# Sale of Irish country house contents

The dispersion of artefacts, through the sale of Irish country house contents, occurred over a period of more than 150 years starting with the financial after effects of the Irish famine and the creation of the Encumbered Estates' Court in 1849.
Later surges in sales and destruction of items occurred during the Easter Rising in 1916 and later again with the destruction of Irish country houses (1919–1923) during the Irish War of Independence.
Post world war sales and fires resulted in the destruction of further contents while large auction sales from the 1950s through to the mid 1990s resulted in the loss of further contents, particularly during recessionary periods such as the early to mid 1980s.
After the beginning of the Celtic Tiger era (c 1990 onwards), the sale of contents has been more rigorously catalogued with all but the most exceptionally valuable lots staying in the hands of other home owners within the state or going to national cultural institutions and galleries.
In the early 21st century, both the National Gallery of Ireland and the National Museum of Ireland have both had first refusal and prior notice on important items which have been placed on the market for sale.

## List of auctions

| Year | House | County | Date | Auction House | Vendor | Contents sold |
| 1875 | Santry Court | Dublin | 1875 | | Sir C.C.W. Domvile | Most high value contents in a 10 day sale |
| 1890 | Kilcroney House, Bray | Wicklow | 29 July 1890 | Battersby & Company | Built by Humphrey Lloyd and residence of Matthew P D'arcy | |
| 1904 | 63 Fitzwilliam Square North | Dublin | 23-25 July 1904 | Battersby & Company | | Objects owned by Sir Robert Foster |
| 1910 | Ely House, Ely Place, Dublin | Dublin | 8 November 1910 | Bennett & Son | Thornley Stoker | |
| 1911 | Dunsandle House | Galway | April 1911 | Bennett & Son | Daly family | A significant portion of the contents were ultimately transferred to Russborough House by the owner Major Denis Daly. |
| 1913 | Rathfarnham Castle | Dublin | 2 April 1913 | Battersby & Company | | Many lots were acquired by the Jesuits who had recently purchased the property. |
| 1914 | Bishopscourt, Straffan | County Kildare | 13 July 1914 | Battersby & Company | | Contents of house, land and library of Earl of Clonmell |
| 1916 | Hermitage House | Limerick | 20 January 1916 | William B Fitt | | Some of the most valuable contents were transferred to Killakee House. |
| 1918 | Laurentum House, Clashmore | Waterford | 1918 | | | Contents clearance |
| 1919 | Castlefreke | Cork | October 1919 | Marsh's | | |
| 1919 | Killakee House | Dublin | 8 July 1919 | Bennett & Son | | |
| 1921 | Gosford Castle | Armagh | 4-13 April 1921 | Battersby & Company | | Residence of Earl of Gosford |
| 1921 | Garvagh House | Derry | 20 September 1921 | Battersby & Company | | Property of Lord Garvagh |
| 1921 | Castletown Cox | Kilkenny | 11 October 1921 | Battersby & Company | Windham Wyndham-Quin, 5th Earl of Dunraven and Mount-Earl | Selected contents |
| 1921 | Tara Hall | Meath | November 1921 | Battersby & Company | Major Moore-Brabazon | |
| 1922 | Hazelwood House, Sligo | Sligo | 18 May 1922 | Battersby & Company | Muriel and Philip Dudley Perceval | |
| 1925 | Lucan Manor | Dublin | 29 September 1925 | Bennett & Son | Captain Richard St John Jefferyes Colthurst | Entire contents |
| 1929 | Upperscourt House | Kilkenny | 1929 | | M. and E. Maher | |
| 1932 | Chareleville House Enniskerry | Wicklow | 31 October 1932 | | Viscount Monck | |
| 1935 | Kilkenny Castle | Kilkenny | 18 November 1935 | Battersby & Company | Marquess of Ormonde Earl of Ossory | |
| 1936 | Shanganagh Castle, Shankill | Dublin | 10 August 1936 | Battersby & Company | | |
| 1937 | Moore Abbey, Monasterevan | Kildare | 15 February 1937 | Battersby & Company | Count John McCormack | All contents |
| 1939 | Iveagh House | Dublin | 28-29 September 1939 | Battersby & Company | Earl of Iveagh | 2,600 lots |
| 1939 | Ashford Castle | Mayo | 15 May 1939 | Jackson Stops and McCabe | Iveagh Trustees | Contents |
| 1943 | Rokeby Hall, Dunleer | Louth | 1943 | North's | Maud Montgomery | |
| 1944 | Santry Court | Dublin | 1944 | | Sir Compton Meade Domville | Remaining contents |
