7 billion, continue to throw those unable to pay out of their own homes, in this case it was a 55-year-old bachelor farmer with nowhere else to live.

Evictions during and after Famine times were very common. Credit: Wikipedia/Public Domain

The impact of the economic collapse is still evident in stories such as this involving naked intimidation and force to throw an older man out of his home. Needless to say no one was offering him the kind of bailout the banks got.

It is dirty work evidenced by the evictors arriving in a car with the license plate blocked out and police on hand to ensure public order was kept. Then there were the menacing gents in balaclavas, trying to be incognito in case their dirty deeds were uncovered. What a job to have.

A group called The Anti-Eviction Taskforce were on hand to try to prevent such an eviction and they challenged the eviction notice eventually proving it was out of date. With that the balaclava heavies backed off reluctantly but will surely be back another day.

After being evicted there was little for it but to head to America. Credit: Tim Sackton/Flickr

The Anti-Eviction group issued a statement saying “We can assure you this behavior by these scum will not be tolerated in this country.“ During the attempted eviction they recalled what was done throughout the famine with poor Irish mercilessly driven out. Now it is Irishmen doing it to each other but it is an issue that resonates with Irish people anywhere in the world who know even a tiny bit of their history.