BRITISH EMPIRE PARAPHERNALIA FOR AUCTION. >From the Pat Purcell Papers. In January 1922 President Eamonn de Valera believed that the Anglo / Irish Treaty would be rejected by the Irish people, he thought it only a matter of time before hostilities would resume . He secretly ordered that the R.I.C. Stations and the British Army Barracks throughout Ireland should be penetrated and reconnaissance taken of the defences and weaknesses of the fortifications therein. On the 6th January 1922, May Gibney of Cumann na mBan delivered a dispatch from Cathal Brugha, the Irish Minister for Defence , to the Commander of the Carlow Brigade, I.R.A. conveying de Valera's instructions. In mid January, Robert Bell, Auctioneer, Carlow, was engaged by the British War Office to sell by public auction the contents of Carlow Military Barracks. A week later, acting on this information, the Carlow Brigade brought two I.R.A. men from Athy to carry out Dev's orders. The two volunteers, unknown to the auctioneer, duly presented themselves as the "auctioneer's agents" to the Duty Officer in the Carlow Barracks, he welcomed them and proceeded to give them a grand tour of the premises and out-houses. He then gave them the inventory, reproduced below, compiled by the British soldiers and invited the two men to carry out an inspection of the items listed. For the following few hours the IRA men strolled contentedly all over the Barracks, chatting with the soldiers and obtaining whatever information they could. They shared a drink with the Duty Officer before they left. The same day three I.R.A. men from the Carlow Brigade travelled to Maryborough Military Barracks and Stores where they carried out the same mission. I do not have the auctioneers catalogue for the Carlow auction but I do have catalogues for the Kilkenny and Maryborough auctions. If you think the Carlow list is comprehensive then you should see the Maryborough list which includes ; -- belts , handkerchiefs, neckerchiefs, socks, shirts, jackets, waistcoats, boots, and pillows !. In February 1922 the following items were offered for sale by public auction in Carlow. Stock in Carlow Military Barracks for sale by Public Auction. OUTDOORS : in yard and sheds. Estimated 6 ton of barbed wire on reels; five ladders , 10 ff, 15ft. 25ft, 30ft, 45ft ; eight galvanized iron canisters ; piles of straw mattresses ; 4 felling axes ; 3 hatchets ; 4 mallets ; 4 crowbars ; 4 cross-cut saws ; chains and padlocks ; 4 hods ; 5 hoes ; two old spiked cannon pieces with metal wheels ; 34 cannonballs ; quantity of broken and rusted weapons, 5 bayonets, 24 lances, 20 rifles, numerous sword pieces, staffs. many piles of scrap iron ; 3 cwt. sack ouncil ; 5 earthenware gallon casks ; 6 rakes ; 4 varied size vices ; two horse carts ; 20 rolls of tent covering ; 23 cross bar bicycles ; 12 baskets ; quantity of tyres and tubes ; large copper vat ; a large variety of 58 sweeping brushes ; 25 shovels ; 5 picks ; barrack brazing; 20 hurricane lamps ; 80 barrack lamps ; chaff cutting machine ; a dozen vices ; 5 transportable sectional huts ; 3 galvanized transportable sheds ; metal sheeting ; 6 Iron houses for horses ; portable forge anvil ; 2 cutting lathe ; 3 work benches ; 80 fire bricks ; 20 hurricane lamps ; assorted Blacksmith tools ; 6 assorted size gates ; 2 hand anvils ; 2 large anvils ; 2 bellows ; large quantity of horse shoes, new and unused ; assorted lorry and car engine fittings ; assorted scaffolding ; carpenters bench ; 2 x 2 wheel fire hand cart box with reels of hoses ; 62 platform posts, high, medium and low ; 5 hand carts ; 5 x 4 pronged sprongs ; 8 assorted hammers ; metal piping ; large delivery of new covered timber ; 4 boxes of assorted nails and screws ; larger quantity of corrugated iron 6ft and 10ft ; quantity of expanded metal 8" x 4" ; 10 hand-held metal protection covers ; 50 assorted planks ; 4 hand sledges ; 6 tins of red and white paint ; 3 gallons of varnish ; 5 barrows ; 8 rolls of wire netting ; 10 x 30 gallon barrels ; slabs and approximately 500 new slates ; 3 anvils ; 4 sets of drain brushes ; 4 axes ; 4 x 30 gallon water tanks with taps ; 12 Iron field posts ; 3 pully blocks ; 4 sledge hammers ; various ropes ; 20 old fire grates ; 2 x 50 gallon watertanks ; 2 x 400 gallon water tanks ; 4 granite water troughs ; approximately 400 new bricks ; scantlings, all sizes ; 5 picks ; 3 rolls of canvas ; all kinds of piping ; 5 new stoves ; variety of 25 packed crates ;. barrel of kerosene ; 12 saddles and horse dressings ; 128 bicycles, 2 x 5 H.P. Triumph Cycles and Whitely side cars. The coal and turf shed were empty, the content with coalbuckets were distributed to families living in Barrack Street and Bribewell Lane. INDOORS: HALL : Upright Grand piano by Foster. 