A mourning dress worn by Britain's Queen Victoria, a clock owned by Marie Antoinette and a 1735 portrait of Jonathan Swift are among the extremely rare items to be auctioned from Howth Castle next week.
The castle has opened to the public for the next number of days, showcasing the collection accrued by the property owners.
Large mediaeval tapestries, paintings, rugs, gilded furniture and objet d'art will all be on display, in addition to the militaria section of the sale, which includes the mythical Great Sword of Howth, medals, swords, military uniforms and ceremonial costumes.
The portrait of Swift, painted by Francis Bindon, which has been at home in Howth Castle since 1735, has been highlighted as one of the treasures of the collection, while other notable items include chairs and ceremonial items involved in Queen Victoria's visit to Howth.
The castle opened to visitors on Saturday, and will stay open from 10am to 5pm each day until Monday, September 6th. Admittance to the viewing is however by catalogue only.
The auction will take place over two days, September 8th-9th, at the Grand Hotel in Malahide.
The sale of the collection, entitled 'Family Contents', is being conducted by Fonsie Mealy Auctioneers, with a second auction, 'The Library Sale', due to take place on September 22nd-23rd.
