IN THE SALEROOMS

MEALY’S

The Mealy’s Spring Sale takes place on Tuesday and Wednesday at the Castlecomer Saleroom, Co Kilkenny, starting at 11am each day.

Amid the usual period paintings, furniture and decorative arts, the auction includes a private collection of guns and other militaria, and a selection of family silver, previously held in the bank. One of the most striking silver pieces is a caviar dish cover in the form of a lobster (below) with articulated claws (est €2,500 to €3,500).

Furniture in the sale includes an engaging rocking cradle with a Gothic style arched hood (est €2,200 to €2,500) dating from the reign of William IV of England. See mealys. ie.

ADAM’S

“Freedom’s just another word for nothin’ left to lose.” The quote — written and sung by Kris Kristofferson and Janis Joplin in ‘Me And Bobby McGee’ were written in chalk on the wall of the artist Basil Blackshaw (1932-2016).

The contents of Blackshaw’s studio are included in Adam’s sale of Important Irish Art, which takes place on Wednesday at 6pm.

As is the way with studio sales, it offers insightful moments expressed in sketches, drawings and studies, as well as finished works. The most memorable of the oil paintings from Blackshaw’s studio — and the most expensive — is a laconic portrait of Clint Eastwood (est €10,000 to €15,000).

See adams.ie.

ANTIQUES & VINTAGE FAIRS

This Sunday, a Mother’s Day Antique Fair will take place at Cahir House Hotel, Cahir, Co Tipperary, from 11am-6pm. Expect around 30 stands with antique and collectible objects to suit a range of pockets. The fair is organised by Hibernian Antique Fairs and admission is €3.50, including a raffle ticket. There’s no charge for children.

BONHAMS

A Watches Valuation Day will take place on Thursday at Bonhams’ Irish Office, 31 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. The event is free and there’s no obligation to sell. Auctioneers are brokers, like estate agents, and don’t buy items for their sales — they merely make the arrangements. If an object is sold, the auctioneers take an agreed percentage of the price. The contact for booking this event is Kieran O’Boyle: 01 6020990 or kieran.oboyle@bonhams.com.

LEV MITCHELL

The next antiques auction at Milltown Country Auction Rooms, Dromiskin, Dundalk, Co Louth, takes place on Monday at 5pm. The sale includes the contents of two local houses and 100 lots of memorabilia from a barn in Mosney, Co Meath, with pieces of interest such as an antique spinning wheel (est €200 to 300) and a set of eight mahogany Georgian-style dining chairs (est €600 to €800). See milltownauctionrooms.com.