Bidding on Whyte’s very popular annual Eclectic Collector auction started on Saturday 22 March and finishes from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday, 6 April. This will be a timed on-line sale with viewing in our galleries.

The sale of 482 lots includes historical artefacts, manuscripts, documents, photographs, books, militaria and medals, weapons, memorabilia including advertising, sport and entertainment, coins, banknotes and other collectibles. Bidding is live now and ends at 30 second intervals from 2pm to 6pm on Sunday, 6 April at www.bid.whytes.ie.

The timeline in this auction runs from 5,000 BC (7,000 years ago!) for a very large piece of bog oak to gold coins issued in 2000 AD (25 years ago)

Worthy of note is a gun with which an Irish Volunteer in Tullamore fired the first shot of 1916 [lot 144, estimate €8,000 to €10,000]. A 1921 Agreement on the Treaty signed by Eamon de Valera and Michael Collins is a unique and extremely important document [lot 193]. An archive of about four hours of film features the War of Independence and the 1916 Rising [lot 163, €80,000 to €100,000

Also notable is a fascinating letter from Liam Lynch in the Four Courts to his godmother in County Limerick [lot194, €5,000 to €7,000].  An archive of an Irishman who fought for Franco in the Spanish Civil War includes his diary, uniform and medals [lot 220, €3,000 to €5,000].

An archive of a British Army officer who served in the Auxiliary Division of the Royal Irish Constabulary during the War of Independence gives a rare insight – including his praise for Michael Collins! - to ‘the other side’ in that conflict [lot 181, €800 to €1,200].

There is a good collection of material from the Northern Ireland ‘Troubles’ including posters and publications, prisoner art, weapons, security forces helmets and rubber bullets. A highlight is a telephone from Long Kesh (Maze) Prison [lot 282, €800 to €1,200.]

Five letters written by W.B. Yeats and his father have interesting content [lot 318, €1,500 to €2,000]. Also by Yeats: A signed first USA edition of The Wind Among The Reeds [lot 319, €1,200-€1,500].

Gold is in great demand as a hedge against inflation and uncertainty in the world. There is a great selection of gold coins including Sovereigns, Krugerrand, and US Dollars [lots 333 to 355, estimates from €220 to €4,000].

A good collection of banknotes in this auction including a Currency Commission. ‘Ploughman’ Bank of Ireland Ten Pounds. 6-5-29. [lot 365, €1,000-€1,500]

A range of collectable posters includes an early 20th century Great Southern Railways poster featuring a scene in Connemara [lot 394, €800 to €1,200]. Other publishers include Aer Lingus, CIE and Guinness.

Soccer memorabilia collectors will be delighted to see the collection formed by Liam Rapple, former President of Bohemians AFC and Honorary Secretary of The Football Association of Ireland. The collection features match worn jerseys of the 1940s and 1950s including one worn by Stanley Matthews in an England v Ireland match [lot 444, €300 to €500]. There is a great array of football programmes with scarce Irish internationals of the 1940s to 1950s, and clubs with strength, of course, in Bohemians.

Other memorabilia include The Beatles 1965 USA tour book signed by all four members of the band – John, Paul, George and Ringo [lot 460, €4,000 to €6,000]. Also, under the hammer here is rare document of 1775 relating to Elvis Presley's Irish ancestor, William Presley of Counties Wicklow and Carlow, detailing an attack on Elvis’s ancestor. William later emigrated to America and the rest is history! [lot 459, €1,000 to €1,500].

And to further emphasise the ‘eclecticity’ of Whyte’s auction there is a beautiful 19th century collection of butterflies and other insects (150+) [lot 473, €2,000 to €3,000.