Irish Art Auction Records

No one can doubt the continuing strength of Northern Irish art in the market place. Certainly not after Ross's, Belfast last art sale of the year. Top price at sale was £19,000 paid for a Basil Blackshaw while a small Wm Conor went under the hammer at £11,000. George Campbell, £7,000 and Colin Davidson (our top tip for collectors to buy in 2006) fetched £6,800. World record prices were achieved at James Adams' Irish Art auction in Dublin this week totalling £2.2million. Of particular note were the prices achieved for post-war NI artists including a world record for a work by Colin Middleton. The highest price of the evening - £165,000 - was bid for 'Three Traders of Dublin' (1927) by Jack B Yeats, followed by Colin Middleton at £115,000. Other top prices included: Daniel O'Neill, £71,000; £54,000; Tony O'Malley, £48,600; Wm Scott, £67,000 and Tony O'Malley, £44,500 For the full story - click the title Irish Art