Purcell Auctioneers: Book Auction of c. 580 Lots to include Antiquarian Books incl. Books from Three Private Libraries, Rare - Signed - Limited Editions, Local Histories, Republican Interest Books, GAA etc, 51326, Birr
Auction Details
- Auction Date
- May 13, 2026 - May 13, 2026
| Lot Number | Author Name | Book Title | Place Printed | Year Published | Estimate | Actual Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 50 | John Healy | History of the Diocese of Meath 1908 |
1908 | GBP 40.00 - 80.00 | GBP 75.00 | |
| 51 | Thomas Lalor Cooke | The Early History of the Town of Birr or Parsonstown |
Tullamore | 1990 | GBP 40.00 - 80.00 | GBP 37.50 |
| 52 | T D Kendrick; Elizabeth Senior | N Books, including: St Manchan's Shrine |
Oxford | 1937 | GBP 50.00 - 80.00 | GBP 87.50 |
| 53 | William M. Hennessy | Annals of Loch Ce – 2 vols |
1939 | GBP 60.00 - 100.00 | GBP 75.00 | |
| 54 | N Books, including: The Streets of Sligo |
N/A | GBP 120.00 - 180.00 | GBP 250.00 | ||
| 55 | T. O'Rourke | The History of Sligo Town and County |
c. 1890 | GBP 100.00 - 150.00 | GBP 212.50 | |
| 56 | Thomas Osborn Springfield | Handwritten diary for the year 1881 |
1881 | GBP 180.00 - 200.00 | GBP 450.00 | |
| 57 | Wm. Burke; S.J. Watson; L.M. McCraith | N Books, including: History of Clonmel |
1983; 1988; 1912 | GBP 60.00 - 100.00 | GBP 68.75 | |
| 58 | Charles Smith | Ancient and Present State of the County and City of Waterford |
Dublin | 1746 | GBP 150.00 - 300.00 | GBP 125.00 |
| 59 | Bernard Colclough; Walter O'Neill; Maurice J Wigham | N Books, including: Waterford & Thereabouts |
1993; 1998 | GBP 50.00 - 100.00 | GBP 87.50 | |
| 60 | Patrick Warner | The Comeraghs – Fact and Fancy; The Comeraghs – Fact and Famine; The Comeraghs – Refuge of Rebels – The Story of Deise Brigade I.R.A. 1914-1924; A Visitor’s Guide to the Comeragh Mountains |
1974; 1975; 1978 | GBP 40.00 - 80.00 | GBP 62.50 | |
| 61 | Rev. R. H. Ryland | The History, Topography and Antiquities of the County and City of Waterford with an account of the present state of the peasantry of that part of the south of Ireland |
London | 1824 | GBP 300.00 - 400.00 | GBP 250.00 |
| 62 | P/.M. Egan | History, Guide and Directory of the County and City of Waterford |
1894 | GBP 100.00 - 200.00 | GBP 112.50 | |
| 63 | Alan Downey | The Glamour Of Waterford |
Dublin | 1921 | GBP 40.00 - 60.00 | Not Sold |
| 64 | Bill Irish | N Books, including: Shipbuilding in Waterford 1820-1882 |
2001; 1999 | GBP 40.00 - 80.00 | GBP 87.50 | |
| 65 | Aidan Heavey | The Aidan Heavey Collection, Books & Manuscripts of Irish Interest at Athlone Library |
2008 | GBP 100.00 - 200.00 | GBP 106.25 | |
| 66 | Herman Murtagh | Athlone In The Victorian Era |
Athlone | 2007 | GBP 80.00 - 160.00 | GBP 250.00 |
| 67 | Lt Col M K Hanley; Ruth Illingworth; Gearoid O'Brien | N Books, including: The Story of Custume Barracks Athlone |
1974; 2008; 1992 | GBP 50.00 - 80.00 | GBP 162.50 | |
| 68 | Tadhg Carey; Gearoid O'Brien; Leila Canney | N Books, including: When We Were Kings- The story of Athlone Town's 1924 FAI Cup triumph |
Athlone | 2009; 1954-1979; 2008 | GBP 50.00 - 80.00 | GBP 43.75 |
| 69 | Journal of the Old Athlone Society |
N/A | GBP 60.00 - 120.00 | GBP 175.00 | ||
| 70 | Aidan Heavey | The Aidan Heavey Collection, Books & Manuscripts of Irish Interest at Athlone Library |
2008 | GBP 100.00 - 200.00 | GBP 112.50 | |
