Mountmellick auction posters bring the past to life
Orla Fitzgerald and her father John Fitzgerald pictured with some of Oliver J. Flanagan's auction posters from the early 1960s. Photo: Stan Henderson
AN exhibition of old auction posters and photographs by Mountmellick Heritage Society was launched in the town’s three-roomed art gallery for Heritage Week and will remain on show until the end of August.
The posters were originally owned by Oliver J. Flanagan who passed them on to his son, former minister Charlie Flanagan, who in turn gave them to local man John Fitzgerald who is an avid collector of all things historical.
John showed them to Ann O’Brien of Mountmellick Heritage Society and the society invited John to display them for its annual exhibition in Mountmellick Library.
The old posters drew great interest on launch night, as a steady flow of people visited the exhibition. Many people reminisced about their late relatives and friends who were auctioneers of the late 1800s and early to mid-1900s.
People struck up many conversations as they walked through each of the gallery rooms, stopping and chatting in front of more than 30 auctioneer posters displayed.
The task of launching the event was given to acting senior library assistant Jo McCabe, who said: “Mountmellick Heritage Society has again provided us with a brilliant exhibition.
“We welcome John Fitzgerald and Ann O’Brien in particular but also other members of the Heritage Society. John has supplied most of the material and Anne has orchestrated the exhibition.
“The theme for the wonderful display is posters and advertisements by Mountmellick-based auctioneers from 1874 to the modernish period. There is a wealth of local and social history contained in the posters.
“The family names of the auctioneers are familiar, even to me as a blow in. The use of posters or billboards as the only means of communication would be novel to our lives today. There were no or very few televisions, phones and definitely no social media in that time. All of these things reflect the changing nature of not only a small town but of society in general."
Jo encouraged people to put their names and comments in the sign-in book and said that, if people were interested in joining Mountmellick Heritage Society, they could leave a note in the back of the book. She also told people about various events taking place throughout the county for Heritage Week.
There is lots of information contained within the posters and there are also several old photographs of Mountmellick on display. Everyone is welcome to visit the exhibition during library opening hours. More information can be obtained by phoning the library on 057 8689382.
