Medal of trade unionist who fought in Rising sells for £12,000

A rare medal awarded to a well-known trade unionist who fought in the 1916 Easter Rising was sold at auction in England on Saturday for £12,000 (€16,000).

The medal was awarded to William Patrick Partridge for his part in the campaign for Irish independence. It made twice its original estimate of between £5,000 and £6,000 (€6,700 and €8,000), and was bought by a private collector and will return to Ireland.

The medal was sold at Plymouth Auctions in Devon by Mr Partridge's grandson, Sid McAuley (58), who lives in the town. It had been passed down through his family, and the sale attracted wide interest from across the Atlantic.

Mr McAuley said: "I am and will continue to be very proud of my grandfather and everything he did. He was a straightforward man who fought for people's rights. He was very proud and very brave. He had more respect than most politicians."

William Partridge was an active trade unionist, an early member of Sinn Féin and a captain of the Irish Citizen Army. He was captured and sentenced to 15 years for taking part in the Rising, and jailed in Dartmoor prison in Devon.

He was released due to illness, and died of Bright's disease at his home in 1917 aged 43.

© 2008 The Irish Times

This article appears in the print edition of the Irish Times