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)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include repairs to tenants' premises; application to renew forestry permit; rent arrears; trespass and poaching; disposal of labourers' plots; income tax; and fires on wood plantations around the estate.

Includes poster notifying public that the lands at Clonad, Killeenmore, Derryadd, Derrybeg, Derryclure, Derrygolan, Derrygunnigan, Hawkswood, Killeigh, Glebe East and Ballinvalley, all in Co.Offaly are poisoned for the destruction of vermin.(16 March 1936)

Includes copy letter Kennedy to Digby: 'I think Muir has already written to tell you of a most unfortunate fire which took place in 18th inst, practically destroying the whole of the small new plantation in the River Wood. I saw the place the next day with Muir and although some of the young trees - say 20 or 30 per cent may survive, the plantation is for all intents and purposes ruined. ...Here accident could not be negatived as in the very dry state of the undergrowth, anyone throwing away a match after lighting a cigarette would have done the damage and in addition no affirmative evidence of malice could be given beyond the fact that a few Poison Notices were posted up shortly before. This in itself would not provide evidence of malice (only evidence of a possible occasion for malice) especially as, in Lewis's time Poison Notices did not produce any such result. (24 March 1936)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include fires on the estate; workmen's compensation claims; rental arrears; trespass and poaching; Lord Digby's shooting rights; repair of Garda Barracks at Killeigh and the sale of Lugmore Wood.

Letter from Muir to Kennedy: We had a divil of a fire yesterday on Ross bog and a strenuous job to keep it away from the wood. It was some fight, luckily enough we mastered it and we have quite a decent margin of heath left. I don't know how far the fire extended but I saw it blazing merrily away up by Dr Regan's and far beyond. I expect it probably went on as far as the Screggan Mt Bolus Rd. I was astonished to see grouse on the bog but the young must have been roasted alive, the old ones kept changing their position from time to time but eventually had to seek pastures new. Snipe and curlew all had to shift and there were quite a few of each. It will be some years before Ross becomes a mecca for poachers again.' (10 January 1936)

Letter from Digby to Kennedy: 'I expect the whole family will be over in Ireland 31st July-10th August. Haven't made plans yet except that we have rooms at Parknasilla 1st -6th August. We may go to Mulranny and [?] but if we do we won't have time to look in at Clonad I am afraid, but will let you know later. Yes! I shall want my usual Glenamoy fishing licence. You have taken this annually for me so that they can't say I don't intend fishing in my river!! So please get that and my gun license for later in the year. I will get any children's license for fishing if necessary. We shall bring over the same two cars and the chauffeur we had last year...' (14 July 1937)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include the sale of the Post Office at Geashill; rent arrears, particularly from proprietor of Post Office at Killeigh; right of way at Geashill Vicarage/Rectory; insurance cover; poaching and trespass; timber trade and forestry; lease of Garda Barracks, Geashill to the Office of Public Works and repair of same; the Fisheries Bill (1939); the outbreak of World War II and its effect on forestry.

Includes hand-drawn map by Darley, Orpen & McGillycuddy Solicitors, of Geashill Glebe, scale 1/2500, showing lands belonging to Representative Church Body and rights of way adjoining the site.

Includes copy letter from Kennedy to Digby: '...We have had a terrific frost here just before Christmas, hard enough to produce three days skating on Charleville Lake, and I am told that there were lumps of ice floating about in the sea between Dublin and Kingstown, a thing which I do not think anyone remembers before. The thaw has now thoroughly set in after a second sharp spell of frost last week and between rain and melted snow the country generally and the rivers are terribly flooded.' (9 January 1939)

Includes letter from R. Fetherstonhaugh, solicitor, Mountmellick to Kennedy: 'I was very sorry to hear from my son that he had trespassed yesterday on Lord Digby's bog. He and some friends went out to shoot on the Burrow Meadows - apparently he wandered over the county boundary & it was surprising to me how he got so far; it was, I believe quite unintentional on his part and both of us regret it very much.' (16 January 1939)

Includes letter from An Roinn Tailte/Department of Lands forbidding the felling of native timber due to the outbreak of war and withdrawing the forestry permit granted to Lord Digby. (25 September 1939)

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy: I am flying over to Northern Ireland on Monday morning. I should be there about a week or ten days investigating infantry training units in my capacity as Assistant Inspector of Infantry at the War Office. I regret I shall not be able to get leave to come over the border on this occasion, but would you write to me to Mount Stewart, Newtownards, Co. Down where I shall be on Monday 12th and Tuesday 13th...I was very sorry to hear the sad news about Capt Boyd Rochfort's death. I would have sent you a wire to represent me at the funeral but did not know in time.' (10 August 1940)

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)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of the Geashill Estate. Matters referred to include Col. Bury granted the concession of Cole Hill area; supply of poles for ESB; Lord Digby's broken leg; purchase by Offaly County Council of a site in Ballydonnan for housing site (includes map with coloured section); Clonad hit by storms and blizzards but no major damage; sale of Ballingaore House by the Perry Estate; poaching on Derrygunnigan woods; repatriation of items confiscated during a trip in August 1946; repair of Geashill Garda Barracks.

