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Annual Report 1884

Annual report, accounts and rental for year end June 1884, showing a net reduction in the rental by £207.19.6 resulting from alterations by the Irish Land Commission or agreed to out of court. Also reports that there is a reduction in outstanding arrears but a high level of abandoned arrears owing to the amount of grazing land now 'on hand'. No estate improvements to report bar the topdressing of lands at Cappyroe for cultivation, minor works of maintenance and a further addition to Thomas Cobbe's offices at Annagharvey. Forestry work included the drainage of 14 acres of cutaway bog at Killeenmore and replanting with seven acres of larch and other hardwoods.

Describes the condition of the estate as 'uneventful;' with rents being fairly paid though not punctually and legal proceedings are resorted to with more frequency than formerly.

Annual Report 1885

Annual report, rental and accounts for year ending June 1885, showing a gross reduction in rents by £95.16.0 and with arrears same as in 1884. Describes the year as 'singularly uneventful' and notes that the only work undertaken was a large area of ground replanted in Scrubb Wood, River Wood and Clonad.

Annual Report 1887

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1887, showing a small decrease in rent, a moderate increase in arrears which Digby blames on a 'grave agricultural depression'. Abandoned arrears are high with much of this land consisting of boycotted farms and lands now 'on hand' following surrender. Principal amounts of expenditure is for forestry at Scrubb Wood and Derryadd, which he points out led to a large amount of employment in the reach of small tenants and labourers on the estate who must otherwise have suffered from enforced idleness. Describes a 'half-hearted' agitation against the payment of any more rent than the National League authorities advised. Also notes that meetings were held before the winter collection of rents and a proposal to inaugurate the League's 'Plan of Campaign' was not successful.

Annual Report 1874

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1874, containing a positive report on the financial condition of the estate with an increase in the overall rental income. Expenditure consisted of further land improvements including drainage works in Roskeen, Killarles, Cappyroe and Clonmore. A drain was sunk at Meelaghans and Cloncon which serves as a boundary between the Geashill and Charleville Estates and report notes that Lord Charleville has undertaken to pay half the cost of the drain. Construction of a new farmhouse for Mr Riddell of Annagharvey cost £514.19.6.

Report also discusses the introduction of concrete works as a construction method due to the difficulty in sourcing masons, many of which have emigrated. Also notes that the forester has had to be replaced as Mr McIntosh had emigrated to California. New plantations were established at Cappyroe and the Meelaghans.

Despite the eviction of Mr. Connolly of Clunagh who was in occupation of a farm in Clonad, overall agitation on the estate dissipated after the death of the former parish priest, and Digby describes his successor as 'a bright exception amongst Irish priests.'

Annual Report 1875

Annual report, rental and accounts for year ending June 1875, containing a positive report on the financial condition of the estate, with £9000 profit remitted to Lord Digby as in other years. Expenditure included the purchase of the glebe lands of Geashill from the Commission of Church Temporalities in Ireland for the sum of £3200. The glebe lands were subsequently let to Mr. Chissell.

Drainage works continued with the completion of a drain between Meelaghans and Cloncon to which the Earl of Charleville had paid £50. Other works included extensive reclamation works at Cappyroe and new reclamation works at Cappancur near the town of Tullamore. Expenditure on construction included £700 for a new and substantial farmhouse for Mr E. J. Odlum at Cappancur; two new houses at Killurin; a back yard for Mr Riddell at Annagharvey; raising and re-roofing of Mr Tarleton's house at Killeigh; and improvements to J. Forester's house in Ballinagar.

Notes the bad state of timber at Clonad and discusses new plan to recover the plantation there. Overall the condition of the estate is reported to satisfactory and having 'absolute immunity from disturbance or apparent discontent', with only one man in all the tenantry owing one half-year's rent, all others paid punctually.

Annual Report 1876

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1876, containing 'an entirely satisfactory' financial report with an absence of any outstanding arrears. Notes however that expenditure was high as the glebe lands of Killeigh were purchased from the Church Temporalities Commission for £950, and major drainage and reclamation works were completed at Cappyroe, Cappancur, Roskeen, Geashill glebe lands, Clonmore, and Killarles.

Forestry works included a new plantation at Aghanrush, and the clearance of twenty acres of the River Wood at Clonad of all decaying birch and timber, the construction of new drainage works therein and the replantation of the wood. Digby reports the same plan is in place for the wood at Derrygolan. Construction works included a new cattle shed for Mr Tottenham at Springfield; new offices for Mr Delamere in the Meelaghans; new stores for T. Fegan in Geashill Village due to increased trade; new forge in Killeigh and new offices for J. Buckley in Geashill Village and for Mary Hones in Cappancur, along with descriptions of other repairs and alterations.

