A chunk of Irish history went under the hammer today when hundreds of mementos linked to the Republic's turbulent birth were sold off at auction.
Buyers and curious spectators crammed into a packed auction room in central Dublin as auction officials
the auction of 'Independence', a collection of Irish Independence items.
in pin-striped suits raced through nearly 500 sale items, including the original words and music to Ireland's national anthem.
Though many of the artefacts fetched far more than their asking price, the anthem - star attraction of the sale - failed to reach its original estimate of between €800,000 and €1.2 million ($972,500-$1.46 million).
It finally went to an unnamed bidder for ?,000.
The sale was scheduled to coincide with the 90th anniversary of the 1916 Easter Rising. Selling so many key items from the period angered patriots who fear private collectors will take them out of the country.
Awareness of the value of 1916-related items was raised by the sale last year of a surrender note by rebel leader Padraig Pearse which went for €700,000 - more than 10 times the estimate.
Earlier today a medal owned by one of the rebel leaders sold for €105,000 - 10 times its estimate.
Other lots that attracted interest included poignant letters written by rebel leaders before their execution and a telegram informing Irish secretary of state W.T. Cosgrave that England's King George V had agreed to give Ireland independence.
An Irish flag believed to have flown over Dublin's general post office, where the rebels holed up against British artillery fire during the uprising, and a typewriter belonging to revolutionary Michael Collins were also up for grabs.
Much of the material in the sale, co-hosted by Dublin auction house James Adam & Sons and auctioneers Mealy's, was provided by families directly involved in the battle for independence.