Bloomsbury recently held an auction of all things Ireland in their New York house. There were a number of significant books in the lots, though many failed to sell. Overall it looks like quite an unsuccessful auction, with perhaps steep reserves. Here are some of the highlights:

A first edition of W.B. Yeats' Mosada, rarely coming to auction this book last fetched $63,000 in 2000. Yeats' first book, should sell, especially when presented with a six-page autographed letter. The book failed to meet its low reserve of $70,000.

James Joyce's Ulysses, first edition of 750. This 'rarity' also failed to meet expectations and didn't sell. Quite often coming to auction, but also one of the most sought after first editions, Ulysses is a strong seller. The low reserve of $50,000 wasn't met.

And finally, Samuel Beckett's Waiting on Godot presented here in the French First Trade Edition with signature. One of 2500 copies. The book fetched $9000 against estimates of $10,000 to $15,000.

All images courtesy of Bloomsbury Auctions

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