Loughlin to host first auction of Irish heritage in 30 years

Loughliffe is to host the first auction in 30 days of Irish Heritage in its current form.

The auction will be held at the Old Port on Tuesday night with proceeds expected to be donated to local charities.

The historic site at the centre of the Loughdale riots in 1919, is the first and only site in the country to be sold as part of the €25m auction, which will include three heritage sites.

Loughlin, which has an annual population of about 5,000, was once home to the Irish Civil War and the Derry-based republican group, the Ulster Volunteer Force (UVF).

The Loughlanes estate was built between 1869 and 1921 to house the houses of the members of the Volunteers, who fought against British forces in Northern Ireland in the war.

The site, which includes the remains of the city’s famous Loughford Bridge and the ruins of the Doonbeg Hotel, is one of the oldest and largest buildings in the town.

The Londons owner, John Loughleton, was a well-known member of the republican movement and was assassinated by members of his own group in 1921.

He had built the property from the ground up in a bid to protect his family and property, with his wife and three children among those who were killed in the riots.

The property was sold to the Dermot Desmond Estate and Trust for a later auction in 1972.

Since then, the site has been used by the Londonagh Association for the development of heritage sites, as well as by the National Trust for Ireland.

The council has been working with Heritage Ireland since it was established in 2002 and will also be providing financial support to the event.