1916 Medal in auction

1916 medal to go under the hammer
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Dublin in the aftermath of the 1916 Rising.
International interest is expected when Easter Rising medal is sold at auction. A 1916 medal awarded to an Irish volunteer who fought against the British during the 1916 Easter Rising in Dublin, is set to be sold under auction.

The medal was awarded to William Patrick Partridge and has been passed down through his family to his grandson, Sid McAuley who lives in Thornbury in Devon.
He is now putting the medal up for auction at Plymouth Auctions Rooms. The sale takes place on February 16 ands is likely to attract widespread interest from all around the world, especially the USA.
Mr McAuley, who works as an instructor at the Ministry of Defence establishment at Devonport Dockyard in Plymouth, described the medal as being a "significant" piece of Irish history. He said he was "proud" of all that his grandfather achieved.
"I am, and will continue to be, very proud of my grandfather and everything he did," he said.
"I used to talk to my mother a great deal about him. He was a straightforward man really, who fought for people's rights.
"He was very proud and brave and ultimately wanted better living and working conditions for the people. He had more respect than most politicians."
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William Patrick Partridge was an active trade unionist, early Sinn Feiner and trusted friend of James Connolly and Jim Larkin.
He formed the ITGWU and was directly involved in the 1913 Dublin Lockout.
Around this time he was also president of the ASE, a Dublin Labour councillor, and founder member of the Irish Labour Party.
During the Easter Rising he was a Captain of the Irish Citizen Army, working alongside the Volunteers.
He fought alongside Countess Markievicz at the College of Surgeons during the battle.
He was captured and sentenced to 15 years for taking part in an armed rebellion and also for anti-recruitment speeches.
He was shipped to Dartmoor Prison near Princetown, but was later released due to illness. He died of Brights Disease at his home in 1917, aged 43.

Mr McAuley said he decided to sell the medal after consulting his family. "I will be sad to see it go, but at the end of the day it has been in my cupboard for years without seeing daylight," the 58-year-old said. "It's as good as not having it, with it being locked away. We had planned to lend it to a historian for it to go on display, but the project never got off the ground.
"I talked to my family about auctioning it, and we decided it was the right thing to do.
"The person who gets it will have an interest in Irish history, and will no doubt display it in some form. "Whoever owns the medal will not change its history. It will always belong to William Patridge."
William Partridge had four children one named Constance.
Mr McAuley inherited the medal from his mother Constance, when he lived in Dublin.

Auctioneer Paul Keen said: "Not only is this medal an important recognition to all those involved in the Uprising in Dublin in 1916, but it was awarded to a gentleman that, in his 43 years of life, played an important role in shaping the Dublin Corporation leading to the mergence of the Irish Free State and Republic.
"Partridge gave his life in attempting to give his country and its people the right to stand as a free independent state.
"We anticipate widespread interest not only from Ireland, but possibly from collectors from the US."
The 1916 medal is expected to sell for between £5,000 and £7,000.

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1916 Medal in auction