The Tralee Horse Racing Cup dating from 1791 which is for sale in a London antiques store.
THE races are coming back to Ballybeggan for the Rose Festival weekend, restoring the tradition of the sport in the town which has gone on for hundreds of years.
It was coincidental then that TraleeToday.ie came across a piece of silverware currently on sale in a London antique store.
Daniel Bexfield Antiques of Covent Garden is selling the ‘The Tralee Horse Racing Cup’, dated from 1791, for a cool £6,250.
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The piece is described as an Irish 18th century silver two-handled loving cup made by Matthew West of Dublin in 1791. It measures ten and a half inches in height and weighs almost 1.3kg.
The inscription reads “Tralee Races – July 19th 1792, Barry Denny Esq – Steward”.
Bexfied Antiques describes it on their website as “a rare Irish horse racing cup, Tralee is the county town of County of Kerry, Ireland. With original attractive bright-cut decoration, the cup is of superb quality and made from a thick gauge of silver. Excellent hallmarks and condition, without damage or repair.”
We contacted Daniel Dexfield in London and he told us that he acquired the piece a short time ago from a private collection.
“It’s clear from the cup that it has been cared for with love as it is of superb quality. It would make a perfect museum piece if anyone would like to bring it back to Tralee,” he said.
He said Matthew West, who made the cup, was a renowned silversmith from Dublin and this is a work of his highest standard.
It would be great to see the cup come back home for the races. Right then, any volunteers with deep pockets?
For more click here or call the London store on 00 44 20 7240 1766.
See more photos below…
The inscription on the cup.
The interior of the cup, which has plenty capacity for champagne.
