State independence items to go under hammer

HISTORICAL BID: A FOOTBALL used in the GAA match which took place at Croke Park on Bloody Sunday and a bullet extracted from the body of Harry Boland after he was shot in 1922, are among some 700 items due to be auctioned next week.

A rare ticket from the Bloody Sunday game is also set to go under the hammer at the Fourth Annual Independence sale, which is being held by Adams in Dublin on Tuesday.

Other historical gems up for auction include letters from Arthur Griffith and Éamon de Valera from when they were interned in British jails, and a bronze plaque which was presented to Michael Collins by the then US president Warren Harding in early 1922.

The highlight of the event is expected to be the sale of an original copy of the 1916 Proclamation which is forecast to fetch up to €350,000.

The copy was owned by Rory O’Connor, who headed an anti-treaty occupation of the Four Courts in Dublin in early 1992.

Last year, a copy of the Proclamation which was signed by Tom Clarke’s bodyguard fetched a record €360,000 at the Adams auction.

This year’s event also includes a telegram sent by Gen Richard Mulcahy, commander-in-chief of the Army, urging troops not to retaliate for the killing of Michael Collins, following his assassination in August 1922.

This is estimated to fetch up to €20,000.

The director of Adams, Stuart Cole, said that while auctions weren’t recession-proof, he expected there to be plenty of bids for items.

“This is a very collector-driven market and they tend to take a very long-term view. And so, consequently, while there may be some buyers who will be more cautious, if something comes up that they have been looking for theyll try everything they can to buy it.”