Paul expands in the world of antiques

WHILE the country fears recession, Clare man Paul Walsh has decided to open his second antique and art auction house in Clarecastle. Five years ago, he opened the Galway Auction Rooms in Kilcolgan and this has proved to be a big success.
Despite the general downward trend in business circles, Peter is very optimistic about the future of antiques and art. “When I was a boy in my father’s auction house people used to say, ‘Sure it will hold the money’. I don’t think I really knew what they meant then but as I got older, I realised how sensible they were and not only by buying antiques did it hold the money, they turned out to be great investments too.
“I love the excitement that auctions create and there are always bargains to be had. As the auction rooms in Clarecastle are not as large as the Galway Auction Rooms, we are restricted by the amount of lots we can offer but I expect to see 600 lots in most auctions.
“The upcoming auction on Saturday certainly provides a great deal of quality furniture with very fair estimates. Also, we are thankful to Belfast artist, Con Campbell, who has supplied us with 24 of his excellent paintings, mostly of equine interest. I really think Con’s paintings are of exceptional quality and he can paint in any medium. A head-only portrait of Tony McCoy painted onto the results page of The Irish Field is quite unique.
“I can only see his price rise in the future and he has just received a commission to paint three paintings for Ireland’s most notable racing enthusiast, who I cannot name but everyone knows who I am talking about. While all our auctions in Galway are held on Mondays, it can be difficult for people to attend who are holding down full-time jobs, so to give everyone a chance, we chose Saturday mornings for Clarecastle,” said Paul.
Asked if there is any one lot that really caught his attention, he said, “Yes, a lady knocked on the door last week and asked would I look at a piece of metal she had in her car. On examination, this piece of metal turned out to be the British Royal Coat of Arms bearing the Irish harp. This coat of arms was introduced in 1837 and this particular piece adorned the royal flag and dates from around 1870.
“To the best of my knowledge, it had been found in Kilkenny around the time of the Civil War, as it is painted entirely in green. It is likely that it was forged here in Ireland. I spent a considerable amount of time researching its possible origin but I was unable to find anything more,” he said.
There is a mix of lots in the auction, including antiquarian books, books on fly fishing, antique furniture, porcelain including a rare part dinner service by Thomas & Higginbotham of Dublin, grandfather and wall clocks, paintings, prints, fenders, coal scuttles and couches.
The auction starts at 11am on Saturday and should be finished by 3pm or 4pm. Viewing takes place on Thursday from 10am to 7pm, Friday from 10am to 8pm and Saturday morning from 9am to the start of the auction. Call 065 6866016 or 087 8144030 or email info@walshandwalshauctions.com for more information.