IN WHAT might just be the coolest and most bizarre thing to happen on social media, Irish twitter banded together to buy a 130 year-old dildo - or 'companion' as it was being advertised on the auction site.
The team, who are mostly strangers to each other, were led by Shawna Scott, owner of Sex Siopa, an Irish sex positive boutique.
Shawna brought attention to the ivory dildo, which was made in the Victorian era, on Sex Siopa's twitter page.
And the rest, as they say, is history.
Settle in for this one.
Irish Twitter! A couple years ago a Victorian ivory dildo went up for auction and it made headlines. It was reportedly sold to an American private collector for €3200. I was devastated! https://t.co/eyMfJVcy3O
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
It is such an important piece of our Irish sexual history, but often times unless there's a connection to the Famine or 1916, really cool artefacts like these that give us a glimpse into the sex lives and humour of our ancestors are de-prioritised and forgotten.
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
It also seems to be estimated at far less that it was 2 years ago (about €400-700), so the dildo is CLEARLY haunted which adds an element of intrigue that I am 100% on board with.
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
Please if you know someone who works in one of our national museums or the OPW or might have in interest in helping secure this thing temporarily till it finds a proper home in a museum, please tag them here. I don't want to risk it leaving Ireland again.
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
OK folks. The auction is in 90 minutes, so I don't have time to set up a crowdfunding campaign. What I'm going to do is if anyone wants to contribute to our bid, they can paypal me the money ([email protected]), and if we don't win, I'll refund everyone back.
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
If we do win this auction, I'll be looking into which museum it would best be suited to donate to. Tag your faves below. #HauntedDildoAuction
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
Ok with regards to how the donation money will be used:
If we lose, obviously all donations will be sent back via Paypal.
If we win, I start phoning museums.— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
T-minus 5 minutes to #HauntedDildoAuction!
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
We’re flying through the lots now. We’re lot 320 and we’re currently on lot 132. I’d say we’ve another hour to go.
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
Nearly there now. Lot 299. I’m so nervous!
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
FOLKS! WE DID IT! WE WON THE DILDO FOR IRELAND!!!!!!! 🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪🇮🇪
— Shawna - Sex Siopa’s Smut Peddler in Chief 🏳️⚧️ (@SexSiopa) July 29, 2019
And Ireland celebrated.
Speaking to The Irish Times after her successful bid, Shawna said she was glad to see the item again as it challenged stereotypes about the repressed and puritan Irish of the 1800's.
"There was so much going on in that time period. People were literally starving to death and meanwhile someone was bringing this home for their spouse."
"I always get asked about how repressed we are in Ireland. I think we're much more liberal than we think we are."
The next step for Shawna is finding an Irish museum to take in the newly discovered piece of history, but with the thread gaining more publicity, likes and retweets by the hour, there should definitely be someone ready to snap it up.
The UK-based Vagina Museum (Yes, that's a thing) offered to take it off Shawna's hands, but true to her word, she politely declined, saying she wanted to keep the historical dildo in Ireland.
Here's to SexSiopa, ivory dildos and the power of the internet!