Overall he reports the condition of the estate as 'prosperous' but warns of mischievous attempts 'to inspire the Irish tenantry with distrust of their landlords. '

Annual Report 1877

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1877, reporting no outstanding arrears with all rents paid punctually and not a single farm surrendered despite a bad harvest. Increased profit of £10,000 remitted to Lord Digby attributable to extra rents from the glebe lands of Killeigh and Geashill. Expenditure on drainage continued with works at Ballydownan bog and the thorough cleaning of the watercourse on the estate boundary between Cappancur and the late McMullen's bog at Ballydaly. Digby reports that the only centenarian tenant on the estate had been forced to sleep on his kitchen table due to the repeated flooding of his cabin in this area. A new drain was also sunk near Ballycommon canal bridge through the valley behind Ballinagar.

Construction works consisted of a new cattle shed for Darby Kelly, 'an improving tenant' in Cloncoher; new labourer's cottages at the Meelaghans; new cattle shed for Mr Davis, tenant of the reclaimed Meelaghans lands; a new dwelling house for J. Smollen of the Meelaghans; and the raising and repairing of the smith's house in Killeigh. Eighteen acres of the River Wood at Clonad was thoroughly drained and replanted with larch and oak.

Overall Digby reports that the estate is quiet and free from the disturbances and outrages perpetrated in other parts of the county.

Annual Report 1878

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1878, containing a less favourable financial report than previous years due to non-payment of rent as a result of a second consecutive bad harvest. Reports that he had to evict Samuel Johnston in Killurin due to the neglect of his farm. Details significant drainage works around the estate: main drainage at Killurin and Ross with permission of Mr. Briscoe who will contribute to the works of the drain through his property at Ross; main drainage at Knockballyboy which involves the sinking of the millstream forming the boundary of the Digby, Charleville and Ponsonby Estates at Clonad and Townparks, and jointly paid for; and further drainage for Michael Casey's holding at Killeenmore.

Expenditure also included a 'heavy outlay' for the large reclaimed farm at Annagharvey, where the tenant Mr Riddell had to surrender and was replaced by Thomas Cobbe who had new concrete farm buildings erected with galvanised corrugated iron roofs. Other construction works included a new dwelling house at the Meelaghans to attract a teacher for the Meelaghans National School; a new residence at Killeigh to replace decaying accommodation of John Warren; and substantial farm offices constructed for Mrs. Owens at the Meelaghans to house cattle. A significant amount was also expended on forestry clearances and replantation at Derrygolan and Hawkswood.

Annual Report 1879

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1879, containing a less favourable report than previous hears due to 'the great and general depression of trade and agriculture' and warns that another bad season will render the tenants in a precarious position. Reports that abandoned arrears had increased but that despite this the rental of the estate had increased and that a profit of £10000 had been remitted as usual. The estate was free of agitation, rents 'cheerfully paid' and only the 'thoroughly negligent' tenants affected by the depression.

Drainage works continued at Killurin and through Mr. Briscoe's property at Ross and there were further drainage works at Dalgan. The main expenditure on construction was for new farm buildings for Thomas Cobbe at Annagharvey, 'which are now the most substantial and commodious farm buildings on the estate.' Other works included a new dwelling house for Mrs Hoyland of Colehill; new outbuildings for farmer Thomas Foran at Killarles and a new slate roof for the priest's offices in Geashill.

Reports that the timber market is in a most depressed state. Forestry works included nearly 30 acres of clearances at Graigue Wood, Derrybrien Wood and Derryclure Wood, all of which were replanted.

Annual Report 1880

Annual report, accounts and rental for year ending June 1880, wherein Digby contrasts the Geashill estate favourably with other estates in the country during this 'almost unprecedented agricultural disaster of the past season'. Reports that although the usual remittance is reduced by £1500 due to increased arrears, there was an overall net increase in rental income at £17,307.1.8.

Reports that there is an increase in the number of unskilled labour available and therefore more drainage works and land improvement projects were carried out with the result that there was hardly a person on the estate in want of work compared with other parts of Ireland where there was great distress and beginnings of famine. Notes that many of the projects are being executed under the Board of Works. To offset any failure of the potato crop on the estate, Digby reports that he has imported 50 tonnes of champion seed potatoes from Scotland and distributed among the tenantry.

Construction works included a pair of double cottages at Killeigh; a further addition to Thomas Cobbe's farmhouse at Annagharvey; a labourer's cottage for Mr Delamere at the Meelaghans; and the repair of the roof and offices at Ballymooney House. Forestry works included clearing and replanting of Scrubb Wood and new plantations at Gorteen and Derryadd.

Notes that the past year will long be remembered by every landlord and tenant 'as one of the most disastrous ever experienced', with bad weather, failure of root crops, and 'a potato crop more diseased than any since the famine years.' Warns that the Land League have seized upon the bad harvest as a means to increase agitation amongst tenants and have organised meetings the length and breadth of Ireland, and hopes that forthcoming legislation by the government will solve the Irish Land Question.

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