Penny farthing pedals centre stage

A rare penny-farthing bicycle is among the 460 lots on offer at the annual vintage auction at O’Donovan’s of Newcastlewest at 10am next Saturday. In excellent condition, it dates from c1880 and is estimated at €600-€1,200. There is a first edition of the 1865 Memories of Adare Manor by Caroline, Countess Dunraven (€1,000-€1,800) as well as period furniture and jewellery.

The sale at Hegarty’s in Bandon tomorrow features antique furniture, jewellery and art. Viewing is from noon to 5pm today and from noon to the start of the sale at 3pm tomorrow.

The auction at Woodwards in Cork at 11am today features antique furniture, garden furniture, porcelain, art and collectibles. Online viewing and bidding is available.

Viewing gets underway next Thursday for Aidan Foley’s sale of 1,200 lots at Ballea Castle, Carrigaline on Easter Saturday and Sunday. Architectural salvage and outdoor effects including a pair of cast iron-walled garden gates are to be sold on Saturday, contents of the private residence and Ballea Castle Antiques will come under the hammer on Easter Sunday. Viewing is from 11am to 6pm next Friday and Saturday.

Hammer prices

The top lot at Whyte’s Eclectic Collector sale in Dublin last Saturday was an official copy of the Good Friday Agreement with signatures of 44 participants including Tony Blair and Bertie Ahern. It made a hammer price of €28,000 over a top estimate of €7,000. The decommissioned rocket launcher made €10,000 and a Cork won 1953 All-Ireland hurling final medal made €6,500. The sale grossed €480,000.

Upcoming sales

Dolan’s will hold an auction of art and antiques at Ballyconneely in Connemara on Easter Sunday at 2pm with viewing from next Thursday. Meantime Morgan O’Driscoll reports a most successful viewing in New York for his Irish and International Art sale at the RDS on April 29. That sale will be on view in Skibbereen on April 20, 21 and 22. The Carlow Antiques and Vintage Fair takes place at the Woodford Dolmen Hotel, Carlow, from noon to 6pm tomorrow.