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  • Posts Tagged ‘Fonsie Mealy’

    ULYSSES SIGNED BY JOYCE LEADS OPENING DAY OF FONSIE MEALY SALE

    Tuesday, May 30th, 2023

    A first signed limited edition of Ulysses by James Joyce made €18,500 at hammer at the opening day of Fonsie Mealy’s rare book and collectors sale in Dublin today. Published by The Bodley Head in 1936 it was No. 20 in a limited edition of 100 copies in a cover designed by Eric Gill. It had been estimated at €8,000-€12,000. A group of original watercolours of the West Indies c1792 by Sir William Young, inherited by the Day family of Cork and on the market for the first time in 230 years, made a hammer price of €12,000. The auction continues tomorrow.

    First Ever All-Ireland Football Medal, 1887
    Won by Limerick Commercials

    The first ever All-Ireland Football medal from 1887 made a hammer price of 32,000 on May 31. The medal was won by Jeremiah Kennedy of Limerick Commercials, Limerick, who beat Young Irelands of Louth, on a score line of 1-4 to 0-3. The match was played on a field in Clonskeagh, Dublin known as ‘The Big Bank’ on April 28, 1888. The Limerick team of 1887, were not photographed on the occasion of their win, they received no trophy, and really no recognition until they were issued with this medal in 1910. The Mick Darcy Tipperary and Dublin GAA medal collection made €8,800 and All Ireland hurling final programmes for 1941 and 1944 each made €3,000.

    LOTS OF TREASURE TO BE FOUND AT FONSIE MEALY SALE

    Saturday, May 27th, 2023
    View of Louisdor House and estate in Tobago, 1792 by Sir William Young, who became governor of Tobago in 1807. UPDATE: THIS MADE 12,000 AT HAMMER

    Rare GAA medals, colonial watercolours inherited by the Day family in Co. Cork, a first 1873 edition of The Birds of Great Britain by John Gould from the Birr Castle Estate, George O’Reilly’s collection of records signed by Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Roy Rogers and Frankie Laine and a 1936 first limited English edition of Ulysses signed by James Joyce are among the treasures at Fonsie Mealy’s rare book and collectors sale next week. A total of 1,136 lots will come under the hammer at two days of sales at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan on May 30 and 31.  The catalogue is online and there will be viewing on tomorrow and Monday. There is a selection from the library at Birr Castle, the Andrew Sharkey fishing collection and a private collection of Seamus Heaney material.

    Top lots include a 9 carat gold medal to commemorate the first ever All-Ireland Football Championships, 1887 won by Jeremiah Kennedy of Limerick Commercials (€15,000-€20,000) and a group of original watercolours of the West Indies c1792 by Sir William Young (€10,000-€15,000). Inherited by the Day family of Co. Cork they are on the market for the first time in more than 230 years.Sir William Young inherited four plantations in the West Indies and owned 896 enslaved Africans in 1788 at the time of this inheritance. He was opposed to the abolition of the slave trade and preached Christianity to his slaves.  Appointed governor of Tobago in 1807 he was entrusted to supply an in depth report on the condition and treatment of slaves.  At the time of the report the free population of Tobago was around 959 people, there was a 333 strong militia and 16,671 slaves.

    The Frank McPartlin (GPO Garrison) collection of medals and artefacts. UPDATE: THESE MADE 4,200 AT HAMMER

    VERY RARE 1888 ALL-IRELAND FOOTBALL MEDAL AT FONSIE MEALY

    Tuesday, May 16th, 2023
    First Ever All-Ireland Football Medal, 1887 Won by Limerick Commercials. UPDATE: THIS MADE 32,000 AT HAMMER

     A very rare 9ct gold Medal issued to commemorate the first ever All-Ireland football Championship, 1887, is the top lot at Fonsie Mealy’s Rare Book & Collectors’ Sale in Dublin on May 30 and 31. The medal is hall marked and with the name of the retailer A Duffner, Tipperary, was won by Jeremiah Kennedy of Limerick Commercials. They beat Young Irelands of Louth, on a score line of 1-4 to 0-3 at a match played in Clonskeagh in April 1888. The sale, which will be held at the Talbot Hotel, Stillorgan, will include a selection from the library at Birr Castle; The Andrew Sharkey Fishing Collection; a private American Collection of Seamus Heaney material and lots from important libraries and collections.

