Late Justice's possessions go under the hammer

Former Justice of the Supreme Court, James Murnaghan was an avid collector of paintings, furniture, glass, ceramics, bronzes, marbles and silver, and the Murnaghan collection - the contents of 25 Fitzwilliam Street Upper, Dublin - go under the hammer at the Shelbourne Hotel next Thursday.

The auction has achieved quite a bit of media attention not least because the late Martin Cahill, otherwise know as the General, stole more than 60 paintings from the collection in December 1988, about half of which were subsequently recovered and will be auctioned in the forthcoming sale.

Mr Fonsie Mealy of Mealy's auctioneers, Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny, joint agents for the sale with Christie's of London, says the fact that the entire collection was identified and photographed played a crucial part in the return of many of the stolen items.

"We had pictures of everything. They got too hot to handle. We slapped pictures of these everywhere. They couldn't get shut of them," he says.

It might have taken some six years to get them back but the lesson is clear: photograph your collectibles. "If things are photographed and identified, [there's a] much better chance of getting them back," he says.

One of the recovered items, lot 394, is the 15th century picture Saint John the Baptist and three Saints by Pietro de Francesco Degli Orioli (1458-1496). Only 16 by 14.5 inches, Mr Mealy says it's "a small picture, a panel, an early 15th century picture - one of the ones that came back from the robbery". It is expected to fetch £25,000 to £35,000 (€31,743 to €44,440).

James Murnaghan (1881-1973) was "one of those who framed the constitution in 1922", says Mr Mealy. He was one of the board of governors of the National Gallery of Ireland from 1925 onwards and was made chairman in 1962. His wife, Alice Davy (1895-1999), was a member of the Davy stockbroking family. Indeed, the desk Mr James Davy started his stockbroking business on is in the sale, says Mr Mealy.

The Murnaghans, who were avid collectors, had no children. In 1987, when she was 90, Mrs Murnaghan presented the major work The Meeting of Jacob and Rachel by Murillo to the National Gallery of Ireland, where a special room was devoted to it.

When James Murnaghan died in 1973, there were as many as 1,200 paintings at his Fitzwilliam Street home.

One of the pictures (Lot 472) in the forthcoming sale is by John Henry Campbell (1757-1828), dated 1818. Mr Mealy describes it as "a beautiful thing. . . a huge and very unusual panoramic view of Dublin Bay". It has a contemporary key on the back to identify all buildings and churches, including Aldborough House (now demolished), towers and steeples of Dublin and the Sugar Loaf beyond. (Estimate: £25,000 to £35,000.)

An oil on canvas portrait of E.M. de la Poer Trench, by Walter Frederick Osborne RHA (18591903), signed and dated "Walter Osborne/1903" is estimated at £10,000 to £15,000.

A striking picture of a man with an album of drawings by candlelight, at a table, attributed to Trophime Bigot (active 16201634) is expected to fetch £6,000 to £10,000.

An early 19th century Irish mahogany triple pedestal dining table, attributed to Mack, Williams and Gibton is, according to Mr Mealy, "a fabulous table" (lot 31). It is estimated at £15,000 to £20,000.

Meanwhile, a spectacular Irish Victorian mahogany serpentine desk "a favourite of the judge himself. . . a massive piece of carving" is estimated at £10,000 to £15,000. "We've been conservative," says Mr Mealy.

Viewing, by appointment only, takes place from today until next Tuesday at 6 p.m. at 25 Fitzwilliam Street Upper.