A RARE BOTTLE of 1880s Irish whiskey is expected to fetch more than €12,000 when it goes under the hammer next month.

The Cassidy and Co Monasterevin whiskey is the star lot of a pub collection auction of more than 10,000 advertising and memorabilia items.

The whiskey was made by the Cassidy family, who made whiskey at their Kildare mill from 1784 until 1921.

It will go under the hammer through Victor Mee Auctions online on October 5 with an estimate of between €6,000-€12,000, but the auction house believes it could exceed expectations.

A similar bottle sold at auction last year for €23,000.

The whiskey forms part of the McCabe Collection, which belonged to the late Molly McCabe, the matriarch of Molly’s pub in Warrenpoint, Co Down.

It includes advertising mirrors, bar statues, antique bottles, glasses, trays, water jugs and advertising signs collected over 100 years by multiple generations of the McCabe family.

Other items due to go under the hammer include two rare early 20th century Civic Pipes advertising cabinets, a rare 1950s Guinness perpetual calendar, a Smithwicks The Great Draught Beer light-up box, a McConnell’s Old Irish Whisky Cromac Distillery Belfast Pot Stills Only framed advertising mirror and a 1950s Guinness Is Welcome In The Home celluloid advertising sign.

Auctioneer Victor Mee said he expects the sale to garner interest from collectors across the world.

“We are extremely excited to have the opportunity to sell this magnificent collection that is like no other we have ever come across and are sure it will be of high interest amongst bidders globally,” said Mee.

The first part of the sale takes place on October 5-6, with the remaining items being auctioned in the coming months.

The family-owned company moved its sales online due the coronavirus pandemic.