"I am directed by the Collooney, Ballysodare and Ballinacanon District Committee to apply to you for a grant to their funds. The area of the operations of this Committee is the large parish of Ballysodare, the parish of Kilvanist, and three of the largest and poorest to wnlands in the parish of Kilmargan—in all, about 50,000 acres. The number of our distressed is so largo that at the last and only distribution of provisions we were able to make, 275 families—representing now 1,300 persons—were relieved, each family receiving orders for provisions to the value on an average of about 4s., which exhausted our funds. The rush met at the distribution was so large that it took several policemen and others to keep the passages clear. The distress is intense, and the numbers needing help at present near 2,000 souls.

"I trust you will be able to make us a large grant, and enable us to feed the starving who are crying for help.