| 1948 | Carrickbyrn, Foxrock | Dublin | 1948 | Hamilton and Hamilton | Estate of Mrs Lansell Jacob | |
| 1949 | Carton House | Kildare | 1949 | Allen & Townsend | Duke of Leinster | Library |
| 1950 | Glenmaroon House, Chapelizod | Dublin | 1950 | James Adam & Sons | The Residence of the late Hon. A.E. Guinness, By Direction of the Lady Oranmore and Browne | |
| 1950 | Shelton Abbey | Wicklow | October 1950 | | | |
| 1953 | Killeen Castle, Dunsany | Meath | 20 July 1953 | Town and Country Estates (Ireland) Ltd | Earl of Fingall | |
| 1954 | Favour Royal | Tyrone | 1954 | Town and Country Estates (Ireland) Ltd | Major Moutray | Military collection |
| 1957 | Oak Park | Carlow | 29 October 1957 | Hamilton and Hamilton Estates Ltd | | Valuable contents |
| 1958 | Gloster House | Offaly | 29-31 October 1958 | Town and Country Estates Limited | | Almost all contents |
| 1960 | Bowen's Court | Cork | April 1960 | W. Marsh & Sons Ltd | | Most contents |
| 1960 | Straffan House | Kildare | 1960 | Jackson Stops McCabe | | The house later became part of the K Club. |
| 1960 | Coolbawn Hotel, Castleconnell | Limerick | 1960 | | | |
| 1961 | Bowen's Court | Cork | 1961 | Marsh's | Elizabeth Bowen | Library |
| 1961 | Graigue, Palmerstown Park | Dublin | 28 February 1961 | James Adam & Sons | Henry Mangan | Library |
| 1962 | Dromoland Castle | Clare | 1962 | | Lord Inchiquin | |
| 1962 | Cahir Park House | Tipperary | 1962 | Battersby & Company | | |
| 1962 | Tobertynan | Meath | 13-14 February 1962 | Owen Martin | Duke of Stacpole | |
| 1963 | Milverton Hall, Skerries | Dublin | 10-11 September 1963 | Hamilton and Hamilton | | |
| 1963 | Courtown House, Kilcock | Kildare | 10 June 1963 | Hamilton and Hamilton | | Entire contents |
| 1964 | Kenure House | Dublin | 21-24 September 1964 | J.H. North & Co. Ltd | Colonel RH Fenwick Palmer | Entire valuable contents |
| 1966 | Castletown House | Kildare | 1966 | Jackson-Stops and McCabe | | 18th-20th century furniture and pictures residue |
| 1966 | Kiladoon, Celbridge | Kildare | 31 October 1966 | Sothebys | Colonel HTW Clements and formed by the late HJB Clements | Library and manuscripts |
| 1968 | Clonmannon, Ashford, County Wicklow | Wicklow | 21 May 1968 | James Adam & Sons | Executors of Sir Chester Beatty | |
| 1968 | Rockfield, Kells | Meath | 6-7 March 1968 | Keane Mahony Smith W & G Armstrong | | Entire contents |
| 1969 | Doneraile Court | Cork | 1969 | Hamilton and Hamilton (Estates) Limited | Lord Doneraile | Entire Library |
| 1970 | Florence Court | Fermanagh | 10 November 1970 | John Ross & Company | Earl of Enniskillen | Surplus antiques and furnishings |
| 1972 | Derk | Limerick | 10 April 1972 | Stokes & Quirke | | Entire contents |
| 1976 | Clonbrock House | Galway | 1 November 1976 | Christie, Manson & Woods Lisney & Son | Mr Luke Dillon Mahon | |
| 1976 | Malahide Castle | Dublin | 10-12 May 1976 | Keane Mahony Smith Christies Manson & Woods Ltd | Rose Maud Talbot | Entire contents |
| 1977 | Donacomper, Celbridge | Kildare | 25-26 July 1977 | Hamilton & Hamilton Christies Manson & Woods Ltd | Mr and Mrs Bruce Breedin | |
| 1977 | Carton House | Kildare | 1977 | | Lord Brockett David Nall Cain | |
| 1977 | White Lodge, Ballycastle | Antrim | 20 September 1977 | Osborne, King and Megran | | |
| 1978 | Slane Castle | Meath | 20 November 1978 | Sothebys | | |
| 1978 | Chareleville House | Wicklow | 1978 | Hamilton & Hamilton Christies Manson & Woods Ltd | Donald Davies | |
| 1979 | Clonmannon, Ashford, County Wicklow | Wicklow | 25 October 1979 | Hamilton & Hamilton | | |
| 1979 | Bettyglen, Raheny | Dublin | 1979 | Christies | W.H. Ahern, former home of the Jameson family | |
| 1980 | Coollattin House, Shillelagh | Wicklow | 1980 | Hamilton & Hamilton Christies Manson & Woods Ltd | Michael Brendan Cadogan | |
| 1980 | Milverton Hall, Skerries | Dublin | 1980 | | Woods family | |
| 1981 | Charleville Castle | Offaly | 1981 | Allen & Townsend Philips | | |
| 1981 | Birr Castle | Offaly | 7-8 October 1981 | Christies | The Trustees of the Oxmantown Settlement Trust | Selected contents. |
| 1981 | Slane Castle | Meath | 1981 | | | |
