Trevor O’Callaghan will bring a selection of Corgi classic toys
Antique specialists of every type will assemble at the Corrin Events Centre near Fermoy on October 12 for the Cork Antique Fair. Following a highly successful first outing at this convenient venue with ample parking last October – the first fair for a number of years in Cork – Hibernian Antique Fairs are following up with another event here this year.
There will be more than 40 stands including antique shops, art galleries and vintage dealers including Treasures Irish Art of Athlone, Eily Henry, Trevor O’Callaghan, Raymond and Mary Byrne, Robert Hutchinson and Country Mile Antiques. Art, vintage fashion, furniture, silver, jewellery, porcelain, vintage boxed toys and all sorts of collectibles will be available. Opening times are from 11 am to 6 pm.
Eily Henry will bring a selection of vintage fashion
Mark O’Neill – Framed by Wisteria at the Treasures stand at Birr antique fair.
Even though it is not on Route 66 antique lovers can get their kicks in Birr this bank holiday weekend. The antique and art fair that runs in conjunction with Birr Vintage Week is at the County Arms Hotel next on August 4 and 5.
With more than 30 dealers in antique furniture, art and collectibles from around the country in attendance this popular fair is a fixture at this time of year – as Birr celebrates all things retro with arts, theatre, music, street theatre, pop up performances, workshops and exhibitions until August 9.
There is treasure to be hunted for and found in this great period setting. The enjoyable and long running antique fair offers huge variety with everything from vintage Persian rugs to fine art, jewellery and antique furniture with collectibles galore.
Rarities include a 31 foot long Persian 1970’s Hamadan runner. It is just 2’8″ wide (9 metres by 900 centimetres). Norman Allison Antiques of Annamore, Co. Wicklow will include it among a selection of handwoven rugs and runners.
A selection of coins of Ireland at Birr antique fair.
Collectibles are always popular and Robert Hutchinson will offer a display of coins, banknotes and militaria including complete selections of coins of Ireland from 1934, 1939 and 1942.
There will be a selection of gold chains and charm bracelets at Eddie Moylan’s stand and vintage jewellery from Cherylann. The Purple Onion Gallery will bring a selection of work by Henry McGrane and other artists from their stable.
Treasures Irish Art of Athlone are stalwart supporters of this fair. Their selection will include “Framed by Wisteria” by Mark O’Neill and “Lough Inagh” by Grace Cunningham.
Organiser Robin O’Donnell confidently expects a great turnout of both regulars and newcomers to this heart of Ireland annual event. Along with rugs Norman Allison will offer art by the English Victorian landscape painter William Shayer (1787-1879) and a Regency double fusee wall clock. Raymond Byrne will offer small antique furniture pieces, old Irish glass, silver and collectibles.
Fairs like this are great hunting grounds for small pieces of silver, old Irish glass, fashion and accessories. You might not even know you really, really wanted it until you see it.
And if the wait until Monday proves to be too much then the Royal Marine Hotel in Dun Laoghaire is the venue for the south Dublin antiques, vintage and more fair tomorrow (August 3). This fair will offer antique and vintage furniture and interior decor, fine art, vintage kitchen and tableware, jewellery, rare books and memorabilia.
Dun Laoghaire is one of the most popular venues on the Vintage Ireland calendar of fairs.
Bluebell Walk, Boyne Valley by Henry McGrane at the Lismore fair
There will be a fine selection of everything from Irish art to antique furniture, vintage fashion and collectibles at the annual Lismore antique, art and vintage fair on July 6. Dealers from around the country will attend.
Treasures Irish Art of Athlone will bring a selection by Henry McGrane who paints in genres including landscape, still life and portraiture. Antique Irish glass and porcelain will feature on the stand of Brian Hurley of Kinsale and Jim Hyde Books will offer editions on local history, first editions, books by the world renowned Lismore travel writer Dervla Murphy and a big selection of fiction and non-fiction. The ever popular stand by Eily Henry will offer vintage hats and accessories. The fair will be open from 11 am to 6 pm.
A selection of vintage fashion from Eily Henry at the Lismore fair
Stained glass from Birr Castle, the 1851 Plan of Cork by John Tallis, affordable antique furniture, new Irish art and vintage fashion can all be found at the Cork antique fair in Fermoy on May 25.
After an absence of five years Hibernian Antique Fairs will return to a new venue in Cork for a full to the brim event with 40 dealers from around Ireland. It will be held at the Corrin Event Centre three miles from Fermoy and just off exit 15 on the M8. There is ample space and lots of available parking for what promises to be a great day out.
