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The autograph book originally belonged to John Lennon, of Killeenmore, Killeigh, and Harbour St, Tullamore. He was an internee of the Rath Internment Camp at the Curragh (1921) and later of Tintown Camp (1923). The album contains many Laois/Offaly signatories such as E. Forrestal, Tullamore (Rath); Bob Lennon, Killeigh (Rath); Frank Bulfin TD, Derrinlough, Birr (Rath); Seaghan Ó Dulchaointigh, Crinkle, Birr (Rath); J. G. Ross, Killeigh (Rath); Patrick J. Daly, Tullamore (Hut 31, Rath), Jimmie Egan, Henry Street, Tullamore (Hut 25, Rath), Denis Walsh, Tullamore (Hut 40, Rath); Séamus O’Faolain (Hut 12 Camp 3 Tintown), Patrick Boland, Ballycumber, (Camp 3 Tintown), Walter A. Mitchell (Camp 2 Tintown); Edward Dunne, Clonaslee (Camp 2, Tintown), Sean McGuinness TD, Kilbeggan, and P. Bracken, Clonaslee (Hut 12 Tintown). Later non-political entries dating from c. 1927 are by Maggie Corcoran (later Lennon) and her relatives and friends.

Collection of books, press cuttings, photographs, and memorabilia related to the Leinster Regiment at Birr Barracks, collected by Henry G. Farmer (1882-1965), son of Sergeant Henry G. Farmer, quarter-master, Leinster Regiment, Birr Barracks.

Inquest reports handwritten by James Dillon, King's County Coroner into a leather-bound notebook. Inquests begin at No. 589, 21 February 1846 and end at No. 1079, 12 December 1854. Format of inquest reports is largely identical beginning with a record of the inquest number, date, location of inquest and the name of the deceased. Then follows a list of the jurors present and witnesses called. The reports end with a verdict on the cause of death. Notable due to its date span which covers the famine era.

Letterbook created by Reginald Digby recording letters received from the tenants’ association on the Geashill Estate in relation to the sale of lands by Lord Digby to the tenants under the Land Act of 1903. Includes his copy replies to the secretaries of the association, James Matthews and John Corcoran, and later James Chissell. Also includes copy letters from solicitor to the estate, Lewis Goodbody, who advises on proceedings with the Land Commission and letters from Fr. O’Beirne PP, acting as an intermediary between the estate and the tenants.

Includes a memo of a meeting between Lord Digby and a deputation from the tenants’ association on 30 September 1907, and the decision arrived at by the tenants at a further meeting in the Forester’s Hall, Tullamore, on 2 January 1908 to reject the terms of sale put forward by Lord Digby due to his decision not to cancel the hanging gale and remit a half year’s rent as requested by the tenants.

Also includes later newspaper cuttings concerning unrest on the Estate at the decision to sell untenanted lands to three land owners rather than distributed to small holders and evicted tenants. Cuttings also refer to the Geashill Cattle Drive of November 1914 and the subsequent court martial with James Rogers representing the forty-six arrested. Includes transcripts of James Rogers’ cross-examination of County Inspector Hubert William Crane. Also includes a loose printed catalogue of the auction of Geashill Castle’s contents to be held 22 March 1922.

Typescript of memoir titled ‘Do You Remember’. Recounts the life in Birr and covers the following subjects: soldiers from Birr returning from World War I (1918), the Treaty (1921), occupation of Free State Troops of ‘The Gorm' (the workhouse) in Birr (1922), burning of Crinkle Barracks (1922) and other reminiscences of life in Birr from 1930s to 1980s.

Correspondence (1963-70), mainly between Swayne and W. H. Milner, Portarlington, relating to a film made by Fr. Kennedy in 1921 ostensibly on the turf-cutting industry in the area, but also features the exhumation of skulls of the ‘Ballynowlart Martyrs’ who were purportedly burned alive in Ballynowlart church by English forces in the 1600s. Correspondence culminates in the deposit of the film in the National Library of Ireland.

