Wexford People

WEXFORD TREASURES AT AUCTION

- By ESTHER HAYDEN

A NUMBER of rare Wexford items will go under the hammer at a rare book and collector’s sale in Kilkenny.

The auction which is being run by Fonzie Mealy Auctioneer­s will take place in the Ormonde Hotel, Kilkenny on May 2.

The most expensive item up for auction is described by Mr Mealy as ‘a unique book’ which has a guide price of between €1,500 and €2,000. This bound illuminate­d Co Wexford address by the Right Honourable James George Henry Stopford, Earl of Courtown, from the Property Defence Associatio­n of Ireland dating back to April 19, 1900. It is signed by Farnham (chairman and Rosse (vice Chairman) and features five colourful and Celtic design pages with the Earl of Courtown’s arms.

Also up for auction is a pamphlet with an estimated value of between €150 and €200. This is the correct report of the charge of Judge Fletcher to the Grand Jury of the County of Wexford at the Summer Assizes, in 1814 and described as scarce.

The third item is an extremely rare 1905 GAA challenge match medal with a guide price of between €300 and €400. This is described as ‘an attractive and unusual cross shaped and pierced silver medal. The obverse comes with the provincial arms or crest with heavy central harp overlay, surmounted by a football while the reverse is inscribed ‘G.A.A. Wexford V. Cork, June 1905, won by Lees’.’

The medal is hallmarked Egan of Cork.

Also going under the hammer is the book ‘History of the Town and County of Wexford’ by Philip Herbert Hore. This has a guide price of between €700 and €900. Featuring six volumes which are all first editions and profusely illustrate­d with maps and plans the books are described as rare and while they have some wear are in good condition. A scarce copy of the famous Wexford duel trial is also on offer with a guide price of between €200 and €300. This is an impartial report of the trial of William Congreve Alcock and

Henry Derenzy Esqrs. for the murder of John Colclough, Esq. at Wexford Assizes, on March 20, 1808. It also comes an address to the public by Thomas McCord, Esq. This first edition also comes with a correct report of the charge delivered on March 28, 1808 by The Hon. Baron Smith. Alcock was charged with killing the late John Colclough in a duel while Derenzy is charged with aiding and abetting him.

An index to the townland survey of the County of Wexford dating back to 1907 is also for sale with a guide price of between €800 and €1,200. This second edition is a cloth boards presented as an atlas.

A report of the trial of the Rev. John Carroll and five of his parishione­rs for murder is also going under the hammer with a guide price of between €160 and €240. Fr Carroll was the Roman Catholic Curate of Killinick and he along with five of his parishione­rs were charged with murder. The trial details the particular­s of the murder Of Catherine Sinnott, a child Under four years of age, by the Rev. John Carroll, under the pretence of performing a miracle by casting devils out of the child, which took place at Killinick on July 9, 1824.

The book is described by Mr Mealy as being in very good condition. He also said it is a rare find. There are also a number of hurling pro-

grammes up for grabs in the auction, the first of which is from 1951.

This is the programme from Tipperary’s second three-in-arow win having won the final between 1949 to 1951. The official hurling programme from the 1951 All Ireland Final between Wexford and Tipperary has a guide price of between €120 and €150. The match was played on September 2, 1951 with Tipperary getting their second three-in-a-row win beating Wexford 7 7 to 3 9. The programme is described as being in good condition with illustrati­ons and adverts throughout.

The next programme comes from the 1954 All Ireland hurling final between Cork and Wexford and has a guide price of between €80 to €120. In 1954 Cork, under the captaincy of Christy Ring, won their three-in-a-row.

Also going under the hammer is the programme from the All Ireland hurling final of 1952 between Galway and Wexford.

This also has a guide price of between €80 to €120. The match which Wexford won was played in Croke Park on September 4, 1952. Nicky O’Donnell lead Wexford to defeat Galway on a scoreline 3 13 to 2 8 in front of a crowd of 83,096.

Another Wexford programme up for grabs is the 1956 All Ireland hurling final programme.

This has a guide price of between €100 and €120. The match was between Cork and Wexford was played in Croke Park on September 23, 1956 having being delayed due to the polio outbreak in Cork.

Wexford went on to beat Cork to win back to back titles.

There is also a collection of All Ireland hurling programmes between 1960 and 1969 with a guide price of between €300 and €400. This collection of ten official match programmes for each All-Ireland Final at Croke Park, are illustrate­d and contain adverts. The 1968 programme is signed on the centre page by members of both Wexford and Tipperary teams.

A range of other items also of Wexford interest will also go under the hammer on May 2 in Kilkenny. LEFT, ABOVE AND RIGHT: Some of the Wexfordrel­ated items that are going under the hammer.

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