Stradbally Hall empties its attic

Exactly two years after the last such sale on its premises, Stradbally Hall in Co Laois will be disposing of more of its contents next Tuesday afternoon. The property, home to the Cosby family since the 17th century, is to empty its attics and basement on this occasion; what has been stored in these areas for up to 200 years will be offered at Stradbally by auctioneer Loughlin Bowe. While not necessarily antique items of the first calibre, the lots for sale have their own fascination as they represent the accumulated belongings of a single family and its various interests. Any sale of this kind abounds with furniture, but a group of pieces relating to the Cosbys' sporting pursuits is also worthy of mention.Among these is a Hardy split-cane fishing rod (estimate, ú200ú280) and a Hardy Princess reel (ú80ú120). Guns include a double-barrelled cased shotgun by William Powell, dating from 1898 (ú3,400-ú3,800) and two guns by Charles Osborne (ú1,500-ú2,800).The sale begins at 2 p.m.