What must be the largest collection of militaria offered for sale in recent years comes up at auction in Dublin on Sunday, November 14th. All the material relates to the Royal Irish Fusiliers, which, until its amalgamation with a number of other regiments in 1968, had a history dating back 175 years.

The fusiliers' origins dated back to 1793, when its two parent regiments, the 87th and 89th Foot were raised in Dublin; the latter regiment played a role in the suppression of the 1798 rising, forming part of General Lake's force at Vinegar Hill in Co Wexford.

Subsequently, both regiments were involved in the Napoleonic Wars and later participated in the Crimean War, the suppression of the Indian Mutiny in 1857-58 and, two years later, the second China War. Following army reforms in 1881, the regiments were linked to form the first and second Battalions of Princess Victoria's Royal Irish Fusiliers.

Although no longer in existence, the Royal Irish Fusiliers are remembered through their regimental museum, which occupies the Sovereign's House [former residence of the Lord Mayor] in Armagh. It was founded in 1952 with the intention of preserving the history and tradition of the regiment, and it holds a large collection of relevant material.

Unfortunately, the building suffered severe bomb damage in 1993, and next weekend's auction, to be conducted by the Adam's Salerooms in Dublin, is intended to raise money for an ongoing programme of restoration.

Many of the lots being offered for sale come from the museum's own collection, since this has duplicates and can therefore afford to dispose of certain items. The catalogue accompanying the sale offers much more detailed information than most and deserves a wide readership since its contents are of interest to anyone who wishes to know more about Ireland's military history.

Among the most fascinating items offered is lot 63, a presentation copy of Records of the 87th Regiment or Royal Irish Fusiliers, which originally belonged to Frederick, Duke of Sussex, sixth son of George III. The duke, who married a Roman Catholic against his father's wishes and the laws governing British royal marriages, was a noted bibliophile and at the time of his death he had a personal library of 50,000 volumes, including no less than 1,000 editions of the Bible. Dating from 1830, this book carries an estimate of £500-£600.

Lot 538, meanwhile, is a post-1881 Royal Irish Fusiliers Pattern Officer's uniform, including a red-cloth tunic, its collar and cuffs edged in bands of gold lacing and its blue trousers finished with red piping; the estimate is £200-£250.

Another lot, number 577, is a Leinster Regiment 1878 pattern officer's blue-cloth home service helmet with its original tin box. Made by Lane & Philips, military tailors of Nassau Street in Dublin, this helmet originally belonged to Colonel Kenneth Gibbon O'Morchoe, and it is expected to make £600-£650.

Finally, from among the enormous variety of almost 700 lots are numbers 663 and 664, two rare 18th-century Waterford toasting glasses, purchased for the officer's mess of the Armagh Militia in 1795. Although it is known that both glasses were part of a consignment ordered at that date, the name of their manufacturer has yet to be established; they are each expected to sell for £400-£500.

Their presence in the sale should help the museum in Armagh to reach its target of £40,000 from this event.