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Sale of Irish country house contents

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The dispersion through the sale of Irish country house contents happened often with the Destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923).

Later, post war sales and fires resulted in the destruction of further contents while large auction sales from the 1950s through to the mid 1990s resulted in the loss of further contents.

Post the beginning of the Celtic Tiger era (c 1995 onwards), the sale of contents has been more rigorously catalogued with all but the most exceptionally valuable lots staying in the hands of other home owners within the state.[1][2]

In recent decades both the National Gallery of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland have often had first refusal and prior notice on important items which have been placed on the market for sale.[3]

List of auctions[edit]

Year House County Date Auction House Vendor Contents sold
1875 Santry Court Dublin 1875 Domville family following bankruptcy Most high value contents
1910 Ely House, Ely Place Dublin 6 November 1910 Bennett & Son Thornley Stoker
1911 Dunsandle House Galway April 1911 Bennett & Son Daly family A significant portion of the contents were ultimately transferred to Russborough House by Major Denis Daly.
1916 Hermitage House Limerick 20 January 1916 William B Fitt Some of the most valuable contents were transferred to Kilakee House.
1918 Laurentum House, Clashmore Waterford 1918 Contents clearance
1919 Castlefreke Cork October 1919 Marsh's
1919 Killakee House Dublin 8 July 1919 Bennett & Son
1921 Castletown Cox Kilkenny 11 October 1921 Battersby & Company Windham Wyndham-Quin, 5th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl Selected contents
1921 Tara Hall Meath November 1921 Battersby & Company Major Moore-Brabazon [4]
1922 Hazelwood House, Sligo Sligo 18 May 1922 Battersby & Company Muriel and Philip Dudley Perceval
1925 Lucan Manor Dublin 29 September 1925 Bennett & Son Captain Richard St John Jefferyes Colthurst Entire contents[5]
1929 Upperscourt House Kilkenny 1929 M. and E. Maher
1932 Chareleville, Enniskerry Wicklow 31 October 1932 Viscount Monck
1935 Kilkenny Castle Kilkenny 18 November 1935 Battersby & Company Marquess of Ormonde

Earl of Ossory

1937 Moore Abbey, Monasterevan Kildare 15 February 1937 Battersby & Company Count John McCormack All contents
1939 Iveagh House Dublin 29 September 1939 Battersby & Company Earl of Iveagh 2,600 lots[6]
1939 Ashford Castle Mayo 15 May 1939 Jackson Stops and McCabe Iveagh Trustees Contents[7][8]
1943 Rokeby Hall, Dunleer Louth 1943 North's Maud Montgomery
1944 Santry Court Dublin 1944 Sir Compton Meade Domville Remaining contents
1949 Carton House Kildare 1949 Allen & Townsend Duke of Leinster Library
1950 Shelton Abbey Wicklow October 1950
1953 Killeen Castle, Dunsany Meath 20 July 1953 Town and Country Estates (Ireland) Ltd Earl of Fingall
1954 Favour Royal Tyrone 1954 Town and Country Estates (Ireland) Ltd Major Moutray Military collection
1957 Oak Park Carlow 29 October 1957 Hamilton and Hamilton Estates Ltd Valuable contents[9]
1958 Gloster House Offaly 29-31 October 1958 Town and Country Estates Limited Almost all contents[10]
1960 Bowen's Court Cork April 1960 W. Marsh & Sons Ltd Most contents
1960 Straffan House Kildare 1960 Jackson Stops McCabe
1960 Coolbawn Hotel, Castleconnell Limerick 1960
1961 Bowen's Court Cork 1961 Marsh's Elizabeth Bowen Library
1961 Graigue, Palmerstown Park Dublin 28 February 1961 James Adam & Sons Henry Mangan Library
1962 Dromoland Castle Clare 1962 Lord Inchiquin
1962 Cahir Park House Tipperary 1962 Battersby & Company
1963 Courtown House Kildare 10 June 1963 Hamilton and Hamilton Entire contents
1964 Kenure House Dublin September 1964 J.H. North & Co. Ltd Colonel RH Fenwick Palmer Entire Contents[11]
1966 Castletown House Kildare 1966 Jackson-Stops and McCabe 18th-20th century furniture and pictures residue
1966 Kiladoon Kildare 31 October 1966 Sothebys Colonel HTW Clements and formed by the late HJB Clements Library and manuscripts[12]
1968 Rockfield, Kells Meath 6-7 March 1968 Keane Mahony Smith

