Fonds BG164 - Records of Parsonstown Union

Identity area

Reference code

IE OCL BG164

Title

Records of Parsonstown Union

Date(s)

  • 1839 - 1939 (Creation)

Level of description

Fonds

Extent and medium

95 boxes

Context area

Name of creator

(1839 - 1925)

Administrative history

Parsonstown’s Poor Law Union was established on the 8th of May 1839. It was formed from an elected Board of Guardians, with John Drought as chairman, comprising twenty-nine elected members and nine ex-officio Guardians with all members meeting weekly. Parsonstown Union’s area of operation covered 234 square miles from two counties: from Offaly (King’s) – 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. The Union was abolished in 1925, with the Board of Guardians powers being transferred to the county councils' Board of Health.

Archival history

Content and structure area

Scope and content

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.

Appraisal, destruction and scheduling

Accruals

System of arrangement

Conditions of access and use area

Conditions governing access

By appointment only. Contact Offaly Archives at [email protected]

Conditions governing reproduction

May be reproduced in accordance with provisions of the Copyright and Related Rights Act (2000). No reproduction online, in print or broadcast without express permission of copyright holder.

Language of material

  • English

Script of material

    Language and script notes

    Physical characteristics and technical requirements

    Finding aids

    Allied materials area

    Existence and location of originals

    Existence and location of copies

    Related units of description

    Publication note

    Michael Murphy, Anne Coughlan and Gráinne Doran, 'Grand Jury to Áras An Chontae', (Jetprint: Tullamore, 2003).

    Notes area

    Note

    Name changes to Birr Union after January 1900.

    Alternative identifier(s)

    Access points

    Name access points

    Genre access points

    Description control area

    Description identifier

    Institution identifier

    Rules and/or conventions used

    Dates of creation revision deletion

    Original listing, Gráinne Doran
    ISAD (G) online fonds level, Erin Sears, 2019
    Revised full listing, Orla Connaughton, 2024

    Language(s)

      Script(s)

        Sources

        Michael Murphy, Anne Coughlan and Gráinne Doran, 'Grand Jury to Áras An Chontae', (Jetprint: Tullamore, 2003).

        Accession area