| 71 | Herman Murtagh | Athlone History and Settlement to 1800 |
Athlone | 2000 | GBP 80.00 - 160.00 | GBP 150.00 |
| 72 | Leo Daly | James Joyce and The Mullingar Connection; James Joyce At The Cross-Keys Mullingar |
1975; 1991 | GBP 60.00 - 120.00 | GBP 81.25 | |
| 73 | Tom Collins; Gearoid O'Brien | N Books, including: Athlone Golf Club 1892-1992 |
1992; 1996 | GBP 50.00 - 80.00 | GBP 37.50 | |
| 74 | Marian Keaney; H J Rice; RuthHeard | N Books, including: Westmeath Authors- a bibliographical and biographical study |
1969; 1952; 1974 | GBP 50.00 - 80.00 | GBP 37.50 |
-
Sotheby’s
Shelf Life: Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper from the Library of Stanley J. Seeger and Christopher Cone
25 June – July 7Sotheby’s, July 7: Ludwig van Beethoven. Autograph sketches for the overture "Die Weihe des Hauses", op.124, [1822], UNPUBLISHED. £150,000 to £200,000.Sotheby’s, July 7: Jane Austen. Pride and Prejudice, 1813, first edition, 3 volumes, contemporary half calf. £50,000 to £70,000.Sotheby’s, July 7: Walt Whitman. Leaves of Grass, Brooklyn, 1855, first edition, first issue, original green cloth, the Doheny copy. £50,000 to £70,000.Sotheby’s, July 7: Binding—Sangorski & Sutcliffe—Omar Khayyam. Rubaiyat, London, 1872, third edition, in a magnificent jewelled Peacock binding. £15,000 to £20,000.Sotheby’s, July 7: George Eliot. Middlemarch, Edinburgh and London, 1871, first edition in the original parts. £20,000 to £30,000. -
Forum Auctions
The Private Library:
Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
July 9, 2026Forum, July 9: Hassall (Joan) A large collection of over 300 original woodblocks of engravings for various books, v.d., with Hassall's engraver's glass water-globe (Qty) - Est. £10,000-15,000Forum, July 9: Eragny Press.- [Bradley (Katherine Harris) & Edith Emma Cooper], "Michael Field." Whym Chow, Flame of Love, one of only 27 copies, inscribed by Bradley, the rarest book from the press, 1914. - Est. £3,000-4,000Forum, July 9: [Moore (Thomas Sturge)] [Wood Engravings], 71 wood-engravings printed by David Chambers from the original blocks, the only set on Japanese Hosho paper, from an edition of 5 sets, [1970]. - Est. £3,000-4,000Forum Auctions
The Private Library:
Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
July 9, 2026Forum, July 9: La Fontaine (Jean de) Contes et Nouvelles en vers, 2 vol., engraved plates after Eisen, fine early 19th century blue morocco, gilt, by Bradel l'ainé, Amsterdam [Paris], 1762. - Est. £2,000-3,000Forum, July 9: Erotica.- Prostitution.- Pretty Women of Paris (The); Their Names and Addresses, Qualities and Faults..., [Paris], privately printed at the Press of the Prefecture de Police, 1883. - Est. £3,000-4,000Forum, July 9: Vale Press.- Ricketts (Charles) & Lucien Pissarro. De la Typographie et de l'Harmonie de la Page Imprimée…, [one of 216 copies], bound in dark blue morocco tooled in gilt, by Sarah T.Prideaux, 1898. - Est. £1,000-1,500Forum Auctions
The Private Library:
Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
July 9, 2026Forum, July 9: Martin (John) Illustrations of the Bible, complete set of 20 mezzotints, good impressions, rarely found in early states, [c.1831-1835]. - Est. £1,000-1,500Forum, July 9: Golden Cockerel Press.- Four Gospels of the Lord Jesus Christ (The), one of 500 copies, Mary Gill's copy, Waltham St. Lawrence, 1931 with a signed proof of engraving on japon numbered 10/10 (2) - Est. £5,000-7,000Forum, July 9: Boccaccio (Giovanni) The Decameron, 3 vol., vol.1 extra-illustrated by John Buckland Wright with c.150 erotic original drawings in pen & ink and pencil, 1886 [extra-illustrated c.1940]. - Est. £10,000-15,000Forum Auctions
