THE Heritage Council is optimistic it can avert the sale of some items of original 18th century furniture from Headfort House, Co Meath, due to be sold at Christie's in London tomorrow, and retain them for the nation.
The chief executive of the Heritage Council, Mr Michael Starrett, said last night the council was involved in negotiations with Christie's in London and with its Irish representative, the Knight of Glin, yesterday and these would continue today. It had also spoken to the trustees of Headfort School.
The furniture was to have been sold on the instructions of the school's board of governors to raise funds for restoration work on the house which dates from the 1760s and stands on the River Blackwater, just outside Kells Co Meath. It was expected to fetch £138,000.
Included in the sale were items which are regarded by architectural historians as "essential" to the house. These include a pair of giltwood pier glasses, based on a Robert Adam design, which were expected to fetch £50,000.
"Everyone has been very co-operative and we are hopeful our offer will be accepted," said Mr Starrett. "In reality, it is a win-win situation. We would return the furniture to its proper location in Headfort House, where it would be retained for the nation."
He declined to discuss the amount the council could bid for the furniture. "I do not want to enter an auction but we are negotiating hard and hope we will be successful and these valuable items will be retained for the Irish public.
Ideally, we would like to keep the 11 items in the country but at the moment we are not in a position to secure all of them. We have identified five key items which are regarded as essential to the house and are concentrating on them. However, today's publicity has led to others showing an interest and this may result in all the furniture being kept in the country."
Mr Starrett said the proposed sale had led to an examination of the council's mechanisms for identifying items of importance around the country. "It is an area we will be looking at."