W & G Armstrong

Entire contents
1969 Doneraile Court Cork 1969 Hamilton and Hamilton (Estates) Limited Lord Doneraile Entire Library[13]
1972 Derk Limerick 10 April 1972 Stokes & Quirke Entire contents
1976 Clonbrock, Ballinasloe Galway 1 November 1976 Christie, Manson & Woods

Lisney & Son

Mr Luke Dillon Mahon [14]
1976 Malahide Castle Dublin 10-12 May 1976 Keane Mahony Smith

Christies Manson & Woods Ltd

Rose Maud Talbot Entire contents[15]
1977 Donacomper, Celbridge Kildare 25-26 July 1977 Hamilton & Hamilton

Christies Manson & Woods Ltd

Mr and Mrs Bruce Breedin
1977 Carton House Kildare 1977 Lord Brockett

David Nall Cain

1977 White Lodge, Ballycastle Antrim 20 September 1977 Osborne, King and Megran
1978 Slane Castle Meath 20 November 1978 Sothebys
1978 Chareleville, Enniskerry Wicklow 1978 Hamilton & Hamilton

Christies Manson & Woods Ltd

Donald Davies
1979 Bettyglen, Raheny Dublin 1979 Christies W.H. Ahern [16]
1980 Coolattin House, Shillelagh Wicklow 1980 Hamilton & Hamilton

Christies Manson & Woods Ltd

Michael Brendan Cadogan
1980 Milverton Hall, Skerries Dublin 1980 Woods family
1981 Birr Castle Offaly 7-8 October 1981 Christies The Trustees of the Oxmantown Settlement Trust Selected contents.
1981 Slane Castle Meath 1981
1982 Glyde Court, Tallanstown Louth 15-16 September 1982 Nicholas Nicholson Colonel and Mrs A C May
1982 Adare Manor Limerick 9-10 June 1982 Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd

Hamilton & Hamilton (Estates) Ltd

Works by artists including Van Dyck, Rubens, Teniers and Pugin.
1983 Luttrellstown Castle Dublin 1983 Christie Manson & Woods Aileen Plunket Entire contents[17]
1984 Powerscourt Estate Wicklow 24-25 September 1984 Christie Manson & Woods
1984 Oldbridge House, Drogheda Meath 1984 Gunne Mrs DH Coddington All contents
1986 Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel Kilkenny 1986 Sothebys Major V McAlmont
1986 Castle Hacket Galway 2-4 July 1986 Christies and Edmiston's Ltd

Hamilton and Hamilton (Estates) Ltd

Percy Paley (Estate) [18]
1987 Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel Kilkenny 1987 Christies McAlmont family.
1988 Mountainstown House, Navan Meath 28-29 September 1988 Christies

Hamilton Osborne King

John Pollock [19]
1991 Castletown Cox Kilkenny 7-8 October 1991 Christies

Hamilton Osborne King

George Magan [20]
1992 Woodstock House Wicklow 1992 Hamilton Osborne King Library
1993 Lyrath Kilkenny 15 September 1993 Christies

Hamilton Osborne King

Captain and Mrs A C Tupper [21]
1995 Farney Castle, Thurles Tipperary 4 July 1995 Gunne Entire contents
1995 Glencullen House, Kiltiernan Dublin 5 July 1995 Adams Entire valuable contents
1995 Gortdrishagh Galway 9 July 1995 Adams Mrs M R Glynn
1997 St Clerans, Caughwell Galway 5 June 1997 Gunne John Huston
1998 Raford House Galway 20 October 1998 Fonsie Mealy
1999 Garretstown House Meath 1999 Fonsie Mealy Prince and Princess Guirey
1999 Rockfield, Kells Meath 1999 Hamilton Osborne King A Cameron
2002 Farnham House Cavan 27 January 2002 Hamilton Osborne King
2003 Mourne Park Down 14-15 April 2003 Hamilton Osborne King Philip Anley and Bonnie Horsman 1,000+ lots[22]
2003 Lissadell House Sligo 25 November 2003 Christies

