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Birr Irish Civil War
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Correspondence relating to sixth earl, Lawrence Michael Harvey Parsons (1921-1937)

Letters to the Viscountess de Vesci, mother of the sixth earl, to her brother-in-law, the Hon. Geoffrey L. Parsons, and to the agent for the Rosse estates, Toler R. Garvey Junior, (the only person permanently on the spot at Birr during the minority of the sixth earl), concerning the Civil War as it affected Birr Castle and other places; and also including a letter from the Countess of Bandon about the destruction of Castle Bernard, Co. Cork, and the kidnapping of her husband, Lord Bandon, 1921. The principal topic however, is the Free State government’s responsibility to the Rosse family for loss and damage incurred as a result of the Free State army’s occupation of Birr Castle from 1922 to 1924, which the shrewd and resourceful Garvey construes as extending to the cost of Lord and Lady de Vesci’s London house, No. 1 Hyde Park Street. Included in the bundle is a copy of a letter from Garvey to the Irish Land Commission arguing that compulsory acquisition of any more of the home farm at Birr would serve as a major disincentive to the sixth earl’s taking up residence and therefore giving widespread employment there on his coming-of-age, 1926.

Includes quotation for removal of six vans of furniture from Birr Castle to London by John Dooly, & Sons, Birr (April 1923)

Includes list of goods taken over by the National Army 28th September 1923, Property of the Trustees of the Earl of Rosse. Value of £235.16.0

Includes draft claim against Free State Government seeking rent and remedy £3000 and rent of Hyde Park (£600).

Includes letter from Office of Public Works settling claim for £3502.2.11 (7 August 1925)

Includes letter from Captain J.F. Hollins, Quartermaster No 2 Brigade, Athlon to Toler Garvey: ‘I wish to inform you that the Troops presently in occupation of the castle will evacuate same as from the 28th inst. In accordance with our regulations it will be necessary for a representative of the Owner, a representative from the Board of Works and of the Military Authorities to examine the premises after evacuation and compile a report as to its condition in comparison to that in which it was taken over by the Military (12 August 1924)

Includes a list by A. Panton Watkinson, painter and decorator, Stephens Green, Dublin, of wear and tear and damage in Birr Castle due to the military occupation. (July 1923)

Includes list of articles missing from Birr Castle May 1927.

Also includes letter from the Committee involved in arranging a plaque to be erected at the archway to the front of Birr Castle in memory of the three young men executed by Free State Troops in 1923. Appends text of the address given by Margaret Hogan, local historian, on the events of 1923. (2003)

Garvey, Toler Roberts, Jr

Henry G. Farmer Leinster Regiment Collection

  • IE OH OHS78
  • Collection
  • 1874-1964

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.

Prince of Wales's Leinster Regiment (Royal Canadians)

In-letters from correspondents whose names begin with ‘A’ and ‘C’

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)

In-letters from correspondents whose names begin with ‘P’, ‘Q’, ‘R’ and ‘T’

‘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.

Garvey, Toler Roberts, Jr

Memoir by Kathleen Barnwell, Birr

  • IE OCL P31
  • Item
  • 1918-1985

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.

Barnwell, Kathleen

Minute Book (1923)

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; 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.

Issues covered by the various reports are concerned with the appointment and salaries of employees; the arrest and detention of members of the committee during the Civil War (see p5, 10 April 1923); building works at dispensaries and hospitals; compensation and pension claims arising from the winding-up of the poor law unions; matters arising with the TB hospital in Birr; commandeering of Dr Woods house at Kinnitty Dispensary by the military (p 43, 8 May 1923); tenders for the supply of provisions to the county home; details of patients at the hospital; proposal from Ministry of Local Government relating to the abolition of Hospital and Homes Committee and Substitution of the County Board of Health therefor under the Local Government (Temporary Provisions) Act, 1923 (p59, 17 May 1923); remaining furniture from Birr Union being taken to Birr Castle on its requisition by Free State Army (pp62-63, 17 May 1923); the condition of Birr workhouse following evacuation by Free State Army (p 64, 2 June 1923); financial issues arising from failure to return 'inmates' in county homes to their counties of origin on amalgamation in 1921; and a proposal by the Ministry of Local Government relating to the appointments of Home Assistance Officers.

Includes report by the Visiting Committee (James O'Connor, J. Scally and Teresa Wyer) on condition of county home (p71, 10 July 1923) and remarks on unfulfilled recommendations from the previous year's report. Also includes extracts from the report of Dr Florence Dillon, medical inspector with the Department of Local Government on the condition of the hospitals at Tullamore, Birr and Edenderry, recommending the closure of the latter (p76, 22 June 1923) .

Contains lists of boarded out children, their foster parents and details of their accommodation, general health and condition in a report of the inspector of boarded out children. (p.87, 10 July 1923)

OCL P136 Page 41

Unidentified locations, mainly Birr, Co. Offaly

  1. [Untitled. Burnt out quarters of the Officer Commanding, Birr Barracks]
  2. [Untitled. View of Birr Barracks from a distance]
  3. [Untitled. Main St. Birr]
  4. [Untitled. Leila, Minnie and Mrs. D.P. on steps of house in Birr. Copy of photograph 338]

OCL P136 Page 88

'Poor Old Depot'

  1. 'Fred Barry'
  2. [Untitled. Photograph of doorway into the burnt out remains of Birr Barracks]
  3. [Untitled. Distant view of burnt out remains of Birr Barracks]
  4. [Untitled. View of burnt out remains of Birr Barracks from internal barrack square.]

Photograph album of Col. Fitz-Simon

  • IE OCL P136
  • Fonds
  • 1921-1924

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).

Fitz-Simon, Christopher Richard Manners Daniel O'Connell, Lt Col