A fascinating glimpse of the Easter Rising in Galway
Yesterday’s sale (27th Feb.) at the London firm of Dix Noonan Webb saw a number of items of Irish interest go under the hammer, not least of which was a 1916 ‘Easter Rising’ Constabulary Medal (Ireland) awarded to Constable M. Lavelle, Royal Irish Constabulary, for his gallantry in the defence of the Police Barracks at Gort, Co. Galway, on 25th April 1916. An ordinary Irishman going about his daily duties and caught up in the astonishing events that occurred in that eventful Easter Week.
Michael Lavelle was born in Co. Mayo on the 23rd December 1879, and joined the Royal Irish Constabulary on the 17th December 1906. He was stationed in Co. Armagh from 25th May 1907, and then in Co. Galway from 14th April 1908.
‘The rebellion commenced in Co. Galway at 7:20 a.m. on Tuesday 25th April 1916, by an attack on the police barracks at Gort, 10 miles from Galway. That attack continued until 10:30 a.m. The barracks was fired upon, and the windows were smashed. The rebels numbered 100 at first, but the number increased as time went on. Stone barricades were built across the road at each end of the village. The barracks was defended and held by five policemen, who were first called upon to surrender by a leader of the rebels, who threatened to blow up the barracks. The barracks was then attacked by the rebels with rifle fire, and bombs were exploded outside. The Police were called on twice to surrender through the Rev. Tully, but refused, and held on for over three hours.
The rebels then withdrew to Clarenbridge, where they were reinforced by others. An attack was made on Oranmore Barracks. The attack there commenced shortly after noon. The railway line and the telegraph poles were cut, and a large hole was made in the bridge. The barracks at Oranmore was defended by four policemen until relief came at 7:30 p.m. through the arrival of a party of police and military from Galway. The rebels took to flight towards Athenry in motor cars.’ Ref: Dix Noonan Webb Ltd.
Lot.176. Pre-sale Estimate: £3,000 – £4,000 was eventually sold for £6,500.
More about Dix Noonan Webb on their site here: www.dnw.co.uk
Whyte’s RDS Irish & International Art Sale
Royal Dublin Society, Anglesea Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin .4.
A sale full of quality and many of the big names of Irish Art are represented.
Amongst the 211 Lots are fine landscapes by William Percy French, James Humbert Craig, Paul Henry, Maurice Canning Wilks, portraits by William Orpen, Seán O’Sullivan, Paul Nietsche, and Harry Kernoff. There’s also a fair dollop of Abstract rubbish in the sale including two Jack B Yeats works both of which carry the top estimates in the sale of €100,000 – €150,000 and which will undoubtedly reach or surpass their reserves.
Lot.9.”A Kerry Bog” 1934/35, oil on canvas (16″ x 18″) by Paul Henry which carries an estimate of €60/80,000.
Lot.19. “A Passage is Required” 1953, oil on board (9″ x 14″) by Jack Butler Yeats – Est: €100/150,000.
The star of the sale, for me, is the Harry Kernoff portrait of Aer Lingus Pilot, Captain John Tweddle (pictured below) which has an interesting back story.
Born in 1917, John Lawson Tweddle was a keen sportsman, winning medals for activities as diverse as diving and athletics, and being capped for Ulster rugby on at least four occasions. During World War II he served with the RAF and was made Flight Lieutenant. After the war, he worked for Aer Lingus and was one of the first pilots to fly BAC 1-11 jets in the early sixties. He was a close friend of Harry Kernoff. The painting comes with a copy of a 1965 newspaper article from the Daily Express, featuring Captain Tweddle who was shortly to appear in a musical. The paper reported that Tweddle (the “Singing Skipper”) was being allowed a week’s leave from Aer Lingus in order to play the part of Sultan Ali Ben Ali in the airline company’s own production of the “Desert Song”. Ref.Whytes.
Lot.42. “Portrait of Aer Lingus Pilot, John Tweddle” 1960, pastel (13.5″ x 10″), Harry Kernoff – Est: €800/1,200.
Viewing: Saturday 2nd to Monday 4th March from 10.00am – 6.00pm daily
Full catalogue with online bidding here: 
South Dublin Antiques Fair – Dun Laoghaire – Sunday 10th February 2019
With 40 specialist and eclectic traders taking part, there will be a huge array of items, spread over two floors, at this Sunday’s South Dublin Antiques & Vintage Fair at The Royal Marine Hotel. From antique and vintage furniture and retro décor to vintage fashions and accessories, plus antique silver, tableware and jewellery, along with fine art, plus rare coins, medals, memorabilia and other collectables (not to mention countless quirky curios); there will literally be something to suit all tastes, interests and budgets.
First up, Greene’s Antiques of Drogheda will be among those specialising in antique and vintage furniture, along with both Handlebar Antiques and William Huey Antiques, together offering a large range of furniture from traditional Victorian and Edwardian pieces, to upcycled vintage pieces and everything in between.
Antique and vintage jewellery exhibitors taking part include Nessador Antiques, Janet Greeves of Belfast, Strictly Vintage, and Delights Antiques, along with Marie Curran of Dublin, exhibiting both antique jewellery and silver, and Bluedot Antiques who will be exhibiting antique jewellery along with a selection of carefully-curated items for the home.
A number of traditional collectables traders will also be in attendance, including traders specialising in coins, medals, postcards, vintage and antiquarian books and more. Meanwhile, Granny’s Attic Vintage of Newry will present a huge range of items, including authentic vintage fashion, accessories and more, along with Lola Blue Vintage and others.
In addition, you can expect to find countless items for the home, including antique and vintage tableware and kitchenalia, whose beauty and design have withstood the tests of time and changing tastes, along with television, movie and music memorabilia, fine art and so much more With thousands of items on display, you can look forward to a day of pleasant surprises as you delve into the past and explore the artefacts of a bygone era.
All the latest information here: www.vintageireland.eu
