ONE of the more notable achievements of the Irish Antique Dealers Association last year was the prominent role they played in persuading the Revenue Commissioners to change their views on a section of the 1975 Finance Act.
Two members of the IADA, acting on behalf of the association, had mounted a court challenge to the Revenue's interpretation of a section of the Act which dealt with capital gains tax. This required that this sale of items worth £2,000 or more had to be reported to the Revenue. Agreement was eventually reached and a new reporting ceiling of £15,000 was fixed a "most satisfactory outcome for all concerned", according to the IADA.
Last year appears to have been a good one for the trade, with the IADA reporting a "very marked" increase in interest in antiques. 1995 also marked the move by the annual Irish Antique Dealers Fair from its old venue, the Mansion House in Dublin, to the RDS. The structural condition of the Mansion House is such that fairs have been ruled out for some time but the new venue, says the association, was a "huge success."
With buoyant sales and a record attendance, the fair now seems set for another good year when it will be held on September 26th-29th.
A concern last year was the increase in burglaries, and the association has been working closely with the Gardai in an attempt to have something concrete done about the problem. One hope is that a special garda squad devoted to fine art theft will be set up.
Several years ago the association introduced the Ronald McDonnell bursary, worth £2,000, which is awarded annually to enable recipients to carry out further studies in conservation and restoration of art objects. Last year's winner was Elizabeth Lynch, who can now further her studies in fine art paper conservation. Previous winners have been in the fields of textiles, book binding and gilding.
This year's bursary award winner will be announced at the September fair, and anyone interested in entering for the bursary should contact the IADA at Adare, Co Limerick, telephone 061-396409.
