The contents of Michael Flatley’s opulent country estate have been sold at auction – including a creepy Hannibal Lecter mask which just sold for more than £75,000.
Riverdance star Flatley, 62, owned the muzzle-like face covering which was worn by actor Anthony Hopkins when he played the cannibalistic serial killer in the horror trilogy.
It is set on a poster background signed by Hopkins and Julianne Moore, the co stars of the movie Hannibal, the 2001 sequel to The Silence of the Lambs.
Items from Riverdance star Michael Flatley’s country estate have been auctioned off, with rare items fetching as much as £75,000
Among the collection is a muzzle-like face covering which was worn by actor Anthony Hopkins when he played serial killer Hannibal Lecter in the horror trilogy (left)
The impressive movie memorabilia owned by Michael Flatley, pictured, is set on a poster background signed by Hopkins and Julianne Moore, the co stars of the movie Hannibal, the 2001 sequel to The Silence of the Lambs
Irish dancing star Flatley sold 684 items from his estate in County Cork, Ireland, last week
The chilling piece of movie memorabilia is one of 684 items owned by the Irish dancing star that were sold off from his estate in County Cork, Ireland, late last week.
Flatley has made several attempts to sell the large estate over the years, with The Corkman reporting that he is rumoured to have sold it to a hotel company in September.
Also included in the two-day sale was a painting Flatley created himself by coating the soles of his shoes in acrylic paint and then dancing on a vinyl canvas.
The vibrant green and yellow artwork, titled ‘The Finish Line’ sold for over £33,000. It was the second-highest sale made in the auction after the Hannibal mask.
Also included in the two-day sale was a painting Flatley created himself by coating the soles of his shoes in acrylic paint and then dancing on a vinyl canvas (pictured)
The dancers impressive house has enormous rooms with a unique style, including this movie room
The vibrant green and yellow artwork, titled ‘The Finish Line’ sold for over £33,000. Pictured: An impressive sitting room in the dancer’s enormous estate in Ireland
Flatley’s painting was the second-highest sale made in the auction after the Hannibal mask. Pictured: A bedroom on his estate with impressive views of the Cork countryside
Flatley bought the 12-bedroom property, Castlehyde House in Fermoy, for €4m 21 years ago. Pictured: The impressive round carpeted staircase
The star was rumoured to have spent over €30m renovating his County Cork estate (pictured)
Flatley bought the 12-bedroom property, Castlehyde House in Fermoy, for €4m 21 years ago after he reportedly spotted it from a helicopted.
The star was rumoured to have spent over €30m renovating the mansion, which was first put on the market in 2015 for close to £18million but was taken off in 2017.
It was later put back up for sale in 2018 at a reduced price, just over £11million.
Other bizarre and eclectic items on offer included some mounted gazelle heads, suits of armor, some decommissioned guns, zebra-fur framed mirrors and a set of bamboo parasols.
In the enormous range of eclectic items on offer in the auction were some mounted gazelle heads, suits of armor, some decommissioned guns, zebra-fur framed mirrors and a set of bamboo parasols. Pictured: An elaborately designed room in his expansive home
A Napoleon III mantle clock, left, and a uniquely designed globe, right, were just some one of the items sold at the auction last week
The Mahogany bar unit with a marble and brass top (pictured) garnered some fierce bidding before the gavel went down at almost £7,300 – well over the £4,500 estimate
Also included in the sale was this Versace tissue dispenser which fetched £377
A carved wooden American Eagle with a gilded beak (left) made £1,500, well above the estimate
A Versace tissue dispenser sold for £377 and a carved wooden American Eagle with a gilded beak made £1,500, well above the estimate.
Flatley’s selection of extremely ornate gilt and rococo furnishings were also on offer, including a plethora of couches, armchairs, and chaise longues.
A heavy mahogany bar unit with a marble and brass top garnered some fierce bidding before the gavel went down at almost £7,300 – well over the £4,500 estimate.
A pair of carved gilt settees sold for £1,500, a gilt chess set fetched nearly £900, and a pair of gilt tables with marble tops made £580.
An empty gun cabinet, with reinforced glass and doors, sold for £670 and a smoking pipe with a tortoiseshell stem went for £115..
Inside the impressive estate is an enormous library filled with shelves of books on dark wood bookcases
Inlcuded in the enormous auction list were a pair of gilt tables with marble tops (pictured)
The large dining room is big enough to fit a 14-person table inside and boasts of an elaborate mural on the ceiling
In the spacious rooms, grand chandeliers hang from the ceiling alongside golf detailing and more ceiling murals
Several items failed to sell, including a ‘pair of monumental stone urns’ estimated at between £3,600 and £5,400 and a 19th century ebony and gilt console and mirror, estimated at between £4,500 to £7,200.
The extensive ‘residue sale,’ via Sheppard’s Irish Auction House, took place online with 346 bidders taking interest in the Hannibal Lecter mask and 273 keen bidders for Flatley’s foot painting.
‘It was quite an incredible section of items, with the Hannibal mask being the star attraction,’ said Philip Shappard, of Sheppard’s Irish Auction House.
The total value of all the items sold has not been disclosed.
According to Cork Beo, the estate, owned by Flatley originated from 1760 and was previously home to Ireland’s first present – Douglas Hyde.