Irksome political poster up for auction on St Patrick’s Day

A rare old political poster showing John Redmond leading British P.M. Asquith, Lloyd George and Churchill to Irish independence is to be auctioned in London on St Patrick’s Day.

Fancy forking out over €200 or more on an old poster commissioned by the English Conservative party almost a century ago? Didn’t think that’d make you bite. But if we told you that the aforementioned poster was commissioned 'back in the day' purely because we wonderful Irish had ruffled a few British Conservative feathers would that change your mind? Interested now? Then read on.

Internationally renowned auction house Bloomsbury Auctions in London is selling a very rare poster called Their Irish Master made over 90 years ago when the 1910 British election ended in then Prime Minister H. H. Asquith’s Liberal party forming a government with the support of, among others, John Redmond’s Irish Parliamentary Party (more commonly known as the Home Rule Party).

The British Conservative Party, who had actually won slightly more of the popular vote but were narrowly beaten in the end, were miffed at the fact that Asquith had gotten into bed with Redmond’s party and would be open to Irish influence.

In light of this the Conservatives got illustrator G R Halkett to design Their Irish Master, which shows John Redmond leading Prime Minister Asquith and his ministers Lloyd George and Winston Churchill by the nose towards Irish Independence.

The rare poster has been up for view on Bloomsbury’s website for the last week and goes on sale on St Patrick’s Day as part of the Oils, Watercolours, Drawings and Prints auction with the estimate of only £150-£250 (€174-€290).

So, if you fancy a bid this week instead of a bet at Cheltenham, then go to www.bloomsburyauctions.com for all information