Congested Districts Board

Congested Districts Board, established in 1891 by Arthur Balfour, and invested with extensive powers to encourage agriculture and industry in parts of the country where, it was believed, acute poverty was inhibiting individual initiative. The congested districts initially covered an area along the west coast from Donegal to Cork but this was later extended inland to take in over one‐third of the country. The board comprised ten (later increased to fourteen) members. The chief secretary and a member of the Land Commission sat ex officio, with nominated members drawn from the local community and including representatives of the churches, landlords, business, and the professions. Sponsored schemes ranged from the employment of agricultural instructors and the promotion of cottage industries to the purchase of land for resale to tenants. Opinions differ as to the success of the board. It was undoubtedly popular, mainly because of its willingness to spend money. (From 1909 it had an annual sum of £250,000 at its disposal.) The quality of its financial management, however, left much to be desired. Conflict was also to arise between the CDB and the Department of Agriculture and Technical Instruction, which was attempting to achieve similar ends by somewhat different means.

Virginia Crossman