I did some surfing. "Carders" are referred to as a specific group, known for using that punishment described by Annraoi, in the discussion of agrarian societies at the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) site early policing in Ireland

The Great Famine by Karis Wright is introduced with history of pre-famine agrarian conflict.

The most information can be found at AGRARIAN REBELS, SECRET SOCIETIES AND DEFENDERS, 1761-91 from the book, "The Men of No Property, Irish Radicals and Popular Politics in the Late Eighteenth Century", by Jim Smyth, 1992.

other sites include:
Engels' correspondence fromIreland
Daniel O'ConnellJackie Dana's Irish sistory pages
short history of Ireland in the 19th century
Cahir O'Doherty's site