‘Tenants’ accounts’ for the estates of the Hon. Laurence Parsons in King’s County and Cos Tipperary and Wexford [see 0/36 and Q/6 and 16/4].

Envelope of Co. Tipperary estate leases: Ballyloughnane, alias Riverstown, barony of Lower Ormond. The leases up to and including 1820 are granted by Lord Dunalley, [as this and a couple of other townlands forming part of his Sopwell Hall estate, near Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, were purchased from him for £20,000 in that year (see E/38). The
envelope also includes papers relating to the sale of the premises to George Kennedy. In date order. For leasebooks which include the Tipperary estate, see Q/16.]

Two large envelopes containing a few leases, but mostly tenants’ wills and case papers, all relating to Derrinsallagh, barony of Lower Ormond, Co. Tipperary, [which may or may not have been part of the Dunalley estate, but probably was a much later acquisition of the Earls of Rosse.] This section also includes Irish Land Commission sale papers relating to the ‘Derrinsallow’ property of John Pilkington.

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.

Rental account book for Labourers' Cottages in the following districts: Derryad, Ferbane, Doon, Gallen, Shannonbridge, Frankford (Kilcormac), Letter, Rathcabban, Moyclare, Kinnitty, Ballycumber, Kilcoleman, Srah, Banagher, Parsonstown (Birr), Seir Kieran, Killylyon.

Folios are arranged by tenant names and record the rental period, the amount of rent, if paid by cash and name of collector. Alphabetical surname index at beginning of volume.

6 Minute Books -
RRDC33/1/1: April 1899 - February 1901
RRDC33/1/2: March 1901 - May 1905
RRDC33/1/3: June 1905 - February 1908
RRDC33/1/4: March 1908 - January 1911
RRDC33/1/5: January 1911 - November 1913
RRDC33/1/6: December 1913 - March 1917

1 List of Meeting dates -
RRDC33/1/7: taken from RRDC33/1/1-6 Minute Books.

1 Printed Material item -
RRDC33/2: 1898. Featuring a 'Local Government (1) Act, 1898. Adjustments. Portion of the Poor Law Union of Roscrea situated in the King's Co. Order made... adjusting certain balances shown in the final account of the Guardians... before the Local Government (Ireland) Act, 1898, came into operation'.

1 Printed Material Poster -
RRDC33/3: 22 October 1911. Featuring a 'list of applications made by notice of motion for new works or involving new contracts for the quarter ended 31 September 1911, etc.'

1 Printed Material Notice -
RRDC33/4: 31 October 1912. Featuring a 'notice... to receive tenders... for works, 31 October, 1912'.

Letter from Gay White , Lissiniskey, Nenagh dated 13 July 1922. The letter describes Gay experience during the Irish Civil War.

'My dear Tom,
Yours of the 10th to hand. I think since the 29th of June we have had no post here. Dreadful things have happened since I wrote you April 25th. I left Rathurbet April 30th & went to Ballygibbon. On May 15th a body of men took forcible possession of 30 acres of land there. They cut trees down, yet returned. We were left with 9 cows to milk, calves & all sorts of fowl, young & old to feed. Over 90 sheep & lambs to care, all the work of the house to do. Well we did it. The sheep were the great trouble, it was the time for them to be dipped, washed & shorn. They could not be dipped or washed but Betty, Lilla & David sheared all the sheep, but we lost a good many on account of the sheep not being dipped. They got full of maggots. It was dreadful. The cows were easily managed, we all milked them. I got quite good at it I did two night & morning. We just worked all day. On the night of June 14th we had dreadful raid starting about 2.30. The raiders smashed every window & the hall door first. We had collected in one room, they rushed into it. David & Betty were badly beaten by them with their clenched fists. Lilla was not so badly beaten & Poll only got one blow on her face, we were in a dark room most of the time, it was hell. I escaped without a blow. Over & over they held revolvers & shotguns at us & said they would shoot us. They did awful mischief in the house, breaking china & table glass, drank all whiskey & claret. They emptied every drawer out on the floor, Oh such a state - the dirty swine- they left the place in. They stole heaps of things, especially belongings, one thing was my dressing case.'

Two volumes March 1857- September 1870 and 25 March 1871-29 September 1878, of workhouse accounts for the Borrisokane, Kildysart, Nenagh, Parsonstown, and Roscrea Poor Law Unions.

The account books were put together and kept by Henry Trench due to his involvement with the Poor Law Unions.

Plan of Borrisnafarney Church drawn by D.A McCready.