PATRICK KAVANAGH – TARRY FLYNN WITH AN INSCRIPTION TO BRENDAN BEHAN MADE €18,000 AT HAMMER
An historic 1949 edition of Tarry Flynn by Patrick Kavanagh made a hammer price of €18,000 at a two day book sale by Purcell Auctioneers in Birr today. Published in New York by Devin Adair it is the actual copy used in an infamous court case involving Patrick Kavanagh and Brendan Behan. Kavanagh brought a libel case against The Leader magazine in 1952, and Behan was a key figure in his downfall. During the 1954 trial, Kavanagh, under oath, denied knowing Behan, but this was disproven when the defense produced this copy of Tarry Flynn inscribed by Kavanagh to Behan. Kavanagh lost the case. The inscription on the inside cover reads: “For Brendan, the poet and painter, on the day he decorated my flat, Sunday 12th, 1950.”
A first edition of At Swim Two Birds by Flann O’Brien published in 1939 by Longmans made a hammer price of €8,800.
Rare Almost Pair of Inlaid Burr Walnut Bonheurs du Jour. UPDATE: THESE WERE UNSOLD
This exceptional near pair of bonheurs du jour will lead the live and online auction by Reilly’s in Prosperous, Co. Kildare on September 6. The estimate is €3,500-3,900. The live and online auction, which will includes contents from Ardeen House, Ballysax, The Curragh, offers a good selection of antique furniture along with porcelain, paintings, prints, clocks and barometers along with rugs, mirrors and various collectibles. The catalogue is online.
A tutti frutti gem set bracelet at Morgan O’Driscoll’s inaugural jewellery sale. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Sparkling September is practically upon us and in newly minted wealthy Ireland this means that some magnificent jewels will soon come to the auction block. Even though economists argue that GDP – which ranks us among the wealthiest countries in the world – gives a false picture because multinational profits are repatriated, Ireland’s wealth and healthy budget surplus shows.
At a time decades ago when regular antique furniture was falling out of favour many of the smaller auction houses turned to art to keep their turnover afloat. It worked. Jewellery is adding to the money mix now and regularly boosts turnover at sales around Ireland. Art and jewellery are not by any means the trappings of a country where wealth is absent.
A Cartier diamond and gold necklace, a sapphire and diamond ring and signed pieces by Vourakis, Buccellati, Marina B. and Tiffany & Co. will highlight Morgan O’Driscoll’s inaugural jewellery sale on September 8. With a renowned art auction business developed over the past 30 years the Skibbereen based auctioneer has launched a brand new jewellery department led by Colin Weldon.
Certified by the GIA (Gemological Institute of America) Weldon is a seasoned jewellery specialist with a track record of sourcing and selling exceptional pieces. GIA certification is an assurance of the quality of a diamond and enhances resale value. Morgan O’Driscoll’s jewellery department will specialise in vintage, antique, and contemporary pieces, with designs from iconic jewellery houses, rare gemstones, and private collections from around the globe.
At this online sale, which will be on view at Buswell’s Hotel in Dublin from September 5 – 8, feature lots include a ruby and diamond cluster ring (€40,000-€60,000), a tutti frutti gem set bracelet (€40,000-€60,000), an ornate 17th century stomacher pendant (€30,000-€40,000) and a diamond necklace by Cartier (€27,500-€35,000).
A pair of fancy intense yellow diamond earrings at Morgan O’Driscoll. UPDATE: THIS LOT WAS UNSOLD
Among the other offerings are an emerald and diamond cluster ring (€20,000-€25,000), a sapphire and diamond ring (€20,000-€25,000), a pair of fancy intense yellow diamond earrings (€17,500-€25,000), a cabochon ruby and diamond cluster ring (€15,000-€20,000), a multi coloured tourmaline and diamond necklace (€15,000-€20,000), a South Sea pearl necklace (€12,500-€17,500), a 1997 Rolex submariner watch (€5,000-€7,000) and a Hermes Kelly handbag (€7,000-€9,000).
This 1940 Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring made a hammer price of €550,000 at James Adam in Dublin in May.
Demand for fine jewellery is growing globally. A retro tank Kashmir sapphire and diamond ring from the 1940’s made a hammer price of €550,000 at James Adam in Dublin in May over a top estimate of €250,000. The next jewellery sale at Adams, on September 9, features two early 20th century prized Kashmir sapphire pieces, a c1900 brooch with an 8.24 carat stone (€200,000-€300,000) and a c1905 brooch with a 6.53 carat stone (€150,000-€250,000).
Who would have thought that a landslide in the Himalayas in 1880 would reverberate through a Dublin salesroom in 2025. The landslide exposed an unusual type of rock from which blue stones protruded. Mining began in 1882 and by 1887 the supply had been exhausted. A new mine found in the valley below was quickly exhausted as well and no other deposits have been found. Kashmir sapphires possess a distinctive tint known to experts at blue velvet.
