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.

Volumes of rough minutes taken from meetings of the Board of Guardians of Parsonstown Union. Contains listings of rates collected across electoral divisions; invoice accounts from the Parsonstown Workhouse and Outdoor Relief; notes on orders and actions in response to reports and correspondence received by the Board of Guardians.

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.

Medical Officer: Dr Henry M. Clarke, Philipstown
Relieving Officer: James Dunne

Rate book for the electoral division of Ballycommon, comprising the townlands of Ballycommon, Ballytige Big, Ballytige Little, Bracklin Big, Bracklin Little, Derrygrogan Big, Derrygrogan Little, Fairfield, Kilmurray, Rathdrum, and Wood of O. Records the location of the rated property; description (bog; lands; house and garden; etc.,); name of occupier not paying seed rate; estimated extent of property; net annual value; name of immediate lessor; and the amount due under poor law & public health acts.

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).

Account book documenting burial board account, with lodgements of burial rates, grave spaces and burial fees, as well as payment of salaries. Also includes accounts of the Parsonstown Town Commissioners improvements accounts, detailing the collection of town rates and the payment of salaries and payments to suppliers.

Texts of legislation relating to factory conditions and terms of employment.

1. ‘Textile Factories Factory and Workshop Act, 1878’ signed by R. G. For J. & L. F. Goodbody.

2. ‘Textile Factory and Workshop Act 1901-1916’, signed by J. & L. F. Goodbody, Ltd., 5 September 1921.

3. ‘Textile Factories factory and Workshop Acts 1901-1920’ signed by J. & L. F. Goodbody, Ltd., 23 March 1925.

4. ‘Textile Factory and Workshop Act 1937’, signed by Harold J. Goodbody, August 1937.

Information recorded under headings; which include pupils, age, and register no., class number and attendance fees.