An early 20th century electric shock machine, a rare Oriental opium pipe and gold sovereign coins worth in total an estimated close to £30,000 are among items from the bishop’s house in Newry going under the hammer at an auction next month.
More than 1,100 separate lots, with estimated prices ranging from €10 (£8.30) to €8,000 (£6,700), will be for sale at the two-day auction.
The two storey listed building on the Armagh Road is currently on the market along with 27 acres of adjoining land.
The Diocese of Dromore previously linked the sale of the house and land to costs incurred in High Court cases taken by victims of former St Colman’s College principal, Malachy Finegan, the prolific sexual and physical abuser of boys across three decades.
A successful auction of the the contents of the house, built soon after St Colman’s moved to the site in 1829, could raise hundreds of thousands of pounds. The sale is being managed by Victor Mee Auctions of Belturbet, Co Cavan.
Among the items under the hammer is a rare William IV Italian marble console table, listed with an estimated price of between €4,000 and €8,000.
Paul Gilmore, one of Finegan’s victims, said “it’s horrifying to witness the level of opulence and grandeur”.
“This palace and all its contents came at the expense of the community they were trusted to serve,” Mr Gilmore added.
“This lifestyle of luxury contrasts vividly with that of many of his survivors who have been unable to sustain employment and have been forced to live on state benefits, because of the impact of the abuse on their mental health.”
While the lots include tables, couches, mirrors, lamps, Persian rugs, paintings, garden furniture, kitchenware and ecclesiastical items, many dating to the 19th century, others also stand out.
These include the more than 100-year-old portable electric shock machine in its mahogany case, listed at between €60-€120 and the rare Oriental carved bone opium pipe.
A pistol and six rifles, including an 1864 Lee Enfield, a fog horn, an early 20th century dinner gong made from cow horns and eight wicker hats are also for sale.
The auction also includes 19th century stuffed turtles.
Close to 100 gold sovereign coins, from the reigns of Victoria, George V and Edward VII, are being auctioned in separate lots, with a listed price range of between €200 and €500. This could raise approximately €35,000 or £30,000.
Gold rings are also up for sale, including five wedding bands.
A marble altar dating from the 1920s is even up for sale.
Claire McKeegan, a lawyer who represents dozens of Finegan victims, is monitoring the auction, but will be writing to the diocese to confirm it has “secured the bishops' secret archive material which we are instructed was held in the bishops residence”.
“Our clients have been frustrated by delays by diocese of Dromore preventing their cases getting to court adding to their distress,” Ms McKeegan. of Phoenix Law, added.
Ms McKeegan said senior church officials knew of the allegations of abuse from at least the 1990s but did not report these to the police, sending him instead to a treatment centre, then returning him to parishes where he continued to prey on victims.
The Irish News has reported the diocese has moved to sever ties with St Colman’s in connection with civil actions related to Finegan and others accused of abuse.
Finegan taught in the school from 1967 and was appointed principal in 1976, at approximately the same time as Bishop Francis Brooks became head of the diocese. Finegan stepped down in 1987.
Bishop Brooks’s tenure ended in 1999, when he was replaced by Bishop John McAreavey.
Bishop McAreavey stepped down in 2018 after it emerged he celebrated mass with Finegan as late as 2000 and officiated at his funeral two years later.
According to the auction catalogue, ecclesiastical highlights “include a remarkable collection of liturgical pieces, with standout items such as a set of early 20th-century Stations of the Cross” and “a decanter presented to Pope Pius IX on his sacerdotal jubilee, bearing an extraordinary provenance from the town of Velletri, Italy”.
The auction is also “offering a tantalising selection of interior pieces that reflect the grandeur of the house”, including “a twelve-foot dining table and a stunning gilt regency mirror by Jacksons of Essex Bridge are among the most anticipated lots”.
“Of particular interest are a pair of Scagliola marble columns, showcasing an intricate Italian technique popular in the 17th and 18th centuries,” the auctioneers add..
“Garden enthusiasts will be drawn to the collection of 19th-century pieces, including a rare limestone sundial and a series of stone troughs that tell a story of rural life and craftsmanship.”
Viewing is planned for three days from February 8, with a two day auction the following Wednesday and Thursday.
Dromore Diocese was contacted for comment.