Offaly Sinn Féin material: original resolution from North and South Offaly Executive Sinn Féin signed by Comd. Ua Duinn relating to its support of the Treaty (29 December 1921) and calling on Offaly’s representative Dr McCartan to vote for ratification, and a pamphlet entitled 'Terms of Reference 23 May 1922 Adjourned Árd-Fheis of Sinn Féin'.

Leaflets and other printed material relating to Croghan Feis organised by Offaly Vocational Education Committee (1949).
Manuscripts notes on placenames and history of Killeigh Parish and Philipstown (Daingean).

Publications: Programme for Walsh Island Second National Turf-cutting competition (1935); Knockbeg Centenary Year Book (1948); and Suncroft, a Parish Magazine (1970).

Documents relating to aspects of Moore's life in Banagher. Moore was involved in many committees in the town. These fall into two categories in this collection, namely improvements to the local economy and infrastructure and those that responded to outside events such as the First and Second World Wars. The improvement committees were Banagher Improvement Association/Committee (c.1899-1928), Banagher Fairs and Improvement Committee (1907-1928), Banagher Public Lighting Committee (1907-1912) and Banagher and Lusmagh Farmers Association (1929-1930). The other committees responded to WWI and WWII were The Garrycastle Relief Committee (1914-1915), the War and Pensions Committee (1917-1919) and the Parish Council (1941-c.1945).

Some other organisations mentioned are the Banagher Bicycle Association, the Gaelic League and the Banagher Sacred Heart Sodality which all proved extremely popular.

Copies of outgoing letters from John V. Brown, clerk of Parsonstown Union to various recipients, particularly the Poor Law Commissioners, detailing reliefs and works. Also includes copy outgoing correspondence relating to assisted emigration schemes for inmates of the Parsonstown workhouse during the course of the Great Famine.

Photograph album created by Lt. Col. M. O'Carroll Fitz-Simon, M.C. , who began his military career in Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment, which was headquartered at Birr. The photographs document a peace-keeping mission the Leinsters undertook in Silesia (now part of Poland) from their departure at Dover on 31 May 1921, through Germany and to their destination of Oppeln (Opole in Poland today). Following the disbandment of the regiment in June 1922, Fitz-Simon joined the King's Own Regiment, Lancaster and the remaining photographs in the album depict scenes from missions in India and Burma. There is also a small number of photographs of people and houses in the Birr area including Whigsborough House, and the burnt out remains of Birr Barracks (following its destruction in the Civil War in July 1922).

Minute books, accounts ledgers, reports, workhouse registers, and ancillary material relating to the creation, administration, and eventual dissolution of Parsonstown Union from its establishment in May 1839 to its dissolution in 1925. The union’s Board of Guardians were responsible for overseeing several functions of local government; primarily the care of the poor, including the setting up, financing and running of the workhouse, the creation of dispensary districts, assisted migration and outdoor relief.

The main set of records are the minute books of the Boards of Guardians, comprising 97 volumes. Other material is financial in nature, such as the financial minute books and repayment of relief account book. Three registers of the Parsonstown (Birr) workhouse survive; 1842-1843, 1849-1850 and loose pages from a 1912 registers. As the Board of Guardians also oversaw the dispensary districts in the union, there is a ledger relating to their activities, as well as a copy of the lease for the Kinnitty dispensary residences.

Parsonstown Union’s area of operation covered 234 square miles from two counties: from Offaly (King’s County) – Banagher, Drumcullen, Eglish, Ferbane, Frankfort, Kilcoleman, Kinnety, Lemanagan, Letter, Lusmagh, Seirkyrans, Parsonstown, Shannon Bridge, Shannon Harbour and Tissarin. From County Tipperary – Aglishcloghane, Ballingarry, Dorha, Lockeen, Lorha and Uskeane.