AN ENVELOPE containing a lock of tangled brown hair from the corpse of Michael Collins is one of a huge amount of historical items being auctioned off in Dublin this month.

The hair is included in Adams Auctioneers auction ‘800 Years: Irish Political, Literary and Military History‘, which will take place on Wednesday 18th April at Adams salerooms in Dublin.

The hair is described as being taken from Collins’ head when he was lying in State in the City Hall in August 1922. The envelope is signed K Collins Sheridan. Kitty Collins Sheridan was Michael Collins’ elder sister. It is expected to reach  between €3000 – €5000.

Also to be auctioned off is a mounted photograph of Collins, taken at 10 Dowling St in England in 1921 (expected to reach €1500 – €2500); a photograph of Collins’ body lying in State (expected to reach €300 – €500); and a typed letter from Fr Ignatius CP addressed to Celestine, Collin’s sister, on the news of Collins’ death (espected to reach €300 – €500).

There are also many other items in the auction, including war medals; firearms; 19th century pistols; an Irish Volunteer belt; an early Garda Síochána belt buckle; 20th century swords from the USA; photographs of the rebellion in Dublin in 1916; and newspapers and publications dating back to as far as 1798, as well as 1916 and 1922.

The full list of items to be auctioned is available on the Adams website.

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