‘Quirky’ items from Westmeath mansion available to view before auction

Hundreds of antiques from a Co Westmeath mansion, formerly owned by a well-known gambler, are available for public viewing before going under the hammer next week.

Punters can this weekend take a look at the entire contents of Middleton Park House ahead of them being auctioned this Wednesday and Thursday.

The almost 800 lots in the mid-19th century mansion – including an extravagant chair and Waterford Crystal glassware – are worth an estimated 200,000 euro.

The clear-out comes six months after the 35,000 sq ft palatial home was sold.

The residence in Castletown-Geoghegan is well-known from when its owner, racehorse trainer and gambler Barney Curley, raffled it in the 1980s.

He was later handed a jail term for promoting an illegal lottery but the sentence was overturned on appeal.

During the 1930s and 1940s the mansion also hosted a series of celebrities, including American actress Rita Hayworth.

“The house has been tastefully decorated in a quirky, oversized style,” said Niall Mullen, who is the antiques dealer cataloguing the collection.

“Almost all of the items are oversized, this was to fill out the house as it is such a big space that normal furniture would look odd and out of place.

“For example, a chair with a big golden eagle on top of it is 2.4 metres high.

“Many of the contents appearing at this auction would fit perfectly in a hotel or suit someone with a large country home.”

Among the items are one of five glass replicas of the Sam Maguire Cup, one of which was presented to former US president Bill Clinton.

Unused Waterford Crystal glassware, Irish and decorative art, vernacular furniture and garden furniture also feature.

“The concept behind this auction is twofold,” Mr Mullen added.

“I was approached by the previous owners of Middleton Park to assist in the disposal of the contents.

“Secondly, I had a desire to hold the event in Oldcastle, Co Meath, in memory of my father, the legendary auctioneer
Michael Mullen, regarded as the greatest character to ever hold the gavel.”

The collection is available to be viewed by the public on St Patrick’s Day from 12-6pm and Monday and Tuesday from 10am-5pm.

The auction takes place on March 20 and 21 from 5pm.