[ Note added by Michael Purcell in August 2012. The following is a recently discovered letter in the Pat Purcell Papers from the "self-professed World Betterer" George Bernard Shaw, containing instructions to Malcolmson and Law, Court Place, Carlow. This is the first time that this letter has ever been made public. George Bernard Shaw owned 13 proprieties in Carlow town, inherited by him through his mother's grandfather, Thomas Gurley. The properties were / are situated in Tullow Street, Dublin Street, John Street, Centaur Street, Ballymanus Terrace, The Quay, Athy Road, Grave Lane and the Barrow Track. Shaw paid a visit to Carlow in 1918 to view his property, he stayed in the Railway Hotel ( now The Irishmans ) he later recalled that the proprietress presented him with a joint of "Carlow pig" for supper, he explained that he did not partake of dead animals or their product, she advised him that he would not live long without eating meat - he died in 1950 from injuries incurred after falling from a ladder whilst pruning a tree at the age of 94 ! . Iin 1919 he transferred the Old Assembly Rooms on Dublin Street to the Carlow Technical Instruction Committee for use as a Technical school (in later years the Carlow County Library was situated in the building). In 1944 Shaw set about handing over the remainder of his Carlow estate to be held for the common benefit of the people of Carlow, however he found that Carlow Town Council could not accept his gift as they had no authority to accept gifted property. In 1944 Shaw wrote to Eamon de Valera requesting that his government pass an Act to enable Carlow Town Council to accept his gift. In 1945 Dev's Minister for Local Government, Sean McEntee, passed the Local Authorities ( Acceptance of Gifts ) Bill, 1945. Mr McEntee stated " at present local authorities had no power to acquire property by way of gift, the passing of this Bill would enable a local authority to accept gifts of property, but only on condition that they adopted schemes of civic improvement in their areas and devoted the gifts for the purposes provided for in the schemes and once a scheme was framed it could not be altered except by an Order of the High Court. For further examples of Shaw's letters concerning his property in Carlow see the article " Shaw's bequest to Carlow" by Sean O'Shea published in Carlovina 1998. Transcribed by Selina Lawlor. Pat Purcell Papers 1944. 4, Whitehall Court, London. S.W.I. Ayot. St. Lawrence, Nr. Welwyn Herts. Station: Wheathampstead, L N.E.R. 2½ Miles. Telegrams: Bernard Shaw, Codicote. Telephone: Codicote 218. 7 September 1944 Dear Mr. Law I forgot to say on my card that it would be very convenient if we could get the transfer executed on the 29th Sept .thereabouts as that is a gale day, and the Carlow Corporation could take the succeeding half years rent leaving me the rent just falling due. I don’t know whether there are such things as hanging gales nowadays; but if so we can ignore them, and consider the real dates and not the nominal ones. As to arrears, I hope there won’t be any. Can you get Walsh out, and his tenant in by the 29th and the house repaired at my cost (Major Fitzmaurice knows my views and has ample funds of mine) so that I can hand over the premises in a settled, solvent and waterproof condition? Then there is the tenant at Grave Lane, who gave up paying rents years ago, but has lately been giving Fitzmaurice an occasional ten shillings. The Corporation will no doubt evict her, and if it is wise it will not relet the house, but knock it down and either let the land as an eligible building site, changing the name of the land to something more cheerful than Grave Lane !, or build a new house on it with all the modern improvements to bring it within the scope of the new Fund and attract a substantial tenant. The modernisation of houses by garages, refrigerators, labour saving kitchens, electric cookers is in my view the most obvious and civilising line of improvement. Anyhow, I am quite willing to forego and forgive the arrears if that will facilitate matters. If the lady can afford to pay ten shillings a week, as she is doing, she can afford to rent another dwelling place. Don’t let money stand in the way of a quick and clean settlement. I want to die destitute as far as Eire is concerned. I can afford it. I can’t afford bother. By the way (if it has any relevance) I am technically an Irish citizen as well as a British subject with an English domicile. ( signed ) George Bernard Shaw.