1851 Map of Cork with insets
In a city still waiting for its event centre the ever popular Cork antique fair outgrew its previous locations and came to an end. Finding somewhere to host it has been difficult. In contrast the antique fairs at spacious Limerick Racecourse have repeatedly demonstrated strong demand and an appetite for more which speaks to the resilience of the antique trade in turbulent economic times.
At fairs in Limerick and Kerry organiser Robin O’Donnell is often asked when will he return to Cork. Now that the multi purpose Cork Marts complex has become available the answer should be more often than before. In advance of the first fair at Corrin he is already planning another in October.
Vintage headwear from Eily Henry
The market is continually evolving as collecting habits change. Unusual once off items are highly collectible and Norman Allison of Annamoe Antiques will present two windows in solid oak frames from Birr Castle. These are accompanied by an original 1983 receipt from Mike McGlynn Antiques, Bunratty, Co Clare in which he states that the c1835 stained glass panels were by the Earl of Rosse. The second earl, friend of Wolfe Tone and a critic of absentee landlords, was father of astronomer William Parsons, 3rd Earl, who in 1845 built what was then the world’s largest telescope in Birr.
Collectors will be interested in an 1851 Plan of Cork by John Tallis, a pair of Neoclassical 19th century bronze Medici urns on Siena marble plinths and a 6th century Limoges grisaille enamel plaque of a shepherdess. Treasures of Athlone will bring new art by James Brohan and the Purple Onion Gallery will offer a mix of contemporary art, photography, whiskey, wine and cigars.
Vintage hats to catch the eye can be found at Eily Henry’s stand and Eddie Moylan will bring some affordable gold jewellery. Greenes of Drogheda, Vintage Velvet and Raymond Byrne are among those offering antique furniture and a selection of smaller antique pieces which can be carried home along with everything from vintage toys to bullion to coins and banknotes. It all adds up to a a great day out enhanced by a sense of exploration and inspiration.
A set of four George II candlesticks by Robert Calderwood, Dublin c1745 at the Limerick fair.
Collectors know all about having to make choices. One choice available this St. Patrick’s Weekend is Ireland’s biggest fair or Europe’s biggest fair. Limerick or Maastricht. If you can avail of either more power to your elbow.
The array of dealers at Limerick Racecourse today and tomorrow is impressive. They have assembled from Donegal to Dublin, Belfast to Kerry, Tipperary to Roscommon, Antrim and Drogheda to Kilkenny and Galway and all points between. On offer is everything from silver, rugs, jewellery and porcelain to art, antique furniture, militaria, vintage fashion and collectibles of every type.
TEFAF Maastricht is a world fair which brings curators from major museums and heavy hitting private collectors with deep pockets to a beautiful Dutch town every year. It runs until March 20. So refreshing to see the super rich looking at objects ranging from antiquities to cutting edge contemporary art instead power playing with global politics on an inept scale. World domination aside if you can’t find something you want at either of these venues you are just not looking properly.
Gallerie Maria Wettergren, Paris will show After the Storm (Square) by Gjertrud Hals at TEFAF Maastricht : Photo Omar Sejnaes.
Irish Georgian silver, Art Nouveau, contemporary Irish art, vintage fashion and accessories, Lady Lavery banknotes, Art Deco, Victoriana, well crafted Edwardian furniture, vintage bakelite radios, Oriental rugs, diamond jewellery, a musical drinks trolley – you name it and there is a good chance you will come across it at Ireland’s biggest antique, art and vintage fair at Limerick Racecourse on September 7 and 8.
Whether you are in search of inspiration or want to exercise a connoisseur’s eye, a seasoned collector or simply curious, seeking a bargain or a particular prime piece this comfortable indoor venue with ample parking is the place to be. You might happen across something special you did not even know you were looking for or delight in a discovery like a large stoneware wine flagon stamped Maziere & Sainthill, Cork.
A Cork flagon with an interesting stamp.
Lost in the mists of time they were a firm of wine merchants trading in Cork as early as 1750 when wine from Bordeaux was one of our major imports. Located at Nelson’s Place, the older name for Emmet Place in the city centre, the firm was bought out by Woodford Bourne in 1869. Dan Harnett will offer a flagon engraved as follows: Woodford Bourne & Co Wine & Spirit Merchants, Successors to Maziere and Sainthill, Cork.
