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The History Sale 2015
www.adams.ie648
LADY ARDILAUN AND THE GREAT WAR
An album complied by Olive Guinness containing mss postcards, letters, newspaper cuttings, ephemera
connected to her charitable work for prisoners of war, 37 leaves, each 340mm x 260mm in a red morocco
binding, lettered, LADY ARDILAUN VOL. 4. within gilt miles borders, the spine with double gilt miles panels,
bookplate of Benjamin John Plunket.
(Containing in summary):-
- Letters and postcards from prisoners of war, Kriegsgefangenenlager, Limburg, and other camps in pencil,
formatted by the Germans with IRELAND printed on the address, from men of Royal Dublin Fusiliers and other
Irish regiments mostly thanking for receipt of parcels (approx. 70)
- Letters and postcards from officers and men ‘in the field’, acknowledging receipt of parcels, some from
training camps containing general information, others ‘on active service’ more restricted and field service
postcards with pre-printed sentences only, also correspondence with the Colonel 5th Battalion Connaught
Rangers, Mediterranean Expedition Force (i.e. Gallipoli) (approx. 52)
- Lists of parcels sent to Irish Regiments as prisoners of war by The Irish Woman’s Association (President The
Lady MacDonnell of Swinford)
- 7 leaves on the 1916 rebellion, including photographic postcards, a copy of ‘The Workers Republic’ 1/5/1916,
St John Ambulance Brigade during the Sinn Féin rebellion, The Spark 2/5/1916 etc.
- Numerous newspapers cuttings, postage stamps, bank notes and pamphlets of the period.
Olive White (b. 1850 - d. 1925) was a daughter of the Earl of Bantry. She married Arthur Guinness and became
Lady Ardilaun. They lived in the great Italianate palazzo of Saint Anne’s, Clontarf. Childless and widowed early
in the war, she threw herself into supporting Irish soldiers. Indeed many of them having been employees of the
Guinness’s at Saint Anne’s or Ashford Castle.
The present lot, although perforce, lacking in much personal anecdote, is a meticulous record of many of
these men. Olive Guinness faithfully kept their communications including the envelopes. Remarkable is the
efficiency and scrupulousness with which the Germans delivered the parcels to the POWs and supplied pre-
printed forms designated IRELAND for replies. It is astonishing how this post was delivered so promptly in a
time of unprecedented warfare. Of unestimatable value is the preservation of the names and regimental details
of dozens of private soldiers and N.C.O.’s, a compliation of which would contribute to the current scholarship
aiming to restore the historical record of this country.
Provenance: The heirs of Olive, Lady Ardilaun.
€3,000 - €5,000
Lot 648