RIVERDANCE star Michael Flatley has had a major clear-out of his Cork mansion with hundreds of collective items up for auction – including a Hannibal mask and suits of armour.

The superhoofer is flogging antiques, Renaissance paintings, shotguns and more bizarre items from his lavish estate in Co Cork.

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The most expensive gift up for sale is an illuminated Hannibal Lecter mask which was worn by screen legend Anthony Hopkins in the 2001 film The Silence of the Lambs.

The mask – going for a whopping €80,000 to €120,000 – comes framed with a poster which is signed by Hopkins and co-star Julianne Moore.

Dance icon Flatley, 62, has over 700 items under the hammer – all currently homed in his €4 million Castlehyde Estate.

If you fancy surprising the in-laws by dressing up as a knight this Christmas, there are three suits of armour up for grabs ranging from €500 to €1,500.

HISTORICAL WEAPONS

The Chicago-born star also has a range of 19th century shotguns, swords, a crossbow, African jambiya blades and a Sino-Tibetan dagger for sale.

A huge selection of paintings, photographs, African tribal masks and artworks are also being flogged which includes portraits of Pamela Anderson, Pierce Brosnan, Nicolas Cage, Tom Cruise and the late Sean Connery – all costing €100 to €150.

Some of the cheaper items up for auction include an Irish masonic sword (€30 to €50), bamboo umbrellas (€50 to €80), walking sticks (€50 to €120) and busts of French revolutionist Napoleon Bonaparte (€50 to €120).

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The wide-ranging catalogue doesn’t strictly feature antiques and all things artsy with some modern items including a flat-screen television and stereo speakers also looking to attract buyers.

If you want to be as flying fit as the Lord of the Dance, a cross trainer and exercise bike can be bought for €200 to €300.

Sheppard’s Irish Auction House are in charge of flogging the goods with the auction officially beginning at 10am this morning and lasting until tomorrow.

‘PHENOMENAL INTEREST’

Auctioneer Philip Sheppard said the items have attracted “phenomenal interest”.

He told Today with Claire Byrne on RTE Radio 1: “There is phenomenal interest, interest is literally coming from all over the world.

“Michael Flatley is a global brand and that’s reflected in the interest that’s been generated by the sale.

“We’re up and running since 10 o’clock this morning and already everything is selling mostly at the high-ends of the estimates, some of them beyond them and there’s the odd bargain going as well.

“I just watched a bamboo umbrella being sold for €25 so there’s something for everybody.

“There was a chest set guided for €200 to €250, it made €500 and it’s gone to somebody in Switzerland.

“The Hannibal mask is an extraordinary piece, the actual mask that was used on set by Sir Anthony Hopkins and it’s framed in a box frame, it’s got a poster, it’s signed by Sir Anthony Hopkins and his co-star and it’s got an LED illuminated strip in it that lights it up red and makes it much more gruesome then it actually is.”

LAVISH ESTATE WORTH MILLIONS

The luxurious mansion where the items are being sold from was bought by Flately in 1999 for €4 million after he spotted it from a helicopter.

It has been estimated that €30 million was spent on refurbishing it.

It went up for sale in 2015 with an asking price of €20 million but was tken off the market in 2017,

It went back up for sale in 2018 for the more moderate price of €12.5 million.

It was agreed to be bought by a hotel consortium however, Flatley ultimately decided against selling it and is now devising a new decorative scheme for the property.

As a result, there has been a huge clearout and now he is selling what Mr Sheppard described as “residue pieces”.

He added: “I think every family goes through phases where you redo the house and reconfigure things.

“It’s a new chapter for him going forward, it’s 20 years since he did it up.”

• The auction is open to bidders until tomorrow, November 27.

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Cork, Ireland – The Sun