Finding aid databases

Letter to President Cosgrave from Edward Eliot, 17 October 1930, stating that he is sure Lady Turton will understand that the Executive Council cannot reach any decision on her proposed gift of Russborough House to the nation until the Ministers return from the Imperial Conference.

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Letter

Copy minute to the Private Secretary, Minister for Finance, from the President's Office, 22 October 1922. `The President feels that courtesy to Lady Turton requires that she be given a definite reply at an early date and he would like if the Minister could see his way to arrange for an early submission of his views to the Executive Council'.

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Minute

Memorandum by the Department of Finance, 27 October 1930, giving reasons why the Minister for Finance recommends that the offer by Lady Turton of Russborough House to the Irish nation should be declined. The reasons given are financial, for example, `The Minister notes that the letter from the donor's Solicitors, dated 12th October, 1929, annexed to your minute of 31 October, 1929, after stating that Lady Turton cannot afford to keep up the house as it ought to be kept up, and that it would be very difficult at the present time to find a purchaser, adds that she would not be able to offer any endowment for the upkeep of the place. This indicates a recognition by the donor of what the Minister conceives to be true in fact, that a gift of this nature, to be advantageous, should be accompanied by an endowment for maintenance, i.e, that the value of the gift, per se, is a minus quantity'.

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Memorandum

Copy letter to Edward Eliot from the President, 5 December 1930, explaining why the Government are declining Lady Turton's offer of Russborough House to the nation.

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Letter

Letter to President Cosgrave from Edward Eliot, 9 December 1930, stating that it would be of assistance to Lady Turton if she could have a copy of the report and survey on Russborough as it would help her to decide what was best to be done concerning the future of the house.

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Letter

Copy letter to the Secretary, Office of Public Works, from the President's Office, 15 December 1930, stating that the President sees no objection to providing Lady Turton with a copy of the report prepared on Russborough House.

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Letter

Copy letter to Mr Eliot from the President of the Executive Council, 15 January 1931, enclosing for Lady Turton a copy of the Report by the Office of Public Works on Russborough House together with other relevant documents. He states that if the economic climate improved a future Government might be in a position to accept the offer. `At the moment, however, the prospects of this seem remote, and it would be unfair to suggest to Lady Turton that she should refrain from making other arrangements regarding Russborough because of the likelihood of any variation in the decision to which we were reluctantly forced to come'.

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Letter

Letter to President Cosgrave from Edward Eliot, 16 January 1931, thanking him for his letter of 15 January 1931, sending the Office of Public Works' Report to Lady Turton. He concludes stating that he does not know how Lady Turton proposes to `deal with the house, but should she decide to keep it and an opportunity should occur at any future date, we might perhaps renew the negotiations'.

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Letter

Typed extract from the `Irish Times', 3 June 1931, stating that Russborough House has been purchased from Dame Turton by Captain Daily, a British Army Officer.

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Extract

Letter to the Assistant Secretary, Department of the President, from the Department of Industry and Commerce, Trade and Industries Branch, 23 October 1929, enclosing a list of the members of the Foreign Press Association who are visiting the Irish Free State. The list includes the names, Mrs JH Boas, Dutch East India Papers, and Madame B Laporte, Paris.

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Letter