Fairs & Marts / Portumna Tolls Collections

Includes correspondence relating to devising a schedule of customs, and issue of tenders and related correspondence for the purchase of the right to collect tolls in the town on an annual basis (purchased by Patrick Keane continually up to 1970)

• Letter from James J Kearns & Sons, Solicitors to GCC advising that his client Martin C Stronge ‘signed a surrender of his tenancy (of the Fair Green and the Tools and Customs) on the 18^th March and the matter was finally wound up with the Solicitors from the Harewood Estate in October’ (2 Dec 1950).
• Internal copy letters from the Co. Secretary to the Co. Manager advising, ‘Apart from collection of tolls it appears that somebody will be required to supervise the Fair Green on fair days.  The cleaning of the Green subsequent to the fairs would presumably be done by the County Engineer’s staff.  It would be well at least to have somebody appointed temporarily at a fixed sum per fair to supervise the use of the Green on fair days’ (29 Dec 1954), and reply indicate that it would appear GCC would have ‘no right to collect tolls until markets are properly established by the County Council and bye-laws adopted’ (30 Dec 1954).
• Text of newspaper notice relating to the letting of Portumna Tolls (Dc 1956).
• MO 38281 accepting the ender of Patrick Keane for the purchase of the right to collect tolls in Portumna for period 1^st Feb 1958 to 31 Jan 1958 (for £25) (8 Feb 1957).
• Copy letter from the Assistance Co. Manager to Kearns, Solicitor approving the holding of the carnival in the Fair Green at a cost of 10 shillings but that it ‘must not interfere with the holding of any fairs’ (20 April 1960)
• Schedule of Tolls signed and sealed by GCC (30 Jan 1960) and by the Minister for Local Government (7 Nov 1960) (in poor condition)
• Letter from Florence Gerard Mac Carthy, Solicitor, Loughrea, to GCC on behalf of his client, Patrick Keane, advising that ‘since the mart took over in Portumna the Fairs have ceased and my client has gained nothing as a result of what he has paid…’ (27 April 1970).
• MO 474 accepting the ender of Kevin Leahy for the purchase of the right to collect tolls in Portumna for period 1^st Mar 1971 to 29 Feb 1972 (for £26) (28 Jan 1971)
• Key to new locked fitted at weighbridge (1974).
• Copy of map of the town of Portumna issued by Valuation office, with area of ‘proposed site of Portumna Fair Green’ marked (1950).