Barney Eastwood's art collection on sale 

Preview of the art on display at the Christie's sale in London 

'The Vagabonds' by Sir Alfred Munnings from the Eastwood Collection at Christie's.

In private Barney Eastwood — forever associated in the public mind with boxer Barry McGuigan — was a passionate art lover.

His wonderful collection entitled Important Sporting and Irish Pictures will come up at Christie’s in London on July 9 as part of its Classic Week.

'Among Horses' by Jack B Yeats from the Eastwood Collection at Christie's.

The 30 lots on offer range from 19th-century sporting pictures to defining works by Alfred Munnings to an extraordinary group of six exceptional Yeats paintings.

Walter Osborne, William Orpen, Roderic O’Conor, Paul Henry, John Lavery and Gerard Dillon are all represented.

Charles Cator, deputy chairman of Christie’s International, commented: “BJ Eastwood was a very private man and the collection was intensely personal acquired not for show or prestige but for the enjoyment of himself, his family and those close to him — it was the least ostentatious way of collecting and it was from the heart.”

Born in Northern Ireland in 1932, Eastwood was a member of the Co Tyrone team that won the All-Ireland minor championship in 1948.

Both horse and greyhound racing were significant sporting passions and he had many successful runners over the years.