The joy of buying antique furniture at auction is twofold; first, there is the excitement of finding something for your home that will be the perfect fit, and secondly, there is the fun of sharing with your friends and family the story behind the piece.
With Adam’s first At Home interiors auction of 2025, the provenance of some pieces is what will draw in potential buyers. About 80 of the 500 lots come from Springfield House, a beautifully proportioned 18th century property on four hectares which sold in 2024. The house in Celbridge, Co Kildare, was renovated from 1989-1991 by the late Morgan Sheehy, managing director of the Dublin office of Ove Arup, as a family home to share with his Texas-born wife, Libby, and their six children. Sadly, he didn’t get to enjoy their wonderful home, as he died the following year. Libby subsequently ran Springfield House as a stylish B&B.
The Adam’s auction includes a large 19th-century giltwood and gesso overmantel mirror (€2,000-€3,000); a 19th-century marble top console table (€1,000-€1,500)' and two 20th-century bronze hounds (€2,000-€4,000) from Springfield House, as well as numerous 19th-century paintings in the style of some of the great European artists.
Politicians and their entourage who frequent Buswells Hotel on Molesworth Street, Dublin, near the Dáil, might be interested in some pieces that were formerly used in the hotel. These include a pair of 19th-century Chinese porcelain vases in the popular famille rose pattern (€600-€1,000) and a pair of French gilt-brass Boulle side cabinets (€1,500-€2,000). Boulle is a style of marquetry using tortoise shell and brass inlay, which was perfected by the Louis XIV cabinet maker Andre-Charles Boulle.
Anyone looking for some sturdy and durable garden furniture this spring might also be interested in a Victorian cast iron trellis backed garden seat (€300-€500); 19th century cast iron planters (€500-€700); or a Victorian cast iron set of garden seats (€1,500-€2,000), that might need a brush of paint.
Female first
Congratulations to Lola Hynes, who has just become the first female auctioneer at O’Reilly’s Auction Rooms on Francis Street, Dublin 8.
Hynes, whose mother, Rachel Hynes, recently retired as a china restorer, and whose late stepfather, David Cahill, was an antiques dealer, says she “was dragged around auction rooms in her childhood”.
While living in London, she trained as a gemmologist and diamonds expert before returning to work for O’Reilly’s.
Hynes will be up on the rostrum for O’Reilly’s Fine Jewellery, Watches and Silver auction on February 19th. Offering advice to new bidders, she says, “research what you want to buy in advance and compare auction estimates to retail prices for the same item. And have a maximum figure in mind so you don’t get carried away.”
Highlights from the auction house’s forthcoming sale include a diamond solitaire ring by London-based jewellery designer/maker, Theo Fennell. With an estimate of between €18,000-€25,000, Hynes says that a similar stone by Fennell is currently retailing for £49,000 (€58,783). She points to a lady’s Panthère de Cartier stainless steel wristwatch, with an estimate of €2,200-€2,400. You could expect to pay about €14,000 retail for such a watch.
John Weldon, whose next auction of jewellery, pocket watches, coins and collectibles is on February 25th, advises people to view items in person before the auction. “Ask to see any certificates and independent valuations, and remember, the day you buy is the day you sell, so any paperwork and boxes will help,” he says. Highlights of the sale include three 18ct gold pocket watches made by John Donegan, with estimates from €800-€1,000 and €1,000-€1,200. Donegan was a prominent 19th-century Dublin jeweller and watch manufacturer, whose business started on 29 Essex Quay in 1841. Donegan later moved to a larger premises on 5 Upper Ormond Quay and 32 Dame Street, where he employed 40 people by 1845.
Graham Knuttel auction
There was much excitement around the Adam’s auction this week of Graham Knuttel paintings, sculptures, print and porcelain plates. The Dublin-born painter and sculptor, who died in 2023, was internationally renowned for his bold use of colour and form in his figurative paintings. His work was collected by actors and musicians including Sylvester Stallone, Robert de Niro, Joanna Lumley and Michael Stipe.
Known in the trade as a white-glove sale – as the art handlers need not get their hands dirty carting works back into storage – the sale was a sell out. It shows that the work of the late Dublin born artist remains in high demand.
Almost three quarters of works for sale made over their estimate, while most of the rest sold within the estimate. Highlights included the oil on canvas, Against the Odds (€2,000-€4,000), which went under the hammer for €8,500; the sculpture Fanta Bronze (€3,000-€5,000), which sold for €13,000; and the painting, Swimming with the Sharks (€2,000-€3,000), which sold for €9,000.
adams.ie, oreillysfineart.com, jwa.ie
What did it sell for?
Graham Knuttel, Fanta
Estimate €3,000-€5,000
Hammer price €13,000
Auction house Adam’s
Graham Knuttel, Something Brewing
Estimate €6,000-€10,000
Hammer price €9,000
Auction house Adam’s
John McClean’s chronograph stopwatch
Estimate £3,000-£5,000
Hammer price Unsold
Auction house Roseberys
- Sign up for push alerts and have the best news, analysis and comment delivered directly to your phone
- Join The Irish Times on WhatsApp and stay up to date
- Listen to our Inside Politics podcast for the best political chat and analysis
