Yeats painting The Turf Cutter's Donkey takes centre stage 

Long before Jenny the Donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin stole the show, The Turf Cutter's Donkey was a hit with children, writes Des O’Sullivan

The Turf Cutter's Donkey by Jack B Yeats at Morgan O'Driscoll.

There is nothing new about celebrity donkeys in Irish fiction. Long before Jenny, the Donkey from The Banshees of Inisherin stole the show at this year's Golden Globes in Hollywood, The Turf Cutter's Donkey was a favourite of generations of Irish children.

Written by Patricia Lynch (1898-1972) and first published in 1934, The Turf Cutter's Donkey came complete with lovingly evoked illustrations of the Irish landscape by Jack B Yeats. Lot 15 at Morgan O'Driscoll's sizzling online sale of Irish art which runs until January 30 is an illustration by Yeats of the Turf Cutter's Donkey which has never before been on the auction market.