    There is a unique collection of volumes on Astronomy, rare photographs of the Moon; fine coloured plate books on Natural History, Birds, Animals, Plants; a good collection of fishing books; a large collection of worldwide travel, many by Irish authors; scarce maps and atlases; recently discovered Colonial watercolours and drawings by Sir William Young and a large collection of scarce Irish books. There is a First English Limited Edition of Ulysses, signed by James Joyce as well as books by Yeats and Heaney and 1,100 lots. The catalogue is online and there will be viewing in Stillorgan on May 28 and 29.

    BORLEAGH MANOR SALE ON VIEW THIS SUNDAY AND MONDAY

    Saturday, April 15th, 2023
    Late 19th century Irish elm brass bound military chest UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,400 AT HAMMER

    An 18th century lacquered two door Chinoiserie cabinet on stand, a still life attributed to Dutch animal painter Melchior d”Hondecoeter (1636-1695) and an oval Louis XVI table by Jean Pierre Dusautoy (1719-1800) are among the main lots at Fonsie Mealy’s country house contents sale at Borleagh Manor near Gorey on Tuesday April 18. The sale, with 556 lots, offers a large selection of antique furniture, paintings, prints and collectibles.  It is being conducted on behalf of the executors of the late Malachy McDaniel Stone and other important clients. Viewing is at Borleagh Manor tomorrow and Monday and the sale will be at the Amber Springs Hotel in Gorey.  The catalogue is online.

    Borleagh Manor has a fascinating history.  It was acquired in 1771 by Henry Quin, President of the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland.  Generations of his family lived there for nearly 200 years. Hollywood actor Richard Green, immortalised for playing Robin Hood in the long running tv series, bought it in 1963 and entertained many famous guests including Elizabeth Taylor, Cary Grant and Richard Burton.  Greene became a noted horse breeder and Master of the Wicklow Hunt,  In the 1980’s Malachy McDaniel Stone bought it and bred sport horses including a number of RDS winners. He sold it to UK racehorse trainer Sue Bramall in 1998, bought it back from her in 2004 and lived there until his death in 2016.  Borleagh has now been sold to Tara Studios and will become a film and TV production facility, with a number of studios to be built on the land.

    EXCEPTIONAL 18TH CENTURY CHINOISERIE CABINET AT FONSIE MEALY

    Friday, March 31st, 2023
    18th Century chinoiserie lacquered two door Cabinet on Stand. UPDATE: THIS WAS UNSOLD

    This exceptional 18th century chinoiserie lacquered two door cabinet on stand will come up at Fonsie Mealy’s Borleagh Manor Country House Contents Sale on Tuesday, April 18. The sale is being conducted on the instructions of the executors of the estate of the late Malachy McDaniel Stone and other important clients. It will take place at the Amber Springs Hotel, Gorey, Co. Wexford, with viewing on the premises at Borleagh Manor on the two previous days.

    The cabinet interior is fitted with an arrangement of eleven long and short drawers, decorated with landscape and river scenes with figures attending daily chores. The interior doors are decorated with birds, insects and flowers, the exterior with painted oval panels with figures under willow trees. The giltwood stand is profusely carved with scrolling foliage, flowers, cherubs and a central classical female figure. The estimate is €15,000-20,000.