A c1900 Kashmir sapphire and diamond brooch at Adams in Dublin on September 9. UPDATE: THIS MADE €550,000 AT HAMMER
With a distinguished Irish American provenance the Kashmir stones at Adams will attract international attention. Gifted by Benjamin and Amy Sands of New York to their daughter May on her marriage in 1908 to the Hon Hugh Melville Howard, younger son of the 6th Earl of Wicklow they were inherited by their daughter Katherine Frances Howard (1910-1990) of Shelton Abbey, Co. Wicklow and Ounavarra, Co. Wexford, godmother to the present owner.
The fine jewellery and ladies watches sale at Adams will be on view in Dublin from September 5-9.
An Art Deco style diamond set geometric plaque bracelet. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
An Art Deco style diamond set geometric plaque bracelet will lead the auction of fine jewellery, silverware and antiques at O’Reilly’s of Francis St., Dublin on August 27. The estimate is €9.400-€10,000. A total of 473 lots, including 286 jewellery lots, will come under the hammer. The catalogue is online.
Pablo Picasso (Spanish 1881-1973) Jeune couple accroupi, l’homme avec un tambourin at Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: THIS MADE 5,000 AT HAMMER
A marine chronometer, a Picasso etching, a c1730 bureau bookcase or a modern burr poplar and satinwood side cabinet inlaid with mother of pearl? The choice is yours at upcoming sales at James Adam in Dublin on Wednesday August 27 and Lynes and Lynes in Carrigtwohill, Co. Cork next Saturday (August 30).
The etching of a young couple by Picasso is the top lot at Lynes and Lynes. Published by Vollard in Paris in 1939 and signed in pencil from an edition of 260 it is from a private source in Cork. The estimate is €5,000-€8,000. Lynes and Lynes will offer three ships chronometers, one by Whyte Thompson and Co., makers to the admiralty, Glasgow (€900-€1,200), another by Thomas Mercer (€700-€1,000) and a third manufactured by the First Watch Company, Moscow (€300-€500).
A c1730 bureau bookcase at James Adam. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
Antique furniture is more difficult to sell nowadays. A c1730 bureau bookcase at the At Home sale at Adams might break the mould. Capable of lending grace and utility to many modern homes it comes with twin mirrored panel doors, a fall front, desk, shelves and drawers and measures just 103 cms wide. The estimate is €1,500-€3,000. By way of contrast an inlaid demi lune side cabinet by Restall Brown & Clennell at Adams is a modern piece with an estimate of €2,000-€3,000.
With nearly 900 lots in total each sale offers a wide variety of lots at affordable price points, online catalogues and in person viewing.
Marine chronometers at Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: THESE MADE 1,300, 850 AND 260
Lynes and Lynes will include contents from the recently sold Montenotte House and lots from the estate of late surgeon Tom Burke and his wife Kay of Blackrock, Cork. There are tables to choose from including a large 19th century dining table, a Cork Regency tea table and a Georgian wine table. There are Cork 9-bar chairs and Arts and Crafts dining chairs, a Cork Regency linen press and a fine painted cabinet. The sale offers silver and jewellery, a specialist collection of antique continental dolls and old advertising signs including one for the Metropole Hotel in Cork. Viewing gets underway in Carrigtwohill today and continues all next week.
A pair of red ground 19th century Chinese silk scroll wall hangings and a George V silver epergne feature among the lots adding interest to the At Home sale by James Adam in Dublin. The auction offers silver, furniture, a longcase clock, paintings, a 19th century gilt surround continental headboard, sofas, rugs, lamps, mirrors and an Irish silver Art Deco style three piece coffee service.
A c1960 Louis Vuitton train vanity case at James Adam. UPDATE: THIS MADE 460 at hammer
Or how about a Louis Vuitton c1960 train vanity case identified as reference model M23820 (€500-€800), a 20th century Aubusson style needlepoint tapestry, an Anglo-Indian carved ebony side chair or a brass dinner gong?
Auctions like these offer endless variety and objects to suit all tastes. Go on. Be inspired….
Imperial Russian casket. UPDATE: THIS MADE 575 AT HAMMER
A 19th century Imperial Russian silver filigree casket is among the more unusual lots at Hegarty’s online sale in Bandon on August 27. With assay marks for Veniamin Vasilyevich Savinsky, Moscow 1873 it is egg shaped. A hinged cover opens to reveal a standing lion. The estimate is €200-€400. There is an estimate of €150-€300 on a bright pair of c1900 Chinese silver filigree enamel bird figures.
Gold sovereigns are selling like hot cakes at auction right now and this one has a 9 carat 1895 half sovereign set in a pendant at an estimate of €400-€600. The jewellery selection is headed by a gold cluster diamond ring and a sapphire and diamond ring. There is a suite of Chinese jade and gold jewellery and the sale includes a variety of silver, art, furniture and collectibles.
