Slice of religious life up for auction in Tralee

More than a century and a half of religious life will go under the hammer tomorrow as the contents of a Mercy Order convent are sold.

Hundreds of people have already been through the convent at Balloonagh in Tralee ahead of tomorrow’s auction — some there for nostalgia and others hoping to find a bargain among the treasure trove of antiques, religious icons, paintings, china and glassware.

For the 17 remaining nuns at Balloonagh Mercy Convent, it will be a sad occasion as the items that furnished their home, school and community are sold to the highest bidder.