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Includes letters from Toler Garvey Jr relating to the occupation of Birr Castle by the Free State Army during December 1922 and January 1923. Also contains letters concerning the finances of the Birr Castle estate, theft of silver from Thomastown Park, the execution of three youths on Birr Castle grounds by the occupying Free State Army, and a compensation claim to the OPW in February 1923.

Includes letters from to Toler R. Garvey Jr relating to incidents at Birr Castle during the Irish Civil War, particularly the protestation of the execution of three youths, William Conroy, Patrick Cunningham and Colum Kelly from Tullamore in January 1923 at Birr Castle.

Includes a letter from Garvey to Chief of Staff, Portobello Barracks, on 3 January 1924 regarding executions at Birr Castle in January 1923:

‘I am directed by Lord Rosses’s trustees to inquire whether the time has not now arrived when the remains of the men executed last year and buried in the private grounds of Birr Castle could be safely removed and re-interred elsewhere, it is obvious that for many reasons they cannot be left indefinitely in the private grounds and though of course Lord Rosse’s trustees understand that the military authorities would in any case have the removed carried out before the premises are evacuated there seems to be no good reason why it should not now be done.’

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Box of in-letters from correspondents whose names begin with ‘A’ and ‘C’, including correspondence about Sir Nesbitt Armstrong’s trusts, and letters from James Callaghan (a thatcher employed by the Rosse estate), from the ‘Chief of Staff, January 1923’ about the occupation of Birr Castle by the Free State Army, from W. Y. Chisholm (manager of the Rosse sawmill [see Q/327]), from Miss Edith A. Cramer, [see M/18], from Messrs Coutts & Co., etc.

Includes: Letter from Padraig Ua Maolchatha, Col. Comdt., G. O. C. 3rd Southern Command, Roscrea: I am directed by the Chief of General Staff to inform you that it will not be possible to evacuate any portion of the premises occupied by the troops before Christmas. I am at present unable to give you any idea when we may be able to evacuate Birr Castle but assure you that we will not occupy it any longer than necessary. I regret being unable to facilitate Lord Rosse’s family in this matter but trust that the owner will appreciate the circumstances which force us to remain in occupation.’ (4 December 1922)

Includes letter from Capt. F. O’Brien for the Chief of General Staff, Dublin, to Toler Garvey: ‘I have been in communication with the General Officer Commanding of the Area who informs me that we was aware of game being shot on the Rosse Estate, but did not prevent it, as he was not aware that the game was preserved.’ (8 January 1923)

‘P’, ‘Q’, ‘R’ and ‘T’ - including letters from the Hon. Geoffrey L. Parsons, in Basingstoke, relating to the affairs of Birr Castle Demesne, during the period in which he acted on behalf of the sixth earl in his minority (1918-1924). Also includes letters from members of the Pigott family [see V/24], Mrs Manning Robertson, the 5th and 6th Earls of Rosse, J.H. Tyler (the Womersley agent [see H/117]), etc, etc.

‘W’ and ‘’Y’ - principally Edward Walsh (town clerk of Birr, who writes about all manner of local government matters), Harold J. Wiley & Co., insurance brokers of Dublin (who write about Birr Castle insurance), Mrs F. White Spunner of Milltown Park, Shinrone, King’s County (whose estate Garvey managed [although, apart from these letters, no other record of this agency survives in the archive at Birr Castle]).

Includes minor letters from Captain P. Wall, Castle Barracks, Birr (1922-1923).

Newspaper cuttings, some mounted on card, with corresponding catalogue numbers, which were placed on display during An Tóstal exhibitions in Tullamore in 1953 and 1954:

1. 'Geashill Cauldron Given to Nation', Midland Tribune, 4 April 1954
   2.'The Lays of Tullamore'
2. 'Tony Molloy Wrote for Nation's Youth'
3. 'Kilcormac's Famous Missal - a historic manuscript'. By 'P.F.' Offaly Independent, 16 August 1952
4. 'The Famed Blue Ball - an incident of the Land War.' By 'P.F.'
5. 'Offaly's Fighting Story' - a series of articles on the War of Independence and Civil War published in the Offaly Independent in March 1954, by 'P.F.' Includes photocopied duplicates of same. Articles include 'The Ambush at Raheen', 'Attempted Ambush at Blue Ball', 'Mount Lucas Ambush' and 'the Fight for Freedom'.
6. 'We Sail the River Shannon - St Ciarán of Clonmacnois' by H. J. Rice.
7. 'Offaly's Twelve Baronies' by 'P.F.'

Minutes recording proceedings of meetings of the Hospital and Homes Committee containing various reports such as Superintendent's Report from the County Home; Superintendent's Report from County Hospital; Registrar's reports; and Sub-committee reports from Birr Rural District, Edenderry Rural District, Tullamore Rural District, and Roscrea No 2 Rural District on matters relating to dispensaries and hospitals in their respective areas. Also contains lists of 'Letters and Sanctions' from the Ministry of Local Government.

Matters arising include employment and remuneration of staff; building and maintenance of hospitals and dispensaries throughout the county; the winding up of the poor law unions and final audits of their accounts; the administration of home assistance and the employment of home assistance officers; transfer of patients to extern hospitals; notification of a new 'most fatal' disease of encephalitis lethargica (sleeping sickness) in the fever hospital (p22, 13 May 1924); the TB hospital in Birr; proposal to appoint a dentist to the county hospital on recommendation of Surgeon Meagher; military occupation of the dispensary residence in Kinnitty and damages arising therefrom (p60, 10 June 1924); the designation of Edenderry District Hospital and Birr District Hospital (St. Brendan's) as permanent institutions by the Ministry of Local Government; the burial expenses of the poor; and financial distress of the Board due to Offaly County Council's inability to transfer funds and consequent non-payment of home assistance to the poor (p95, 19 August 1924)'.

Includes report of the Visiting Committee on the state of the County Home (p2, 8 April 1924). Responds critically to the proposal by the Ministry of Local Government to replace some attendants with 'inmate' labour. Also requests resolution of the 'urgent matter' in providing a separate institution to house unmarried mothers, noting that there are twenty-one unmarried mothers in the county home for which there is not sufficient accommodation. Proposes taking over a disused workhouse for this purpose to which two or three counties would contribute to its upkeep.

Includes resolution made in response to a request by Tipperary North Riding Board of Health to set up an institution under the care of religious orders for maintenance and education of children at present in various county homes: 'This Board is not in favour of bringing up children in any institution believing that boarding-out in suitable homes throughout the county is better for the child as well as for the community.'(p68, 26 May 1924).

Includes copy of the order issued by the Ministry of Local Government dissolving Offaly County Council and the Offaly County Board of Health and placing them under the commissionership of David O'Keefe, Blair's Hill, Cork. (p125, 12 September 1924).

Contains details of boarded-out children, names and addresses of foster parents and general conditions of children and their accommodation.