An extremely rare Laois All-Ireland medal from 1915 has fetched €11,000 at a recent auction.
The nine carat gold ‘Celtic Cross’ was one of hundreds of historical and sporting pieces auctioned by Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers in Dublin yesterday.
Speaking to LaoisToday, auctioneer George Fonsie Mealy, of Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers, said the type of medal is not one that you encounter very often.
He said: “The only other one I know of is in the United States and is retained by the family of Bob O’Keefe.
“He was a Kilkenny man who moved over to Laois and played in the 1914 All-Ireland final losing to Clare before they won it in 1915.
“It is wonderfully intricate in its simplicity.”
At the time, the auctioneers reckoned it would be sold for somewhere between €7,000 and €10,000 but it exceeded this expectations.
Although the identity of the buyer has not been revealed, it has been reported that it is a Laois person who intends to put it on display.
The medal is described as being an “attractive 9ct gold medal of Celtic Cross design, the obverse with pierced centre and harp overlay, inscribed around “Cumann na gCleas – Luith Gaedhealach” and “Eire,” across, the reverse inscribed “All-Ireland C’Ship won by Leix, 1915”, hallmarked H. & H.
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