Sabre may have been worn in Battle of Ballinamuck

After tomorrow's auction of military-related items at the James Adam salerooms, a similar event will be held next Saturday at Whyte's on Marlborough Street in Dublin. There are, of course, many other lots in this sale, including coins, tokens and banknotes, but some of the most interesting pieces are medals, militaria and weapons.

Among the last of these groups, for example, is lot 1030, an Armagh Militia senior officer's sabre dating from circa 1790. With an ivory and copper wire grip and polished brass scabbard inscribed "J. Read, Maker, 8 College Green, DUBLIN" the sword may have been carried at the Battle of Ballinamuck ) where the Armagh Militia captured a Colour of the French 70th DemiBrigade, the only such capture by a militia regiment in Ireland. Because of its history and excellent condition, the sabre carries a pre-sale estimate of £2,500-£3,000. The previous lot, a Georgian sabre issued to an officer of the 24th (Drogheda) Militia is expected to make the lower sum of £500 or so.

Decorations similar to those being sold at Adams are also on offer at Whyte's, such as lot 929, a series of medals presented to General Michael Brennan (1896-1986). Born in Co Clare, he joined the IRB at the age of 15, organised the Irish Volunteers in Limerick between 1913 and 1916, participated in the Easter Rising, was incarcerated in both Dublin and Belfast and commanded the Clare IRA for most of the War of Independence before siding with Michael Collins and the Pro-Treaty forces during the Civil War. He became Chief of Staff of the Defence Forces of the Irish Free State in 1931.

Among the medals included in this group are those related to the 1916 Rising and the War of Independence; the entire set has an estimate of £1,800£2,000. Lot 930, another pair of medals presented to Captain Patrick Flanagan who also participated in the Easter Rising is expected to fetch £1,500-£1,800. A number of other medals, although highly interesting, carry far lower estimates, such as lot 828, a disc struck in 1849 to commemorate Queen Victoria's visit to Ireland and carrying the inscription "Ireland Hails with Joy the Visit of Her Sovereign," a sentiment which would hardly have seemed applicable the following century (estimate £20-£30).

And finally, number 451 is a lot of three coins with a potentially curious history. The trio are a George III 1805 penny and halfpenny and an 1806 farthing; they come with the lead pieces in which they were stored, apparently under the foundation stone of the Nelson Pillar on O'Connell Street, Dublin. They are expected to fetch £400-£500. The auction begins at 2 p.m.