Collectors excited as hammer poised for private estate sale in Rathcormac, Cork

Des O’Sullivan anticipates keen interest as Margaret Hegarty’s estate goes to auction in Dublin on Wednesday.

A private collection of fine silver, from the estate of Margaret Hegarty of Rathcormac, Co Cork, comes under the hammer at James Adam in Dublin next Wednesday at noon.

Miss Hegarty was a very well known dog breeder.

Her collection of more than 400 lots of 18th, 19th and 20th century Irish and English silver is remarkable for its quality and condition and for the fact that it is dominated by the work of one particular silversmith, William Comyns (1836-1916).

Adams say that it can even be described as a mini-retrospective of the work of Comyns, a noted fin de siecle silversmith who established his first workshop in Soho in 1858 at the age of 22 and grew it into an international business.

The firm specialised in Victorian and Art Nouveau styles. It supplied companies like Tiffany’s in New York and Garrards in London and even supplied silver for the mausoleum of Queen Victoria.

There is as well a good selection of Irish silver in the auction.

Viewing is from 2 pm to 5 pm tomorrow and from 10 am to 5 pm on Monday and Tuesday.