Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include repairs to tenants' premises; application to renew forestry permit; rent arrears; trespass and poaching; disposal of labourers' plots; income tax; and fires on wood plantations around the estate.

Includes poster notifying public that the lands at Clonad, Killeenmore, Derryadd, Derrybeg, Derryclure, Derrygolan, Derrygunnigan, Hawkswood, Killeigh, Glebe East and Ballinvalley, all in Co.Offaly are poisoned for the destruction of vermin.(16 March 1936)

Includes copy letter Kennedy to Digby: 'I think Muir has already written to tell you of a most unfortunate fire which took place in 18th inst, practically destroying the whole of the small new plantation in the River Wood. I saw the place the next day with Muir and although some of the young trees - say 20 or 30 per cent may survive, the plantation is for all intents and purposes ruined. ...Here accident could not be negatived as in the very dry state of the undergrowth, anyone throwing away a match after lighting a cigarette would have done the damage and in addition no affirmative evidence of malice could be given beyond the fact that a few Poison Notices were posted up shortly before. This in itself would not provide evidence of malice (only evidence of a possible occasion for malice) especially as, in Lewis's time Poison Notices did not produce any such result. (24 March 1936)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include the sale of the Post Office at Geashill; rent arrears, particularly from proprietor of Post Office at Killeigh; right of way at Geashill Vicarage/Rectory; insurance cover; poaching and trespass; timber trade and forestry; lease of Garda Barracks, Geashill to the Office of Public Works and repair of same; the Fisheries Bill (1939); the outbreak of World War II and its effect on forestry.

Includes hand-drawn map by Darley, Orpen & McGillycuddy Solicitors, of Geashill Glebe, scale 1/2500, showing lands belonging to Representative Church Body and rights of way adjoining the site.

Includes copy letter from Kennedy to Digby: '...We have had a terrific frost here just before Christmas, hard enough to produce three days skating on Charleville Lake, and I am told that there were lumps of ice floating about in the sea between Dublin and Kingstown, a thing which I do not think anyone remembers before. The thaw has now thoroughly set in after a second sharp spell of frost last week and between rain and melted snow the country generally and the rivers are terribly flooded.' (9 January 1939)

Includes letter from R. Fetherstonhaugh, solicitor, Mountmellick to Kennedy: 'I was very sorry to hear from my son that he had trespassed yesterday on Lord Digby's bog. He and some friends went out to shoot on the Burrow Meadows - apparently he wandered over the county boundary & it was surprising to me how he got so far; it was, I believe quite unintentional on his part and both of us regret it very much.' (16 January 1939)

Includes letter from An Roinn Tailte/Department of Lands forbidding the felling of native timber due to the outbreak of war and withdrawing the forestry permit granted to Lord Digby. (25 September 1939)

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy: I am flying over to Northern Ireland on Monday morning. I should be there about a week or ten days investigating infantry training units in my capacity as Assistant Inspector of Infantry at the War Office. I regret I shall not be able to get leave to come over the border on this occasion, but would you write to me to Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co. Down where I shall be on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th...I was very sorry to hear the sad news about Capt Boyd Rochfort's death. I would have sent you a wire to represent me at the funeral but did not know in time.' (10 August 1940)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include forestry; stamp duty; tenancy arrears; damages occurred to iron gates on Lord Digby's property during the thinning of surrounding forests; sporting rights for Lord Digby's property in Glenamoy, Mayo; list of tree seads for planting on Digby estate; repairs to Lord Digby's Ford Thames truck; proposal from Bord na Mona to to purchase Digby's land in Mayo; application on behalf of Lord Digby for a salmon licence.

Includes copy letter from A T Lucas, Director of National Museum of Ireland to Digby, "You will, I feel sure, be interested to learn that the Geashill cauldron has just been placed on exhibition after a cleaning process which, I hope, has brought it to something like the pristine brilliances which you described to me. It has also been labelled in accordance with the wording you suggested. I take this opportunity of placing on record our very sincere thanks for the extraordinary lengths to which you have gone to help the Museum through the very strange vicissitudes which beset this cauldron over so many years and our deep gratitude for the final generous gesture which secured it for the nation". (5 March 1955)

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy, "I would be inclined to resist the selling of the [Village] Green at Geashill and say that for sentimental reasons, I wish to retain it. If you thought it advisable to day, which is true, that I am proud of the fact that I am the 11th Baron Digby of Geashill and that for the dame reason I have tried to retain the castle ruins, both old and new". (14 April 1955)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include installation of a telephone at the Forester's Lodge, Digby Estate; proposed sale of Garda Barracks; insurance renewals; fisheries rates; accounts for purchase of timber; issuance of gun and wireless licences; arrangements for Lord Digby to meet the Irish Land Commission to discuss Geashill queries.

Includes letter to Kennedy from Digby: "Thank you for your letter of March 29th dealing with the Archdeacon and the appointment of his successor. I quite realise the difficulty with regard to anybody having to take on the Geashill Rectory, when the upkeep is bound to be great. With regards to building a bungalow rectory in the Castle grounds at Geashill, the idea does not appeal to me much, especially as now I have decided to plant all land I have got left, and which probably go onto my Schedule B Assessment, which is what I would like to happen. I should have thought that part of the rectory grounds could have been sliced off as a site for the new rectory. Unless, of course, the Garda Barracks house is to be given up by the Garda as was considered as a remote possibility last year" (1 April 1960).

