Dossier 2 - Correspondence re Trustees’ Appointments

Correspondence of Ronan Daly & Hayes, 12 South Mall, Cork, solicitors, with Fr. Nicholas O’Brien OFM Cap., Provincial Secretary, re an application for an order from the Charitable Commissioners vesting the Ard Mhuire Friary and adjoining lands (consisting of 167 acres 3 roods and 15 perches in the townland of Ards and 38 acres 2 roods in the townland of Rinnsligo, County Donegal) in new trustees (appointed by the FMC trust). Reference (19 Mar. 1976) is made by Fr. Nicholas to the difficulties in locating documents in relation to the purchase of the Ards property from the Irish Land Commission in 1930:
'A search made in the Provincial Archives revealed ecclesiastical documents only (sanction by the Holy See, the local Bishop etc.) I had enquiries made both here in Dublin and in Letterkenny of solicitors whose firms might have been involved in the sale negotiations, but the results were negative. It is possible that the deal was made directly with the representatives of the Land Commission'.