Bog oak, dog prints and a Nazi tureen: the antiques tourists want

For many Americans, Ireland is known as the "old country", and while this usually refers to the place their ancestors hailed from, it could also be a reference to the wealth of history and historical artefacts attached to our fair isle.

With the tourist season getting under way with visitors from not only the US but also the UK, Europe and the Far East enjoying the living beauty of our land while searching for a meaningful keepsake to remind them of their travels.

Emma Culliton of O'Sullivan Antiques on Francis Street, Dublin, says they expect to welcome a host of visitors from all over the world in the coming months, with many looking for something that represents their Irish ancestry.

Long gone are the days when people could board a plane with shopping bags full of interesting things bought on holiday

“We get an eclectic mix of customers here as we are right on the tourist trail – from European and Asian visitors to a great number of Americans looking for something which may have a link to their heritage,” she says. “Some are interested in the evolution of Irish furniture design, which has many similarities with early American furniture due to the fact that a lot of cabinet-makers emigrated there from Ireland.

"But while we do ship internationally, most visitors want a small memento to take with them and these would be along the lines of early Irish glassware, silver and even walking sticks. At the moment we have a lovely set of early Waterford wine glasses and some lovely silver coasters from 1770 so I imagine these will be of interest over the coming weeks."

George Stacpoole of Adare says most of the visitors to his busy Limerick town shop are also looking for something that will pack away easily into a suitcase.

“Long gone are the days when people could board a plane with shopping bags full of interesting things bought on holiday,” he says. “These days most of our customers want prints, maps or watercolours which are easy to transport. We sell quite a few commemorative plates also and funnily enough the most popular are always early prints of dogs – these are great sellers, probably because they are affordable and no one has big money any more.

"We get a cross-section of visitors, a lot from the US, UK and also from the Netherlands – but we also have many from Ireland too and we are hopeful that once the Manor reopens, the number of visitors to Adare will increase once again."

Unique pieces

Mervyn Blanc, of Yeats Antiques in Dublin's "antique quarter" on Francis Street, says that although they too get a lot of visitors looking for small easily transported antiques, there are still plenty of people looking to buy a unique piece of furniture.

Lots of tourists are looking for Irish antiques, and furniture is always extremely popular

"We specialise in antique furniture and mirrors, so our demographic tends to be mainly people who are looking for those special pieces to give their home that unique and authentic finishing touch," he says. "Lots of tourists are looking for Irish antiques, and furniture is always extremely popular as well as bog oak and pieces of Killarney wood. These items are a hard to find so are always popular adding that extra character and charm to a home. We also carry a huge amount of small collectibles such as stationery boxes, jewellery cases and canteens of cutlery, which are ideal as gifts to bring home after a holiday.

“We get all sorts of tourists year around but especially between March and September – and while they are mainly American and Asian, we do get visitors from all over the world – and even the occasional celebrity.”

There may not be too many celebrities in Clarecastle, Co Clare, but Paul Walsh of Castle Antiques is inundated with visitors looking for memorabilia to bring back from their trip – but buyers at this side of the country are eclectic in their trends as anything and everything goes.

“Tourism is on the up in the west of Ireland, and even at this time of year tourists are finding their way to us,” he says. “There is no set trend to what they are buying; silver and Irish-related items are popular as are those which are small and durable, as it suits their luggage.

"We also have a lot of Guinness memorabilia, enamel signs, whiskey mirrors, jewellery and rugs – the list is endless. But it is difficult to say what is of the most interest to buyers, as what may be very interesting to one person may hold little or no appeal to another. But having said that, a recent arrival here is a German soup tureen which carries the monogram LAH or Leibstandarte Adolf Hitler – which translates to the body of guards of Adolf Hitler – formed in 1933 and better known as the SS. How this piece made its way to Ireland is unknown, but it is sure to create a lot of interest."

We also have a 1941 Garda helmet and an excellent set of British army medals, from the second Boer War and the first World War

Galway Crafts and Collectables also houses items of military history as well as antique coins, bank notes, medals, books and silver. Proprietor Dave McDermott says he too has some interesting wartime memorabilia, mostly originating a little closer to home.

“Our favourite item at the moment is a large Local Defence Force flag, from the Emergency [the second World War in Ireland] that came from a company named in honour of Sean McDermott, executed in 1916,” he says. “We also have a 1941 Garda helmet and an excellent set of British army medals, from the second Boer War and the first World War and a map of Galway produced in 1610, as we try to source items like these which are of local historical importance.

“Half of our customers from March onwards are tourists, both national and international and we serve a lot of North Americans with Irish heritage who are looking for the genuine article – items that you can’t find in regular tourist-focused business. So they are looking for the one-of-a-kind, unique Irish gift, and we have plenty of those.”