THE ENTIRE INTERIOR of a famous Dublin pub is going under the hammer in a huge bar memorabilia auction.
Regulars who have missed Kennedy’s of Mount Merrion since its closure last October now have the chance to snap up their favourite watering hole.
Completely dismantled and reconstructed in Oldcastle, Co Meath, it goes up for online auction next Tuesday and Wednesday, accounting for almost half of the 800 lots up for grabs.
Buyers can give the bar a new home – along with the contents of the adjoining Union Cafe – for an estimated €100,000.
Separately, Arsenal fans will have a chance to secure a Gunners shirt signed by Arsene Wenger’s unbeaten 2003-04 Invincibles team.
From a private collection, it was bought directly from Highbury for a fan in Ballyjamesduff, Co Cavan, in 2004 and has a guide price of between €1,000 to €1,500.
Before its closure, Kennedy’s, previously Kiely’s, was a traditional suburban pub and a mainstay in Mount Merrion.
The bar and Union Cafe, owned by developer Paddy McKillen Junior’s Press Up hospitality group, closed last year to make way for a proposed mixed-use development.
Now the entire bar, including high-quality furniture, memorabilia and art, has been removed and rebuilt for public viewing ahead of the auction, facilitated by antiques dealer Niall Mullen and auctioneer Aidan Foley.
With a combined value of €200,000, the 800 lots include the original contents of Maureen’s Bar from the Olympia Theatre – formerly staffed by the legendary Maureen Grant.
“This sale represents an interesting time in the life of pubs and Irish memorabilia in general,” said Mullen.
“Many of the items are attributed to family-run businesses where the new generation did not want to take up the mantle.
“The attraction for buyers here is that you cannot fake authenticity, and no matter where in the world these pieces end up, they come with a legacy.
“These lots, especially Kennedy’s and Maureen’s Bar, come with a story and a bit of life, and are ready to kit out the next generation of pub.”
Two lifetime collections of original road signs, enamel advertising signs and sports memorabilia will also feature, including rare unapproved road signs, a road marker for the River Liffey, and an unusual Paddy “Whisky” sign, pre-dating the company’s switch to the Irish spelling of whiskey in the 1960s.
Public viewing of the lots, including the reconstructed Kennedy’s, is available in the Castle Cinema in Oldcastle from Saturday to Monday.
The auction runs online only on Tuesday and Wednesday at 5pm via Aidan Foley at easyliveauction.com.
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