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Geashill Estate Papers Geashill Agriculture
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Digby - Geashill Estate 1940-1943

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include complications in the of sale of Scrubb Wood to A. E. Morean of Borrisokane due to the death duty on timber owed by Digby; applications for licenses from the Forestry Department to fell trees during wartime; emergency powers (control of timber) order 1941; trespass and poaching; offer of sale of Derrygunnigan wood to the Forestry Division, Department of Lands; wartime food supplies; and rental arrears.

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy: ' I am absolutely at a loss to make out how you make out that duty was not paid on the Irish property and the woods. I am sure it was; the valuation included the woods as far as I can remember. When I have sold the woods before no question of this has arisen & I don't want this raised now. In fact if there is any quotation of it, the whole matter of the sale in this manner should be held up and the sale carried out similar to the Derrygunnigan sale or not at all. This raises such a big question that I should prefer to have no sale rather than a letter should go anywhere near the authorities on this subject. What action have you taken? You don't say whether you have raised the matter through the London solicitors or tried to do it direct. Please do nothing of this kind in future without writing to me on the subject.' (27 October 1940)

Includes letter from Kenneth Robins, stonemason, Portarlington to Kennedy: 'Looking at the ruins of the Digby Estate in Geashill the other day. I would like to know if their representatives would sell the pieces of cut stone in and around the site? I would buy and take away any stone suitable to my trade.' (2 February 1942)

Includes letter from G. Muir, forester on Digby Estate to Mr Douglas (Of A & L Goodbody): 'I am sending you this note as Mr K may be at Court top let you know that we have had the devil's own fire on Derryadd. It has been a night & day job since 11 last night until 11 today and now we have got to put out the fire in Derrynasligue Ditch or bank, and a half of a long road to carry water. Damn bogs anyway, they may be the glory of Eire but any way a curse to me.' (7 May 1942)

Includes letter from Kennedy to Digby:'We are all keeping well but as you say housekeeping is becoming increasingly difficult. We are really fortunate living in the country and cannot very well starve as I have been able to produce an acre of potatoes, and we have plenty of our own milk and eggs, and I have also produced 35 barrells of oats off two statute acres not to mention a very adequate supply of good turf (not off the two acres!). Unfortunate people especially of the poorer class in Dublin and other cities must be in a bad way. (19 September 1942)

Kennedy, Kenneth A.

Digby - Geashill Estate 1952-1953

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include rates of electricity charges; purchase of new machinery for Clonad sawmills from Hendron Brothers, Dublin; wages order and provisions for public and Church holidays for employees at Clonad sawmills; installation of electric engine; offers for sale of 4 woods from Cascade Sawing Mills, Kilkenny and Irish Forest Products; attempts to secure a copy of Irish grant of probate of the late Baron Digby to confirm that Lord Digby is now the owner in fee simple of the deceased's Irish estates; renewal of General Felling Licence.

Includes letter from Kennedy to Digby, "with regard to the Geashill Cauldron I have been on the alert about this the moment I heard it had turned up in connection with the Exhibition of Antiquities held in Tullamore in collection with An Tostal... Suffice it to say at the moment a Father Hurley one of the Jesuit Fathers of St Stanislaus College Rahan near here, a very keen antiquarian apparently succeeded in getting the two or three men at Killelery who had custody of it to lend it to the Exhibition. These men had kept it carefully and prevented it from being sold to the Jews for the value of the metal and they have agreed to allow it to be put into the strong room in the county buildings here where it now is pending negotiations with them by Dr Raferty of the Museum to have it transferred to the Museum. I have seen Father Hurley on two occasions about it all and had long interviews with him and I understand that Doctor Raftery was down in Tullamore and saw the Cauldron but I did not know that he was down at the time and did not see him... You will recollect that in 1932 you wrote to Dr Mahr the then curator that you presented it to the Museum on the condition that as soon as it was exhibited a label should be affixed to it stating that the Cauldron had been presented by you, setting out your exact title and that you did not object to his taking over the Cauldron from the people who kept it instead of from you. Father Hurley is extremely anxious that the Cauldron should be got to the Museum and I understand that Dr Raftery is also, and I have every reason to hope and believe that by careful negotiation, in which I do not think you or I should appear, it will ultimately be got there and when it is got there we can then deal with the question of the inscription to be out upon it". (23 April 1953)

Includes letter from The District Engineer, Electricty Supply Board to Digby estate: "...if you could make an appointment for your Representative to call to our Office so that we could inspect the premises at Clonad and arrange for Tenders for the lighting of the Sawmill and Forester's House, as requitted in our letter to which we have referred. Meantime, Lord Digby for the purpose of deciding the type of electric Motor or electric saw which he wishes to install requires particulars of the charges per unit both for light and power". (27 October 1953)

Digby - Glenamoy Estate 1938-1952

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of Glenamoy Estate, Ballina, Co. Mayo under James Boland Esq. Matters referred to include the securing of salmon and gun licences for Lord Digby; letter from the Department of Lands and Fisheries requesting the total amount of Salmon and sea-trout captured by anglers on waters owned or leased by Lord Digby; payment of fishery rates; invoices from Geo N Walshes, Motor Engineer; AGM notice for the Salmon Fisheries Protection Association; the retirement of James Boland in November 1946 and arrangements for the re-letting of Bunowa Lodge.

Includes letter to Lord Digby: "Many thanks for the Ration Card, also Petrol Coupons, and I shall try to have the equivalent for them for you when you come again. It is impossible to say what the possibilities of second-hand cars here will be until we see what happens to the Petrol Ration. So far there has been no announcement and the October, November and December Coupons have already been issued. I will bear in mind what you say, and also have the question of your membership of the Irish Automobile Association... I was very interested and amazed to read your story about the whale, and so was Kenneth, and I think you were extremely lucky to live to tell the tale, and that the boat was not turned over. I agree that it is a great fishing story, and that even though it is literally true it will be extremely difficult to get anyone to believe it especially on your side of the water, but it will certainly make history in the Glennamoy Area. By the way although your Annual Account is made out in draft and is just about to be sent off for binding I anticipate some delay as I find that all such jobs as binding and printing etc seem to take much longer than usual at present, but you will understand that the matter is in hand, and if there is delay that nothing has gone wrong. I failed to get the County Council here to increase their offer of £40 per statute acre for the Housing site at Geashill, and as they said they did not propose to disturb the grazing letting, which expires on the 1st March next, I could not cut any ice on that point". (29 September 1947)