There have been demands this week for Government intervention to prevent the sale at auction of some of the country’s most precious historical artifacts and documents associated with the Easter 1916 Rising.
Two auction firms, Adam’s and Mealy’s, plan to sell off some of the materials associated with the event in an auction billed as the ‘Independence Sale’ scheduled for Easter week.
Dublin South TD, Aengus Ó Snodaigh (SF), described the planned auction as “scandalous”, saying the Government should draft legislation to protect heritage items from public sale.
“It is scandalous that these priceless historical documents and other irreplaceable parts of our national heritage are to be auctioned off to become the private prestige property of wealthy individuals,” Deputy Ó Snodaigh said.
“There is nothing to stop these items being taken out of the country. To add insult to injury the auction firms are promoting this sale by linking it to the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Rising.”

Posted: 03|22|06 at 11:49 am. Filed under: Auction News.