Tony O’Reilly trophies sold off

In the business world Tony O’Reilly was a big game hunter and in the world of antiques, it seems he liked to bag the real thing too.

The stuffed tiger’s head presented at an auction of the former billionaire’s personal belongings was an all-too-obvious metaphor for the vagaries of commerce.

His handsome stripes faded and his ears ragged, the snarl on his face so diligently preserved by the taxidermist could not hide the fact that this big cat had been in more than a few fights and finally had to accept defeat.

O’Reilly, generally considered Ireland’s first billionaire and declared bankrupt by a court in the Bahamas last November, could have felt his pain.

The tiger was one of 113 items brought to auction yesterday having previously had pride of place at the Castlemartin estate in Co Kildare, the magnificent former home of O’Reilly that was sold two years ago.

One of a pair of gilt console table which sold for €145,000.

It was accompanied by a lavish array of furniture and furnishings featuring 18th century armchairs, 19th century tables, ornate mirrors, delicately carved clocks, intricate carpets, stools, chests, candelabras and just about everything you’d need to fill a mansion with history and guests with awe.

Mostly, the collection was elegant and tasteful although not even a Georgian pedigree could elevate the status of a bedside commode that was one of the few items to sell for less than the guide price, going for €200 rather than the estimated €300 to €400.

However, that was the exception to what George Gerard Mealy of Mealys auctioneers in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny described as a game-changer auction, the highlights of which included the sale of a pair of 18th century marble-topped console tables that carried an estimate of €8,000 to €15,000 but sold for €145,000 and a William IV mahogany dining table that went for €30,000.

“It’s been like that across the board today. So many items have gone way above their estimates. Obviously you have this cachet of the O’Reilly involvement but even more run-of-the-mill items are doing extremely well. They’re all quality items and that, coupled with the provenance, has created a buzz,” he said.

William IV period Irish mahogany dining table sold for €30,000.

The only downside from the auctioneer’s perspective is that they didn’t have Tony O’Reilly’s input into the catalogue as they had to deal with a trustee appointed by the Bahamian Court.

So while Castlemartin was their last home before the auction house, the 200 bidders who attended in person and the many more from Ireland and overseas who took part online and by phone, were full of speculation about who the original owners were and Mr Mealy said there was detective work yet to be done.

It wasn’t known who shot the tiger and the taxidermist’s label was worn indistinct with time but even long past his prime, it sold for €1,000, beating the estimate of €500 to €700.