Letter from Department of Posts and Telegraphs: "with reference to your letter of the 30th May to the Postmaster, Tullamore we are now arranging to provide the telephone and the usual agreement will be forwarded for signature in the next few days. The rental will be £14 16s 0d per annum which is calculated on the actual radial measurement of 3 mile 3 furlongs between the Forester's house and Killeigh Exchange. The minimum term of agreement will be for five years. The telephone will be connected to Tullamore exchange for engineering reasons" (3 July 1961).

Copy of letter to Canon A K Palmer: "I have received a letter from The Hon. Captain Edward Digby in which he says that Lord Digby and he wish to make a contribution towards the new school at Geashill and he has requested that I forward you cheque for £300" (14 August 1962).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of felling notices and forestry at the Geashill Estate concerning purchase orders issued by J&L Goodbody Manufacturers, Clara to the Digby estate; the supply of 3000 stakes to the Office of Public Works, Tullamore; application for public liability insurance for the felling of trees on Geashill estate; application to the Department of Land under for Felling Licence; orders for timbers for parties including TP Kavanagh, WH Kearon and Benjamin Reid.

Includes letter from the Department of Industry and Commerce: " I am writing to appeal to you and all owner of woods to place substantial quantities of timber on sale at the earliest possible date. It is essential in the national interest that building activity should be resumed on an extensive scale without delay. From time to time during the past six years scarcity of building materials has brought building virtually to a standstill. As a result there are large arrears of housing and other important building work to be made good... Unless an effective start is made at this stage, opportunities may be lost that can never be recaptured. Skilled craftsmen now in Great Britain will not return if work is not found for them immediately. If they drift into regular employment abroad, they may be lost to this country for good. The major obstacle in the way of a large-scale resumption of building activity is the scarcity of timber. As you are aware, the country in the past depended on imported timber for practically all of its building needs. There seems to be no immediate prospect of the resumption of imports on the pre-war scale... What therefore I ask the owners of woodlands to do is to help the Industry to tide over this difficult period. this they can do by offering for sale immediately quantities of timber which they would not normally have put on the market until a later date. It is estimated that 15000 standards of good quality timber will suffice in the coming year to make the position of the industry reasonably secure for the future". (31 July 1945)

Includes letter from Department of Lands: "With reference to your letter dated 20th inst. regarding Lord Digby's Estate, I am to state that Felling Notices must be lodged by or on behalf of the owner of the lands on which the trees stand at the Garda Station nearest the trees. If the Department are prepared to grant a Felling Licence they will grant it to the owner of the lands and the owner will be liable for any replanting condition which may be imposed in the Licence." (27 April 1951).

Includes copy letter to John Dunne: "Referring to previous correspondence herein, and your various suggestions of purchasing Spy Hill Wood, Lord Digby instructs us to tell you that after considering the matter very carefully he has come to the definite policy of not selling any more woods on the Estate for various reasons including certain taxation problems. If he was selling woods he would have given you every consideration" (31 July 1951).

Annual reports, accounts and rentals submitted to the 10th Lord Digby by Reginald Digby, resident land-agent of the Geashill Estate during which time he oversaw the sale of the estate to occupying tenants under the terms of the Land Purchase (Ireland) Act, 1903.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence concerning aspects of estate management undertaken by A. & L. Goodbody, solicitors on behalf of Lord Digby, such as rent collection, timber sales, illegal timber cutting on the estate, the terminal illness of Edward Nesbitt (estate bailiff), fishery rights on the Erne and the Moy, and sporting rights over the lands of Geashilll granted to Lord Digby and his father for life by the tenants.

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby concerning fishery rights: '...As to the possibility of future legislation here. Well nothing that the [Salmon Fisheries] Association can do will stop the Government if they want to pass legislation. Strong opposition was put up about the ridiculous Irish language movement without any effect whatever. The idealists seem to get it all their own way and the opposition had not the courage to speak out their mind or vote as their conscience tells them they should vote, so they appear to have stayed away in the Senate instead of voting against it.' (8 May 1929)

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to Lewis Goodbody's management of the Digby estate. Matters referred to include: the death of estate bailiff, Nesbitt and arrangements to look after his widow; illegal tree felling on the estate; proposed purchase of the wood, village, castle site and two bogs in Geashill by Hon. Brinsley Plunkett in order to obtain shooting rights; arrangements for a summer visit of the Digbys to Ireland; illegal game-shooting on the estate; sale of timber from Derrygunnigan Wood; and income tax.

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby: 'Following my letter yesterday I now learn that the above [Honorable B. Plunkett] has supplied himself already with a number of pheasant boxes in anticipation, which is all to the good. I think it will be just as well to disappoint him on this occasion, for to my mind, he has rather overreached himself...All being well next Winter, it might be that you could spare the time to come over here, and shoot over your property, including the Geashill side. I think you would pick up quite a nice lot of woodcock, and it would show Plunkett that he is not yet the owner of Geashill, and that if he wants his sporting amenities, and you are inclined to deal with him for that part of the property, then he must pay a proper price for it, otherwise he must do without it. In present circumstances, I would not advise you to sell him the woods and bogs unless he takes the Castle site as well, and all at a proper price, which would be worth your while to consider. He seems to be suffering somewhat from swelled head.' (5 March 1930)

Includes letter from Maggie Evans, tenant to Goodbody: 'I quite forgot to tell you when you were down looking at the house and porch that rain comes in in several places in the kitchen and also in the room. And the thatch is very bad at the end of the house and there is a crack in the wall from top to the bottom of wall. It is also cracked very much inside too and I afraid of it falling out, and in few places the bottom of the walls are falling too so hoping you will be as kind as to get them repaired for me when getting the house done. (18 July 1931)

Folded map of a portion of King's County showing the baronies of Geashill and Ballycowan.
Scale of one inch to a statue mile.