Includes letter to Muir from Digby detailing effects of rations and austerity in post-war Britain: "Lady Digby was beaten by the Farmers Union Candidate in fact the number of women on our [County Council] was reduced to 3... Things here are getting very unpleasant and terribly expensive. The Budget looms ahead in rather a disagreeable light! ... Restrictions are very severe about timber cutting here. you cant cut your own trees unless they are dead, and if they are dead you can't get any one to saw them up. I can't get a portable handsaw that I want and there are no saw benches about that aren't commanded by the Ministry of Supply". (1 April 1946).

Includes letter from James Brophy, Derrygolan to Digby, informing him that there is "a well containing oil on [my] turf bank". (4 June 1947).

Includes letter from Digby to Kennedy, describing a great holiday in Ireland where he was able to bring back all the things he purchased to the UK as dual resident "The inevitable economic crisis which I forecast when I was with you has fallen with great severity upon us all... We managed to get all the things that we bought in Eire safely over to this country and had no trouble on either side. I found the fact that I was a dual-resident was a great help" (22 September 1947).

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of Glenamoy Estate, Ballina, Co. Mayo under James Boland Esq. Matters referred to include equestrian, hunting and fishing activities; game conservationism and dealings with various conservator groups; poaching; trespassing; employee salaries; transport fees; claims compensation; and the letting the Glenamoy River.

Includes letter from B J Newcombe, Secretary to Salmon Fisheries Protection Association, to Lewis Goodbody: ‘…The rights of all Fishery Owners in the Free State are being tested in the still pending litigation in the Erne and Moy fishery cases. This litigation has been going on for some years at enormous expense, and now the last decision (by Mr Justice Johnson) in favour of the owners has been appealed against.’ (21 May 1929)

Letter from Goodbody to Mr John Mudge: ‘Neary's cases is that he foul hooked this salmon on the 29th October, 4 or 5 pools above the boundary pool. Now, in certain water at least Lord Digby's bank would cover 4 or 5 pools above. When I pointed this out to him, he now says that it was hooked 262 yards above the boundary pool. It was about 6 lbs weight, and he says he had trout rod, and he only got it out 50 or 60 yards below the boundary pool.’ (2 December 1929)

Letter from Lewis Goodbody to Lord Digby: ‘Woodcock shooting in Ireland ends on the 28th February everywhere, but I know that Reggie was of the opinion that it should close at latest by the middle of February. After that the birds were certainly pairing, and nests have been found here early in March. My own impression is that it ought to stop on the 31st January, but at all events they should not be looked for after the first week in February.’ (17 January 1931)

Original incoming and copy outgoing correspondence relating to the administration of Glenamoy Estate, Ballina, Co. Mayo under James Boland Esq. Matters referred to include a planned trip by Digby and his sister to the West of Ireland to visit Glenamoy River; notice of returns for all salmon, sea-trout and eels caught during the year ending 1931; the Erne Case in the Supreme Court Decision; 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 in Bangor; payment of fishery rates; requests from several parties to Lord Digby for permission to fish in the Glenamoy River; details of a report by the Land Commission into damage caused by flood in the Glenamoy district.

Letter from the Secretary of The Salmon Fisheries Protection Association: “I beg to apply to you for the renewal of Lord Digby’s subscription £2 2s to the Association in accordance with rule 4, under which subscriptions become payable on the 1st July in each year. The position with regard to the necessity for co-operation amongst Fishery Owners continues as insistent as heretofore. The Supreme Court has not as yet given a decision in the Erne case, and it is considered that this decision will be almost certain to affect every other similar Fishery in the Free State”. (15 July 1931)

Letter from Goodbody to Superintendent W Burns “Replying to yours of the 16th inst, on behalf of Lord Digby I have pleasure in giving you permission for a day’s shooting over his property at Glenamoy. There is a very decent man living behind the Lodge called Michael Healy, who will show you the boundaries and the best ground, and if you will show this letter to either him or Mr Boland, it will be all right for you … and the only thing I ask of you is to kindly let me know what your bag was, because I keep a record of the fishing and shooting, and I want to enter it up.” (17 November 1931)

Letter from Boland to Kennedy: “If Lord Digby gets a good offer for ‘shooting and fishing combined’ he should make a sale for a fortnight. The place has not been properly shot for years and still there seems to be no increase in the supply of birds just a few packs with several pairs of old birds and many old creeks and it would be better shoot the whole place out. As to the fishing this has been an abnormal year thousands of salmon have gone up stream. Hundreds are illegally netted on the Land Commission Property and sold to hawkers for 3d a lb. The sergeant caught a trio one night with 15 white trout 5 salmon and a new net. There will be a prosecution (not on Lord Digby’s). This will put a little stop to the poaching” (19 August 1933).