Weldons will bring a highly collectible c1770 Cork silver coffee pot by John Nicholson and other rarities like a c1715 Dublin silver tea pot and a large Irish George III silver salver made in 1794 by John Laughlin. Courtville Antiques of Dublin is another member of the Irish Antique Dealers Association who will attend. Sadly the annual IADA fair in Dublin will not go ahead this autumn.
A complete collection of Lady Lavery banknotes
There will be no shortage of dealers in coins and banknotes. Robert Hutchinson will bring a complete collection of Lady Lavery banknotes from ten shillings to £100. Eily Henry will offer a big selection of vintage fashion including hats and accessories and there will be plenty of collectibles, gold chains, bracelets and costume jewellery to browse through at Bedlam antiques.
Deep in the Woods by Mark O’Neill.
Mark O’Neill is a popular artist and a selection of his work can be found at Treasures of Athlone and there will be a diverse range of art at the Purple Onion Gallery. A musical table drinks trolley in the form of an elegant carriage will be a feature at La Belle Epoque and along with an array of interesting pieces including old bakelite radios Annamore Antiques will offer 80 vintage and antique Persian rugs and runners.
There is no shortage of smaller collectible items like glorious antique porcelain, Clarice Cliff ceramics at Brian Hurley’s stand, silver and brass candlesticks, treen and even an unusual Free Will Offerings collection box at Edwin Mercer. This is a wonderful assembly of antique shops, art galleries and vintage dealers from right around Ireland. Opening times are from 11 am to 6 pm on both days.
A Still Life by Graham Knuttel at the Purple Onion gallery at Lismore Antiques Fair.
There is everything from antique furniture, art and jewellery to porcelain, vintage fashion and collectibles at the two day Bank Holiday weekend Lismore Opera Festival antiques and vintage fair today and tomorrow (June 1 and 2). Fairs are for browsing and discovering new areas of interest and this one offers much to hold the attention of all sorts of collectors. Choices range from Knocknagow by Charles Kickham at Jim Hyde books, a still life by Graham Knuttel at The Purple Onion Gallery, exotic hats at Eily Henry’s vintage collection, a c1830 William IV Irish work table by Butlers, beautiful porcelain at Brian Hurley’s stand, coins and banknotes and even a Christian Dior plaster mannequin from 1946 at Le Belle Epoque.
Brian Hurley will bring this decorated Booths china dish to the Lismore Antiques Fair.
St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland and if you drive to Limerick racecourse today and tomorrow you can hunt for all sorts of treasures on this long weekend of national celebration. There will be dear little shamrocks and plenty of other expensive baubles too. With its ample parking and ease of access Limerick Racecourse has proved itself to be an ideal venue for this extensive quarterly National Antiques, Art and Vintage. With its antique shops, art galleries and vintage dealers this one will welcome a selection of new dealers along with members of the Irish Antique Dealers Association and regulars like Eily Henry with vintage fashion, Weldons with collectible silver and jewellery and Treasures with Irish art. Newcomers like Rory O’Hanlon will offer a selection of metal objects in brass and bronze along with watches and Gloria Neumann offers antique furniture, porcelain and glass. The Purple Onion Gallery will bring dramatic work by acclaimed American photographer Camille Seaman who lived near Kilkee, Co. Clare for a few years. The national antique fair is a fully indoor event where you can expect the unexpected and even get a new collecting habit underway. Anyone for some colourful Murano or militaria?
Among many treasures at the National Antiques, Art and Vintage fair at Limerick Racecourse on March 16 and 17 are these 18th century wine glasses. They will be on the stand of Norman Allison from Annamoe Antiques of Co. Wicklow, who will bring a selection including Oriental rugs and carpets, Chinese bronze vases and antique furniture. All the wine glasses pictured here have engraved scenes but what is most remarkable to contemporary eyes is their capacity, or lack of it. Wine glasses have been getting bigger and bigger over the centuries as the world has become wealthier and more wine is being produced in more places. There will be plenty of scope at this upcoming fair – billed as Ireland’s largest – for a little bit of whatever you fancy yourself.
All roads lead to Limerick this weekend for the National Antique Fair at Limerick Racecourse. Opening times are from 11 am to 6 pm on November 18 and 19. There will be more than 80 dealers in attendance showing everything from Irish art and antique furniture to vintage fashion, jewellery, accessories and a wide range of collectibles. Robin O’Donnell will display the late 18th century Irish chair pictured above.