Hamilton Osborne King

Contents[23]
2012 Mount Congreve Waterford May and July 2012 Christies

Fonsie Mealy

Ambrose Congreve 1,100 lots with Fonsie Mealy and later 120 lots at Christies
2014 Bantry House Cork 21 October 2014 Lyon & Turnbull
2015 Courtown House Kildare 22 April 2015 Adams
2016 Loughton House, Moneygall Offaly 27-30 September 2016 Sheppard’s
2021 Howth Castle Dublin September 2021 Fonsie Mealy Lord Howth Entire contents[24]

See also[edit]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Cataloguing the Irish 'Big House'". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  2. ^ "Auction catalogues" (PDF). www.fonsiemealy.ie. Retrieved 25 April 2024.
  3. ^ Co, Battersby & (1888). "[Auction catalogues] /". catalogue.nli.ie. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  4. ^ "Howth Castle, 800 Years of History. Entire Clearance - ... (08 Sep 21)". www.fonsiemealy.ie. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  5. ^ Bennett & Son Limited, Auctioneers and Valuers (1925-09-29). "A Catalogue of the furniture, oil paintings, pastel portraits, old silver and plated ware, china etc. at Lucan House, Lucan, Co. Dublin". {{cite journal}}: Cite journal requires |journal= (help)
  6. ^ "The lost grandeur of Iveagh House". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-04-25.
  7. ^ "Unique nine-day auction at Mayo's Ashford Castle in 1939 is recalled". Connaught Telegraph. 2023-09-23. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  8. ^ "Rare 'Ashford Castle' Catalogue of House Contents". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  9. ^ "Auction catalogues: Killeen Castle, Dunsany Co. Meath, July 1953, 4to, 67 pps, mint condition. Oak P". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-13.
  10. ^ "Town & Country Estates Sales catalogue of contents of Gloster House, Brosna, Birr. Major 4 day s". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  11. ^ "The Age of the Great House – Irish Antique Dealers Association". Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  12. ^ "Sothebys catalogue – Catalogue of the well known Irish library of H.J.B. Clements, Killadoon, Co. Ki". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  13. ^ "Hamilton & Hamilton Dublin; Auction Catalogue of entire library from Doneraile Court December 19". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  14. ^ "Christies sale of the contents of Clonbrock, Ahascragh, Co. Galway 1/3 November 1976. Illustrated. S". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  15. ^ "Going Going Gone". RTE Radio. 1976-06-06. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  16. ^ "History Homes: Gothic in Raheny". The Irish Times. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
  17. ^ "Luttrellstown Castle Contents For Auction". RTÉ Archives. Retrieved 2024-04-24.
  18. ^ "Christies. Sale of the contents of Castle Hackett, Co. Galway July, 1986. Illustrated". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  19. ^ "Christies catalogue – Sale of contents of Mountainstown House, Navan on 28/29 Sept. 1988. Fine". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  20. ^ "Christies catalogue re sale of contents of Castletown House, Co. Kilkenny on the 7th & 8th Octob". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  21. ^ "Christies contents catalogue. Lyrath , Co Kilkenny. Sept. 1993". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  22. ^ "HOK Fine Art catalogue re sale of contents of Mourne Park, Kilkel, Co. Down on the 14th & 15th A". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
  23. ^ "Christies catalogue. Catalogue sale of contents of Lissadell, Co. Sligo on 25th Nov. 2003. Fine with". www.purcellauctioneers.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-14.
  24. ^ "Howth Castle, 800 Years of History. Entire Clearance - ... (08 Sep 21)". www.fonsiemealy.ie. Retrieved 2024-06-19.
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