| 1982 | Glyde Court, Tallanstown | Louth | 15-16 September 1982 | Nicholas Nicholson | Colonel and Mrs A C May | |
| 1982 | Adare Manor | Limerick | 9-10 June 1982 | Christie, Manson & Woods Ltd Hamilton & Hamilton (Estates) Ltd | | Works by artists including Van Dyck, Rubens, Teniers and Pugin. |
| 1983 | Ballinamona Park | Waterford | 1983 | George Mealy & Sons | | Entire clearance |
| 1983 | Coollattin House | Wicklow | 28-28 June 1983 | Hamilton & Hamilton (Estates) Ltd | | |
| 1983 | Luttrellstown Castle | Dublin | 1983 | Christie Manson & Woods | Aileen Plunket | 1,558 lots (Entire contents) |
| 1984 | Powerscourt Estate | Wicklow | 24-25 September 1984 | Christie Manson & Woods | | |
| 1984 | Cabinteely House, Cabinteely | Dublin | 5-6 November 1984 | Chisties | | 613 lots |
| 1984 | Oldbridge House, Drogheda | Meath | 1984 | Gunne | Mrs DH Coddington | All contents |
| 1985 | Alton Grange, Foxrock | Dublin | 16 September 1985 | Christies | | 683 lots |
| 1986 | Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel | Kilkenny | 1986 | Sothebys | Major V McAlmont | |
| 1986 | Castle Hacket | Galway | 2-4 July 1986 | Christies and Edmiston's Ltd Hamilton and Hamilton (Estates) Ltd | Percy Paley (Estate) | |
| 1987 | 19 North Great George's Street | Dublin | 2-3 November 1987 | Christies and Edmiston's Ltd Hamilton and Hamilton (Estates) Ltd | The Property of Harold Clarke, Esq., Iain MacLachlan, Esq., Mrs. Eve Kaye and two other sources | |
| 1987 | Mount Juliet Golf & Spa Hotel | Kilkenny | 1987 | Christies | McAlmont family. | 649 lots |
| 1988 | Tinerana | Clare | 10 October 1988 | Hamilton Osborne King | | |
| 1988 | Killora Lodge | Cork | 12 September 1988 | Alain Chawner | | |
| 1988 | Mountainstown House, Navan | Meath | 28-29 September 1988 | Christies Hamilton Osborne King | John Pollock | 1,126 lots |
| 1990 | Straffan House | Kildare | 28 February 1990 | Christies | | 515 lots |
| 1990 | Dromin House, Ardee | Louth | 25 September 1990 | Hamilton Osborne King | | |
| 1991 | Castletown Cox | Kilkenny | 7-8 October 1991 | Christies Hamilton Osborne King | George Magan | |
| 1992 | Humewood Castle | Wicklow | 15-16 July 1992 | EA Coonan Hamilton Osborne King | | |
| 1992 | Stackallan House | Meath | 20 October 1992 | Christies Hamilton Osborne King | | 591 lots |
| 1992 | Woodstock House | Wicklow | 1992 | Hamilton Osborne King | | Library |
| 1993 | Lyrath | Kilkenny | 15 September 1993 | Christies Hamilton Osborne King | Captain and Mrs A C Tupper | 606 lots |
| 1995 | Farney Castle, Thurles | Tipperary | 4 July 1995 | Gunne | | Entire contents |
| 1995 | Glencullen House, Kiltiernan | Dublin | 5 July 1995 | Adams | | Entire valuable contents |
| 1995 | Gortdrishagh | Galway | 9 July 1995 | Adams | Mrs M R Glynn | |
| 1997 | St Clerans, Craughwell | Galway | 5 June 1997 | Gunne | John Huston | |
| 1998 | Raford House | Galway | 20 October 1998 | Fonsie Mealy | | |
| 1999 | Garretstown House | Meath | 1999 | Fonsie Mealy | Prince and Princess Guirey | |
| 1999 | Rockfield, Kells | Meath | 1999 | Hamilton Osborne King | A Cameron | |
| 2002 | Farnham House | Cavan | 27 January 2002 | Hamilton Osborne King | | |
| 2003 | Mourne Park | Down | 14-15 April 2003 | Hamilton Osborne King | Philip Anley and Bonnie Horsman | 1,000+ lots |
| 2003 | Lissadell House | Sligo | 25 November 2003 | Christies Hamilton Osborne King | | Contents |
| 2006 | Luggala estate | Wicklow | 2 May 2006 | Fonsie Mealy | Garech Browne | antique furniture and art |
| 2009 | Glin Castle | Limerick | 7 May 2009 | Christies | Desmond Fitzgerald | 200 lots |
| 2012 | Mount Kennedy, Newtownmountkennedy | Wicklow | 16 March 2012 | Christies | | Combined auction |
| 2012 | Mount Congreve | Waterford | May and July 2012 | Christies Fonsie Mealy | Ambrose Congreve | 1,100 lots with Fonsie Mealy and later 120 lots at Christies |
| 2014 | Bantry House | Cork | 21 October 2014 | Lyon & Turnbull | | |
| 2015 | Courtown House | Kildare | 22 April 2015 | Adams | | |
| 2016 | Lotabeg House | Cork | 24 May 2016 | Fonsie Mealy | Collection of Vincent Hart (d 1839) | 763 lots |
| 2016 | Loughton House, Moneygall | Offaly | 27-30 September 2016 | Sheppard’s | | |
| 2021 | Howth Castle | Dublin | September 2021 | Fonsie Mealy | Lord Howth | Entire contents |