The soaring sums paid for Irish property in recent years mean high house prices here rarely cause any surprise.
However, there was some astonishment in Castlecomer, Co Kilkenny yesterday afternoon when an enthusiastic buyer paid €26,000 for a smart neo-Georgian residence.
While the amount may seem very small, so too is the building; it stands just under four feet high and had been expected to sell for no more than €900.
Dating from the late-19th century, the structure is a three-storey, five-bay dolls' house, its roof crowned by two sets of chimneys and a cupola housing a bell. The interior is decorated in sufficient style to satisfy the requirements of any estate agent, complete with original fireplaces, an elegant staircase, old wallpapers and even fitted cupboards.
Were the house larger, it would undoubtedly have been just as keenly sought for human habitation. But despite its diminutive scale, yesterday seven telephone bidders competed with those present in Mealy's auctionrooms for ownership of the building; the eventual victor is believed to be an Irish collector.
Aside from an appealing appearance, one explanation for the high price commanded by this item may be its provenance; the dolls' house is one of some 600 lots which have come from Lissadell, Co Sligo, ancestral home of the Gore-Booth family. Another distinctive piece from the same source, an early-19th century Irish, green-lacquered harp made by John Egan also far surpassed all expectations.
Estimated to sell for €800- €1,200, it eventually fetched €11,000. Further interest in acquiring a souvenir of Lissadell's history can be expected today when many more lots from the house are due to be sold by Mealy's. Among the most important works are a large number of paintings by Constance Markievicz (née Gore-Booth) and her husband Casimir.