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Annual report addressed to the 11th Baron Digby following the death of his predecessor. Goodbody reports that £7000 has been remitted and briefs the new Lord Digby on the state of Ireland during the War of Independence: 'Ireland continues in a disturbed and unsatisfactory condition. This neighbourhood has not escaped the general destruction of Constabulary barracks, the only three barracks on your estate having been maliciously and wantonly burnt and wrecked, those of Clonmore being wholly destroyed and of Geashill & Killeigh partially so. The police authorities having vacated them prior to their destruction have since surrendered same, with a consequent loss of future rental. Claims for compensation have been lodged for substantial amounts and are still pending.'

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence concerning aspects of estate management undertaken by A. & L. Goodbody, solicitors on behalf of Lord Digby, such as rent collection, timber sales, illegal timber cutting on the estate, the terminal illness of Edward Nesbitt (estate bailiff), fishery rights on the Erne and the Moy, and sporting rights over the lands of Geashilll granted to Lord Digby and his father for life by the tenants.

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby concerning fishery rights: '...As to the possibility of future legislation here. Well nothing that the [Salmon Fisheries] Association can do will stop the Government if they want to pass legislation. Strong opposition was put up about the ridiculous Irish language movement without any effect whatever. The idealists seem to get it all their own way and the opposition had not the courage to speak out their mind or vote as their conscience tells them they should vote, so they appear to have stayed away in the Senate instead of voting against it.' (8 May 1929)

Annual report submitted by Lewis Goodbody, agent, to Lord Digby. Notes that 'the future of this country is still in an unsettled position, but pending the so called 'Truce', destruction of property has ceased.' Reports that he has obtained decrees for compensation amounting to £3,200 for property destroyed on the estate since Easter 1919 , but notes that is impossible to know when payments will be made.

Original incoming and copy outgoing letters relating to Lewis Goodbody's management of the Digby estate. Matters referred to include: the death of estate bailiff, Nesbitt and arrangements to look after his widow; illegal tree felling on the estate; proposed purchase of the wood, village, castle site and two bogs in Geashill by Hon. Brinsley Plunkett in order to obtain shooting rights; arrangements for a summer visit of the Digbys to Ireland; illegal game-shooting on the estate; sale of timber from Derrygunnigan Wood; and income tax.

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby: 'Following my letter yesterday I now learn that the above [Honorable B. Plunkett] has supplied himself already with a number of pheasant boxes in anticipation, which is all to the good. I think it will be just as well to disappoint him on this occasion, for to my mind, he has rather overreached himself...All being well next Winter, it might be that you could spare the time to come over here, and shoot over your property, including the Geashill side. I think you would pick up quite a nice lot of woodcock, and it would show Plunkett that he is not yet the owner of Geashill, and that if he wants his sporting amenities, and you are inclined to deal with him for that part of the property, then he must pay a proper price for it, otherwise he must do without it. In present circumstances, I would not advise you to sell him the woods and bogs unless he takes the Castle site as well, and all at a proper price, which would be worth your while to consider. He seems to be suffering somewhat from swelled head.' (5 March 1930)

Includes letter from Maggie Evans, tenant to Goodbody: 'I quite forgot to tell you when you were down looking at the house and porch that rain comes in in several places in the kitchen and also in the room. And the thatch is very bad at the end of the house and there is a crack in the wall from top to the bottom of wall. It is also cracked very much inside too and I afraid of it falling out, and in few places the bottom of the walls are falling too so hoping you will be as kind as to get them repaired for me when getting the house done. (18 July 1931)

Annual report submitted by Lewis Goodbody, agent, to Lord Digby, in which he presents a detailed set of accounts and remits £5481 in rental income for Digby's properties in King's County and Rosekeen in Queen's County. Also references the burning of Geashill Castle on 16 August 1922 and that a claim for £15,000 has been lodged against the County and the Provisional Government.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to administration of Geashill estate. Matters referred to include tree planting on the estate; insurance/workmen's compensation funds; Irish general election results; taxation of woodlands; and the Geashill Cauldron.

Includes letter from Digby to Goodbody: 'The result of the elections in the Free State do not, I am afraid, seem to be very good, though I imagine that De Valera will think twice before he puts his policy fully into operation, as with a tariff wall between England and a country outside the Empire it would hit Ireland very hard if it came to Ireland really trying to sever themselves from the British Empire. I am quite sure, however, that this is not the intention of the majority of people in Ireland, and they must realise that it is not to their good but very much the reverse.' (22 February 1932)

Includes copy letter from Goodbody to Digby:'...I enclose you some correspondence which has appeared in some of the Irish papers in this matter. As you will see, it comes from the Republican side, and of course misrepresents facts and history, and cannot avoid being insulting at the same time. As you will remember, I offered this Cauldron on loan from yourself to the Irish Museum, then had a box made for it, and before it was packed it was raided. Since then though I have heard rumours about it, I have not heard anything definite about it.' (11 April 1932)

Includes newspaper cuttings containing letters from Sean McGuinness, Kinnity, Offaly and Liam Gogan, Assistant Keeper of Antiquities, National Museum concerning the theft of the cauldron by Offaly IRA and its archaeological significance.

