A 220-year-old Irish clock that chimes God Save the Queen has fetched an impressive £84,000 at auction.
The Speaker Clock, designed by renowned Irish architect Francis Johnston, was on display in Irish parliaments of three separate centuries – and has now been bought by an anonymous buyer in Co. Kildare.
“The idea for the clock was first conceived in 1790 and it was built around 1795,” auctioneer George Fonsie Mealy revealed to The Irish Post.
The best minds in the country were brought together to design the clock, specifically for the autonomous Irish parliament of the 18th century, which reported to Britain’s King George III.
With the intricate designs of Johnston, who also designed Dublin’s General Post Office, and the craftsmanship of Northern Irish clockmaker James Waugh, the clock was soon displayed in the Irish Houses of Parliament.
The clock played a rendition of God Save the King – and today still plays the tune for Britain’s Queen Elizabeth II.
It was removed from the parliament when the Kingdom of Ireland ceased to exist in 1801 - and the parliament was dissolved.
Over the centuries, the clock changed hands several times and eventually ended up in the possession of the Guinness brewing family.
But it suffered some damage when it went back on display in the Irish parliament in 2007.
“The owner had it out on loan to Leinster House for two years,” Mr Fonsie Mealy revealed.
“It was on loan on the condition that it would be viewable by the public because of its interesting history and where it was displayed meant it was damaged.
“A clock of its age needs care to ensure it does not get damaged and this wasn’t the case so the owner had it removed from Leinster House.”
After some restorative work, the clock went up for auction in Naas, Co. Kildare, on Tuesday – eventually fetching €115,000 (about £84,000) from an anonymous buyer.
The final bid for the historical time-teller was considerably more than the €70,000-90,000 expected.
“The clock will be staying in Ireland – and will be on show to the public again in the future,” Mr Fonsie Mealy confirmed.
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