THE budget in the Irish Republic tomorrow is billed as the end of austerity, but there is much ground to be made up after years of financial hardship and increased taxes. This was evident to some extent at the two day Country House Collections auction by James Adam at Slane Castle which ended today. Private buyers dominated a sale which grossed approximately 1.4 million, making it one of the most successful sales in the country this year. However there was a degree of nervousness in the antique trade. Trade buyers were in short supply. The Maria Edgeworth table, billed as one of the top lots, remained unsold, but is under negotiation and may change hands in coming days. Among the top lots were Yachts Racing past the Irish Lights Vessel off Dublin Bay by Samuel Walters (1811-1882), a pair of Library Globes by Newton and Son, London (1840-1841) and a marble bust of Benjamin Lee Guinness by John Henry Foley (1818-1874), each of which sold for a hammer price of 25,000.
SAMUEL WALTERS (1811-1882) Yachts Racing Past the Irish Light Vessel off Dublin Bay
A PAIR OF ENGLISH 15-INCH LIBRARY GLOBES BY NEWTON & SON, LONDON
John Henry Foley – a portrait of Sir Benjamin Lee Guinness.