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill estate. Matters referred to include the death of Lewis Goodbody;the trade in timber; sale of game-keeper Donaldson's house in Ballina, Geashill; rent arrears; enquiries relating to extent of lands at Glenamoy, Digby's Mayo estate; sale of timber at Derrygunnigan; the Geashill Cauldron; proposed fisheries bill; replanting of the River Wood at Clonad; visit by Digby to Ireland; and the death of former game-keeper, David Donaldson.

Includes copy letter from Ken Kennedy to Digby concerning death of Lewis Goodbody:'...He and Mrs Goodbody returned to Dublin on Tuesday night last, and Lewis came down to Clara on Wednesday evening, where Mrs Goodbody joined him on Friday. Lewis attended his Office in Moate on Thursday, and did a full days work here on Friday, and his usual half day on Saturday. He told me on Friday for the first time, that for a short time, I rather think only after he got to Canterbury he had felt chest pain, and had several attacks of it...He had a bad night Saturday night, but felt well enough on Sunday, although he stayed in the house resting himself. Between 3 and 4 o'clock in the afternoon of Sunday, he was sitting in the drawing room with Mrs Goodbody, and the latter asked him if he would like to come round the garden with her. He said that he thought not as he was comfortable where he was. Mrs Goodbody went out to the garden, and was a very short time away, and when she came back she found him sitting dead in his chair, just in the position she left him...I would like to thank you most sincerely for your sympathy to me. Lewis was like a father to me, and I have lost a good partner and a good friend. (10 January 1933)

Includes letter from Caroline G. Digby, Wimborne to Lord Digby:'I think it is best to write & tell you what I heard from my old cook today about the big bath or cauldron that was stolen from Geashill Castle 12 years ago - the night before Edith and [?] went over to see about the removal of our things to England. She writes: "I met a man on Saturday. He asked me 'do you ever hear from Mrs. Digby?' I said yes - Well he said will you write Mrs Digby & tell her I am the man has the cauldron - I raided here for it myself and three others. I am willing he said to give it up should Mrs. Digby write me. I told him I would write. His name is D. Kelly, Killeary, Geashill. He said his father was an old tenant of Lord Digby's. That's all he said. I was surprised & I was glad to hear it was coming to its own home again... There was a good many men of the name Kelly round Geashill. We cannot remember Killeary - the district was divided into so many townlands. My old cook may have spelt it wrong. She is still well known in Geashill & still lives there. You may think it well that Mr. Kennedy should go over & see her or have her see to his office & find out more....You may remember that my daughter Edith did go to the Museum in Dublin when she was over there some time ago. It seems a pity not to recover the cauldron as it was of great historic interest. Reggie used to show it to everyone who came to see us with great pride! It was awfully heavy and unwieldy...My cook's name is Mrs. Browne' (3 August 1933)

Letterbook created by Reginald Digby recording letters received from the tenants’ association on the Geashill Estate in relation to the sale of lands by Lord Digby to the tenants under the Land Act of 1903. Includes his copy replies to the secretaries of the association, James Matthews and John Corcoran, and later James Chissell. Also includes copy letters from solicitor to the estate, Lewis Goodbody, who advises on proceedings with the Land Commission and letters from Fr. O’Beirne PP, acting as an intermediary between the estate and the tenants.

Includes a memo of a meeting between Lord Digby and a deputation from the tenants’ association on 30 September 1907, and the decision arrived at by the tenants at a further meeting in the Forester’s Hall, Tullamore, on 2 January 1908 to reject the terms of sale put forward by Lord Digby due to his decision not to cancel the hanging gale and remit a half year’s rent as requested by the tenants.

Also includes later newspaper cuttings concerning unrest on the Estate at the decision to sell untenanted lands to three land owners rather than distributed to small holders and evicted tenants. Cuttings also refer to the Geashill Cattle Drive of November 1914 and the subsequent court martial with James Rogers representing the forty-six arrested. Includes transcripts of James Rogers’ cross-examination of County Inspector Hubert William Crane. Also includes a loose printed catalogue of the auction of Geashill Castle’s contents to be held 22 March 1922.