Victor Mee's Iconic Dublin Nightlife sale on Saturday, May 15th and Sunday, May 16th features contents from some of the city's best-known nightspots including The George, Zanzibar, The Dandelion Hotel and nightclub, and Fireworks Bar and nightclub at the Trinity Hotel.
It also lists some contents from Howl at the Moon and Café en Seine. The contents of these two venues sold through Niall Mullen in 2018 with 100 per cent sales rates.
"All the items in this sale were purchased at previous auctions and were destined for a new venue, which was to be a hotel and nightclub, but with Covid this has fallen through," explains Brian Mee of the auction house, on the provenance of these pieces.
For bidders who missed out on these sales, they now have a chance to bid again on items such as Italian Ceccarelli hand-painted urns (lots 348 and 449, €1,400-€1,600) and a gilt A l’etage restaurant mirror decorated with flowers and grapes (lot 572, €300-€500) from the opulent interiors of Café en Seine. Lot 1,280 – also from the French themed hostelry – and what the catalogue describes as “an exceptional quality”, is a large decorative Brunswick bar back, which comes complete with shelving and pillars, listed at €3,000-€5,000. These neoclassical style bars were originally created in the 1800s for use in American saloons, and are now highly sought after by collectors. As the bar and some lighting fixtures were originally purchased from famous auction houses in Atlanta, such as Red Baron Auctions and Antiques and Great Gatsby’s Auctions, Mee expects interest “from all corners of the world”.
Another bar is from Bad Bobs; an unusual aluminium piece listed at €1,200- €1,800 and, should you feel like recreating scenes from the pub, the moose and bison heads are seeking €1,200-€1,800 and €800-€1,200 respectively.
Moroccan-inspired interiors feature from Zanzibar, the former lavish Middle Eastern themed club, with ornate hanging lights, where patrons quaffed martinis prior to the venue becoming an aparthotel. A good range of decorative lighting in the form of brass lanterns and candle holders feature alongside lamps in the shape of the Taj Mahal.
What began as a shellfish bar in 1780 to become an establishment that has embraced sexual identity for 30 years, fans of The George bar can pick up a brass chandelier, industrial hanging spotlights and nickel topped tables – where they might well have played bingo on a Sunday night with Shirley Temple Bar.
Commenting on the sale, Victor Mee said: "It has been many years since we have hosted an interiors sale featuring so many iconic and famous interiors pieces, and we are certain that there will be bidders tuning in online from around the world. Whether you are a Dublin local or a tourist who fell in love with the city, there will be something of interest amongst the many lots that will pass the auction block."