The Private Library:
Fine Printing & Private Press books, the collection of the late David Chambers
July 9, 2026Forum, July 9: Cox (Morris) Collection of Gogmagog Press Books, 35 vol., rare complete collection of printed books issued by the press, limited editions, most signed by Cox, 1957-83. - Est. £10,000-15,000Forum, July 9: Wynkyn de Worde.- [Terentius Afer (Publius)] [Comedie...], [Paris, Josse Badius: sold in London by Wynkyn de Worde, & others], [15 July 1504]. - Est. £4,000-6,000Forum, July 9: Mosley (James) Ornamented Types. Twenty-Three Alphabets from the Foundry of Louis John Pouchée, 2 vol., one of 10 copies for presentation, from an edition of 210, 1992-93. - Est. £1,000-2,000 -
Forum Auctions
The 10th Anniversary Sale
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
July 16, 2026Forum, July 16: Inundation papyrus. P.Michael 4, the ‘Inundation papyrus’, a geographical account of the Nile near Canopus, in Greek, remains of two columns from a manuscript scroll on papyrus, Egypt, second century CE. £12,000-18,000Forum, July 16: Book of Hours, use of Sarum, manuscript on vellum, 6 full-page miniatures, with famous Middle English inscriptions, Southern Netherlands for the English market, [c.1430]. £30,000-50,000Forum, July 16: Qu'ran, Arabic manuscript on burnished, stencilled, and gold-flecked paper, 447ff., Sultanate Gujarat, Ahmadabad, [after 1411 but no later than 1442]. £15,000-20,000Forum Auctions
The 10th Anniversary Sale
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
July 16, 2026Forum, July 16: Turner (William). A New boke of the natures and properties of all wines that are commonly vsed here in England, rare first edition of the first English book on wine, By William Seres, 1568. £20,000-£30,000Forum, July 16: Spenser (Edmund). The Faerie Queene. first edition, Printed [by John Wolfe] for William Ponsonbie, 1590. £30,000-40,000Forum, July 16: Shakespeare (William). The Comedie of Errors, extracted from the first folio, Isaac Jaggard and Edward Blount, 1623. £15,000-20,000Forum Auctions
The 10th Anniversary Sale
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
July 16, 2026Forum, July 16: Fleming (Ian). Casino Royale, first edition, signed presentation inscription from the author, 1953. £40,000-60,000Forum, July 16: d'Agoty (Jacques-Fabien Gautier). Anatomie de la Tête, first edition, Paris, chez le Sieur Gautier, 1748. £10,000-15,000Forum, July 16: Martial Arts.- Lee (Bruce). 'Praying Mantis style' Kung Fu book, containing numerous annotations, diagrams and graphs in Bruce Lee's hand, c. 1960. £50,000-70,000Forum Auctions
The 10th Anniversary Sale
Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on Paper
July 16, 2026Forum, July 16: Warre (Capt. Henry James). Sketches in North America and the Oregon Territory, first edition, rare hand-coloured issue, 1848. £30,000-40,000Forum, July 16: Norie (John William). The Marine Atlas, or Seaman's Complete Pilot for all the principal places in the known world..., 1826. £30,000-50,000Forum, July 16: Mao Tse-tung.- Kim Il-sung.-[Note book for visitors from China to Korea], signed by Mao and Kim, [Beijing, 1954]. £10,000-15,000