A slice of Co. Kilkenny's colourful past will be brought vividly back to life during this year's Arts Festival when the sale of a pony is dramatically re-created on the steps of the city's courthouse.

At 11:00am on Saturday, August 15, Sceal Mór Theatre will stage a re-enactment of the public sale first advertised over 125 years ago, and which took place outside the courthouse on June 3, 1899.

The performance is inspired by an original auction poster, printed by the Kilkenny People printing works, advertising the sale of "one gray pony" together with a pony trap, farm yard cart, and two sets of harnesses.

Conducted by auctioneers and valuators, McCreery Brothers, the sale was held at "11 o'clock" and attracted the attention of passers-by in an era long before radio, television or the internet.

150th anniversary

The re-enactment marks the 150th anniversary of one of Ireland's oldest auctioneering firms, formerly known as McCreery & Sons.

In 2000, the company joined the Sherry Fitzgerald group as a franchisee, and continues to operate as Sherry Fitzgerald McCreery from Parliament Street, Kilkenny.

The event celebrates not only the firm's longevity but also the rich tradition of public auctions that once formed an important part of everyday life in the city.

“The atmosphere, characters and excitement of an auction day in Victorian Kilkenny will offer festival-goers a glimpse of how business was conducted in the bustling streets of the city at the close of the 19th century,” managing director of Sherry Fitzgerald McCreery, Peter McCreery, said.

The performance forms part of a wider celebration of Kilkenny's auctioneering heritage during the Kilkenny Arts Festival, where a collection of original auction posters dating from between the 1880s and the 1950s will also be on public display.

"The striking posters provide a fascinating social history of Kilkenny, documenting everything from livestock and farms to grand townhouses, businesses and household contents,” McCreery said.

The free outdoor performance will take audiences back in time, allowing them to witness a memorable moment from the city's past, recreated on the very spot where it was originally held.