A pair of Chinese silver filigree enamel birds UPDATE: THESE MADE 360 AT HAMMER
GREEN RUSHES BY MAURICE WALSH. UPDATE: THIS MADE 500 AT HAMMER
A first UK edition of 1935 of Green Rushes by Maurice Walsh, the first appearance of The Quiet Man, comes up at a two day sale by Purcell Auctioneers in Birr on September 3 and 4. On offer is the library of the late Tommy Smith of Grogan’s Pub in Dublin and other clients in an auction of more than 500 lots. Lot 288 is a rare first edition in its original jacket of Green Rushes published by Chambers in London in 1935 with an estimate of €700-€800. The 1952 film The Quiet Man starring John Wayne and Maureen O’Hara is based on a 1933 short story of the same name by Maurice Walsh first published in The Saturday Evening Post and later included in the collection Green Rushes. John Ford won an Academy Award (his fourth) for Best Director for the film, an official selection at the 1952 Venice Film Festival. In 2013 the film was selected for preservation in the US National Film Registry by the Library of Congress.
Cork Regency tea table. UPDATE: THIS MADE 750 AT HAMMER
The sale at Lynes and Lynes on August 30 features contents from the sales of two large houses in Cork city. There is furniture, silver, jewellery, old advertising signs and an unusual collection of antique dolls from Germany, Holland, Belgium, France and two Steiff dachshunds. The catalogue is online.
Antique dolls at Lynes and Lynes. UPDATE: A NUMBER OF DOLLS SOLD FOR FROM 90 TO 190 AT HAMMER
The most valuable designated collection ever to be offered in Europe from the London home of trailblazing surrealist collector Pauline Karpidas comes up at Sotheby’s in September. Masterpieces by Hans Bellmer, Max Ernst, Yves Tanguy, René Magritte, Leonora Carrington, Salvador Dalí, Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol and Jeff Koons will be offered alongside unique furniture personally imagined and crafted for Pauline by Claude and François-Xavier Lalanne, Mattia Bonetti andAndré Dubreuil. The 250 lots on offer at evening, day and online sales on September 17, 18 and 19 have a combined estimate of around €70 million. Meantime Pauline’s London home, a journey through the realms of Surrealism, will be brought to life at a landmark exhibition at Sotheby’s conceived by the designer of the blockbuster Freddie Mercury exhibition which brought 140,000 visitors to the auctioneers New Bond St. rooms over four weeks in 2023. Pictured here is a view of the salon at her London home.
An original c1900 enamel Fry’s Chocolate ad UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD
A Fry’s Five Boys c1900 advertisement at Victor Mee’s next auction underlines how rarity and celebrity add value in a memorabilia market which continues to grow strongly in Ireland.
This particular enamel sign is rare. It harks back to days when chocolate – taken in moderation and highly prized – was a special treat for children. The enamel sign, which depicts five boys expressing desperation, pacification, expectation, acclamation and finally realization that it’s Fry’s chocolate, leads the online August sale of 930 lots by Victor Mee on August 19 and 20. The estimate is €4,000-€6,000.
An embossed copper figure of a fiddle player from Slattery’s. UPDATE: THIS MADE 300 AT HAMMER
Copper figures of musicians on painted boards from Slattery’s of Capel St. in Dublin are of interest. This pub venue and early house licensed since 1821, steeped in music, history and character, has long been a gathering place for market traders, musicians and storytellers. Slattery’s is a much loved hub of Irish culture and traditional music known for performances by everyone from Christy Moore, Donal Lunny and Seamus Ennis to the Arctic Monkeys, Bloc Party, Kate Nash and Townes van Zandt.
The unique embossed figures of a fiddle player, a button accordionist, a bodhran player, a pip player and a tin whistler, a banjo player and a flute player are estimated at €300-€600 each. With hand drawn illustration by Brian McCormack and copper work by John A Brennan they are redolent of the cultural atmosphere which Slattery’s is renowned for.
An Old Irish Reindeer Whisky Kiloh and Co. Cork framed showcard is estimated at €1,200-€1,800 and the auction kicks off with an Allman’s of Bandon Old Irish Whisky advertising sign (€50-€80). A Beamish Stout light up box for a counter dating to the 1970’s has an estimate of €50-€100.
A framed advertising mirror for Bendigo Tobaccos UPDATE: THIS MADE 4,200 AT HAMMER
A framed advertising mirror for Bendigo Tobaccos produced for W & M Taylor Ltd., Dublin and manufactured by A & H Pemberton of Liverpool has an estimate of €3,000-€5,000. In Art Nouveau style it features hand gilded and reverse painted lettering in rich red, gold and cobalt blue and few examples survive in such well preserved condition. An original Will’s Woodbine Cigarettes enamel sign, 150 cm x 92 cm, in well preserved condition is the sort of lot that is sought after by collectors. The estimate is €300-€500.
Sales like this serve to remind us of how quickly things move on and can stir many memories. Lot 159, for instance, is a framed February 1952 poster for A Royal Jester by Youghal Choral Society at the Town Hall (€40-€80). The catalogue is online.
A Youghal Choral Society poster from 1952. UPDATE: THIS MADE 35 AT HAMMER