    The open view

    RARE BOOK AND COLLECTORS SALE NOW ON VIEW IN CASTLECOMER

    Monday, February 27th, 2023
    First editions of His Dark Materials, the trilogy by Philip Pullman  UPDATE: THIS MADE 600

    Fonsie Mealy’s timed online rare book and collectors sale, which continues until March 1 at 10 am is brimful of interest.  The first English edition of James Joyce’s A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, one of only 750 copies published by The Egoist in 1916, leads the auction.  It is estimated at €1,500-€2,000.  The sale ranges from a complete set of 18th century Irish Georgian Society Records to signed album sleeves by Jimi Hendrix and Wings, a Brazil jersey signed by Pele, literature from Anthony Trollope to John McGahern to Seamus Heany to sporting and political memorabilia.  The catalogue is online. Viewing takes place in Castlecomer on February 27-28.

    THE 1955 ALL-IRELAND HURLING FINAL PROGRAMME AT FONSIE MEALY

    Friday, February 24th, 2023
    Wexford’s First All-Ireland Title G.A.A. – Hurling 1955. UPDATE: THIS MADE 85 AT HAMMER

    The official programme for the 1955 All-Ireland Hurling Final comes up as lot 949 at Fonsie Mealy’s rare books and collectors online timed auction which runs until March 1. The final between Galway and Wexford took place at Croke Park on September 4 of that year. It was Wexford’s seventh attempt at the title and they won on a score of 3-13 to 2-8. The estimate is €100-150. The catalogue is online and the sale is open for viewing in Castlecomer today and on next Monday and Tuesday.

    FIRST PUBLISHED NOVEL BY JAMES JOYCE AT FONSIE MEALY SALE

    Friday, February 17th, 2023
    UPDATE: THIS MADE 1,250 AT HAMMER

    A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce from the first English edition published by The Egoist in 1916 leads Fonsie Mealy’s online rare book and collectors sale. The first English edition, one of only 750 copies of Joyce’s first novel, is estimated at €1,500-2,000. The online timed sale opens today and runs until March 1. The catalogue is online and there will be viewing in Castlecomer on February 27 and 28. The selection on offer ranges from Brian Merriman to Edna O’Brien, Seamus Heaney to Liam O’Flaherty, Anthony Trollope to John McGahern.

    There is an album and record sleeve signed by Jimi Hendrix, a complete set of Georgian Society records, a set of 18th century Georgian Society architectural records and a Brazil jersey signed by Pele among the 945 lots.

    STYLISH EARLY 19TH CENTURY HEAVY GATES AT FONSIE MEALY

    Thursday, February 9th, 2023
    UPDATE: THESE MADE 1,600 AT HAMMER

    This stylish pair of early 19th century heavy gates will come up as lot 469 at Fonsie Mealy’s Making Room spring sale in Castlecomer and online on February 15. Originally at Tudenham Park, Mullingar, they are estimated at €2,000-3,000. Viewing for this sale gets underway on February 13 and the catalogue is online. Most lots, from antique furniture, mirrors, lanterns, knife boxes, clocks, chairs, peat buckets and collectibles, are to be sold without reserves.

    UNLEASH THE MULE AND SIT ON CROMWELL

    Saturday, February 4th, 2023
     A late 18th century oak and mahogany banded mule chest. UPDATE: THIS MADE 280 AT HAMMER

    An unlikely to be repeated ever opportunity to unleash the mule and sit on Cromwell arises at at Fonsie Mealy’s Making Room spring sale on February 15. The late 18th century oak and mahogany banded specimen at the sale in Castlecomer has everything you would want in a mule chest.  This character full lot comes with a hinged top above one long and two short drawers and two mock drawers.  In the 17th century mule chests were used to store clothes, linens, wools and valuables.  They  always came with a key.  This one is estimated at €400-€600. 

    The 468 lots on offer at affordable estimates range from heavy cast gates originally at Tudenham Park, Mullingar to artworks, rugs, tables, sideboards, display cabinets, longcase clocks, collectibles and chairs.  Among these is a set of 12 sturdy 19th century Cromwellian style chairs with crested carved tops and cream hide seats.  The style was popular during the Puritan period. Whether such chairs are favoured in Ireland today remains to be seen.  The catalogue is online.

    Three from a set of 12 Cromwellian style chairs  UPDATE: THESE MADE 1,080 AT HAMMER