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).

Report for year ending June 1919 outlining a remittance of £10,250 to Lord Digby, the increased amount being ascribed to revenue derived from the woods, particularly mature Scotch pine from Clonad Wood to a firm of match-makers. Remarks that although Ireland ‘remains in a disturbed an unsatisfactory condition this immediate neighbourhood has been very free from agitation and outrage and from a continuance of high prices for all agricultural produce and abundant crops, the Irish farmer is enjoying an era of unprecedented prosperity.’

Includes a letter from Toler R. Garvey Jr land agent at Birr Castle to ‘V.J. Beaumont Nesbitt’, Tubberdaly, Edenderry on 9 June 1921 who records agitations in Birr, and laments a former way of life:

‘...Although things are bad they are not a bit worse than I had anticipated, but we must reach an end of it sometime and we, or whoever is left, may once again be able to live in peace, though I don’t think they will ever know the comfort and good times which we had in the past.’

Also includes letter to Hon. Geoffrey Parsons on 8 December 1921, revealing the anxiety surrounding the situation for landowners following the War of Independence:

‘I enclose... Notice from the Local Government Board of their intention to take the land at Croghan after all, but in view of the Settlement just arrived at on the Irish question, it seems very doubtful that they will proceed with the matter. Things have moved rapidly since I saw you and we shall be face to face with a totally new situation.’

Letters to and from Theodora Trench between 1918 and 1922.
The majority of the letters were sent by Sheelah Trench.The letters cover a wide variety of topics.

One reoccurring theme throughout the letters are Sheelah's concerns over the 'Sinn Feiners' actions in Ireland. A letter dated Easter Sunday 1920 elaborates further, 'We hear that the Moneygall Police Barrack has been burnt down, besides Dunkevin, Ballacymackey and many other. That, and destroying Income Tax and other Government Offices, seems to have been the Sinn Feiners game for Easter Monday'.

Sheelah also includes letters and newspaper clippings that she believes may be of interest to Theodora. One such letter dated 24 February 1920 from Mr Hill, P.O.W Staff, Famagusta Cyprus to Benjamin Bloomfield Trench describes his experience working at a Prisoner of War camp in Cyprus and working alongside Irish soldiers.

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.