Sale is a genuine historic occasion

Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers in Dublin has something for everyone next Tuesday — but particularly for the collector of historic items and documents.

One of the headline items in the sale is a collection of buttons said to have been in Michael Collins’s tunic on the day of his assassination at Béal na mBláth. They include a verification note from his nephew, (see above).

With everything from Co Kildare’s first All Ireland medal — dating from 1905; a rare Celtic design binding of the Annals of the Four Masters; the final Truce documents of 1922; letters detailing the love story between Lady Lavery and Kevin O’Higgins and an original Blue Shirt flag to some JFK memorabilia, it should draw considerable interest.