Fergal Browne from Monasterevin is one of the featured contributors in the brand new National Treasures Book, which is the latest instalment of the National Treasures project that captured the nations imagination when it aired on RTE One earlier this year.
Fergal who brought along his collection of Blue Hussar Model Soldiers to a National Treasures Roadshow in Cork is one of a select few individuals to be featured in the publication which is sure to be a top seller around the country this Christmas.
His object is one of very few model sets made of Irish military units post-Independence. They are lead models of the Blue Hussars who were the Irish Presidential Escort from 1932 until 1948 when they were disbanded.
"These are lead models of the Blue Hussars who were the Irish Presidential Escort from 1932 until 1948 when they were disbanded. This is one of very few model sets made of Irish military units post-Independence. The unit was a trapping from when the British were here. One of the first times they were used was during the Eucharistic Congress. The Irish government got rid of him because they looked too imperial. They decided that it would better represent a modern state if the presidential escort rode motorbikes. This unit became the Motorcycle Unit (Second Cavalry Squadron) of the Cavalry Corps, although the name the Blue Hussars is still sometimes used to refer to them."
The National Treasures project was a campaign to collect objects cherished by people and families that explore the history of the island of Ireland over the past 100 years. The aim was to gather objects, passed down through generations or relatively recently acquired, which revealed an aspect of Ireland’s history, culture and experience. Since then, the project has transformed from a website to nationwide roadshow events, a TV series, an exhibition and now a book containing some of the amazing objects and stories uncovered.
Authors and producers of the National Treasures project, Ciarán Deeney and David Clarke say:
“It’s been a real treat to spend the past year meeting the people of Ireland and discovering so many amazing objects and the stories behind them. We’re forever grateful to all the people that participated and we feel that this book illustrates perfectly how the National Treasures project was a powerful insight into the fabric of a nation”
With a foreword by RTÉ’s John Creedon, this fascinating book reveals a selection of 200 diverse and fascinating objects that were unearthed by the project and presents them alongside the owners and the personal stories attached.
From a pair of Sonia O’Sullivan’s Olympic running shoes to a War of Independence grenade, the stories contained within are profound, entertaining, heart-warming and tragic.
The National Treasures project was produced by EZ Films for RTÉ in association with the National Museum of Ireland and the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland.
The book is available in all good book shops and online at www.nationaltreasures.ie/shop
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