2 office desks ; 2 castor chairs with arms ; on shelf , account books , quantity of old maps and folders ; 2 jars of ink ; box of new pens ; I large locked safe by Saltburn, 1 smaller unlocked safe by Withers ; 3 Windsor chairs ; 2 leather covered high backed sofas ; 2 leather cover reclining sofas ; new pull porter machine ; one chest of books. one military travel desk with handles ; 3 small Philips fireproof safes ; one folding travel officers chair ; 5 folding field chairs ; assorted gas fittings ; 3 blackboards with easels ; box of coloured chalk; 8 outside lanterns ; 40 lockers ; 10 Officers chests of drawers ; over 200 chairs ; 80 small desks ; 12 copper coal scuttles ; mixture of several hundred bed linens and barrack sheets ; 4 lb candles ; 20 wall lamps ; 20 framed pictures ; 40 assorted picture frames ; Encyclopedia set 14 volumes ; boxes of assorted keys ; 4 large Axminster rugs ; 75 soldiers' boxes ; 4 small Axminister hearth rugs ; 20 fire fenders ; 10 bellow fire fans ; 4 leather covered mahogany arm chairs ; quantity of hair clippers ; 4 electric lamps ; 8 torches ; 10 soldiers boxes ; extensive mixture of carpenters' tools ; 20 fire buckets ; 5 fire extinguishers ; 8 canvas travel bags ; 5 Primus stoves ; 4 bags cement ; 6 assorted garden tubs ; 25 fire pokers ; 10 sets of handcuffs with no keys ; 2 collapsible bureaus ; 1 Grandfather clock by Gillespie ; 3 overmantel clocks ; MILITARY CANTEEN :. Upright piano by Foster ; 1 new pull porter machine ; 100 glasses ; 300 various forms of delph ; boxs of utensils ; 24 brass candlesticks ; 2 mahogany sideboards ; 150 tables ; numerous trestles many sizes ; bagatelle ; 2 Billard tables ; 2 small weighing machines ; 1 bottling syphon ; 1 corking machine ; assorted band brass instruments ; 8 mixed size drums with drumsticks ; 4 saddle drums with leather straps ; dozens of empty glass and earthenware bottles; 3 Perfection stoves ; 2 Slogan stoves ; 5 travelling stoves ; 4 pine coffins and mountings ; 24 mantels ; 4 card tables ; 4 Officers tables ; brass weights ; 15 ft long mahogany counter top ; 4 wash buckets. SLEEPING QUARTERS: . 10 japanned washstands ; 10 marbletop washstands ; 50 painted washstands ; 50 basins ; 24 hand mirrors ; 24 washing sinks ; 19 chests of drawers ; 15 reclining baths ; 50 sponge baths ; 50 sitz baths ; 4 8ft. enamel baths ; numerous bedsteads ; 80 straw mattrasses ; 10 wire and hair mattrasses ; large quantity of bolsters ; 80 wooden bed screens ; 3 bells ; 5 toilet mirrors ;10 towel rails ; 50 clothes-horses ; quantity of boots ; 20 bed warmers ; great mixture of several hundred bed linens and barrack sheets; 120 bedside wooden desks ; large quantity of wooden lockers ; box of assorted locks and keys ; 12 crates of reading and account books ; 3 bibles ; HOSPITAL: . 18 hospital beds , 100 tables, large office table, large 8 sided table , 8 stretchers ; pile of hospital sheets ; large quantity of towels ; 3 boxes of new handkerchiefs ; 12 serge gowns ; 20 slippers ; 50 odd waistcoats ; 1 box of new leather gloves ; box of assorted scissors ; 8 night chairs ; an enormous lot of provisions, box of condensed milk ; bags of flour, preserved meat ,tinned meat, sack of salt, tins of biscuits ; tea, sugar, dozens of jars, containers of medical supplies, pills, tonics, rubs, medicines.; medical implements; washing soda, 4 vats of disinfecting fluid ; washing powder , blue ; box of carbolic soap ; box of yellow soap ;tins of bandages, slings, patches. KITCHEN: . 2 butchers blocks ; butchers implements ; 4 chopping blocks ;1 large scoop ; 3 rolls of new linoleum ; 40 cooking implements ; 4 tea caddies ; 4 large frying pans ; 12 assorted cooking pots ; 2 large cooking pots ;large metal cooking range ; 4 strainers ; 20 scuttles ;large flour bin ; 8 copper coal buckets ; 3 oval pots ; 4 x 12 quart kettles ;2 iron cylinders ; measuring standards ; 4 skimmers ; 8 kitchen bins ; 4 colanders ; 4 graters ; weights from 1oz to 56 lbs ; 2 stillions ; 4 large enamelled stone sinks ; 8 ladles ; large centre table 12 ft x 5 ft. ; weighing scales and 8 weights ; Large hand decorated sign ~~ARMY, NAVY AND AIR FORCE MILITARY CANTEEN ~~