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Research papers and field notes of Dr James Lyttleton gathered as part of his doctoral research, which looked at the architecture and settlement of the seventeenth-century Jacobean plantations in Co. Offaly.

The research notes relate to tower houses, fortified houses, dwelling houses, religious sites, castle sites and bawns.

For each building there is an individual file with photographs, a written report, maps and plans, and a field sheet providing details on the existent structures.

Papers, notes, publications, and artefacts mainly relating to the hosting in 1953 and 1954 of an exhibition of Offaly's history and archaeology in Tullamore as part of An Tóstal, a national festival celebrating Irish culture. Fr Hurley, or An tAth Seosamh Ó Murthuile as he was also known, was the chief organiser for the exhibition, and collected and schematically displayed original artefacts, manuscripts and illustrations detailing Offaly's history from pre-historic times to the modern era.

The remainder of the collection relates to non-Tóstal related notes, publications and ephemera from 1903-1962.

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).

Documents relating to aspects of Moore's life in Banagher. Moore was involved in many committees in the town. These fall into two categories in this collection, namely improvements to the local economy and infrastructure and those that responded to outside events such as the First and Second World Wars. The improvement committees were Banagher Improvement Association/Committee (c.1899-1928), Banagher Fairs and Improvement Committee (1907-1928), Banagher Public Lighting Committee (1907-1912) and Banagher and Lusmagh Farmers Association (1929-1930). The other committees responded to WWI and WWII were The Garrycastle Relief Committee (1914-1915), the War and Pensions Committee (1917-1919) and the Parish Council (1941-c.1945).

Some other organisations mentioned are the Banagher Bicycle Association, the Gaelic League and the Banagher Sacred Heart Sodality which all proved extremely popular.

Catalogue of books in the possession of Rt. Hon. Charles William, Lord Tullamore and bundle of incoming correspondence.

Contains manuscript material, brochures, pamphlets, and a substantial newspaper collection created principally by Tullamore brothers and Irish Volunteers Séamus and Alo O’Brennan. The earliest material from 1906 and 1909 are programs for feiseanna held by Tullamore Celtic Literary Society and Conradh na Gaeilge. Also includes letter from Inspector Crane of Tullamore RIC Barracks giving permission in 1911 to James Brennan (Séamus O’Brennan) to play hand-ball in the alley at the barracks during weekdays. Both Crane and O’Brennan were involved in the Tullamore Incident five years later.

Also includes a copy of the charge sheet relating to the Tullamore Incident of March 1916, the original of which is in a related set of O'Brenan family papers. This copy is annotated by Alo O’Brennan, along with annotated pages from Hansard’s Debates from April 1916 relating to the ‘affray.’

Also includes an illustrated pledge signed by Alo O’Brennan in Tullamore in June 1918 ‘denying the right of the British government to enforce compulsory service...’

Also includes an autograph book created by Séamus O’Brennan in Ballykinlar internment camp (1920-21).

Volume of drawings and specifications of pattern articles to be adapted in War Department works and buildings. Issued to Birr Barracks.

Copy of private account and stock book of Catherine Finlay and Elizabeth Patterson, Edenderry.

Account lists stock in trade, includes; bread soda, whole ginger, pearl barley, whole pepper, caraway seeds, liquorice stick, spices, herbs, paper supplies, cocoa, French brandy, whiskey cordials, logwood. Profits calculated and divided equally between the partners.

Copy correspondence between two generations of Perkinson and Monaghan family members, all connected with Croghan, near Birr, Co Offaly and the Irish Hills area of the state of Michigan, USA. Following the devastation of the Great Famine, John Monaghan emigrated firstly to Suffolk and then to Michigan, where he received letters from his sister, Mary and her husband William Perkinosn, pleading for assistance to also enable their family emigrate to America. The correspondence describes the effect of famine and emigration on the Croghan area. Their son William, who emigrated to Lancashire, also writes to his cousin in Michigan of the second generation with much the same request.

Photograph album created by Lt. Col. M. O'Carroll Fitz-Simon, M.C. , who began his military career in Prince of Wales' Leinster Regiment, which was headquartered at Birr. The photographs document a peace-keeping mission the Leinsters undertook in Silesia (now part of Poland) from their departure at Dover on 31 May 1921, through Germany and to their destination of Oppeln (Opole in Poland today). Following the disbandment of the regiment in June 1922, Fitz-Simon joined the King's Own Regiment, Lancaster and the remaining photographs in the album depict scenes from missions in India and Burma. There is also a small number of photographs of people and houses in the Birr area including Whigsborough House, and the burnt out remains of Birr Barracks (following its destruction in the Civil War in July 1922).