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.