THE latest community news from Bala.

Auction

TWO bottles of antique Welsh whisky (see picture) have sold for a whopping £14,500 at auction.The spirits, dating back to 1889, were bottled in an old distillery in Frongoch.

The distillery was later transformed into a Prisoner of War camp, notably home to hundreds of Irish rebels following the Easter Rising a century ago.It has been suggested that the liquor plant was a ‘university of revolution’ where the IRA was first conceived.

On Monday, the Welsh Whisky Distillery Company bottles were sold online by Peter Francis Auctioneers in Carmarthen.

Auctioneer Charles Hampshire was “very surprised” by the high values the bottles received.“One went for £7,300 and the other £7,200, both to private collectors, with the former set to stay in Wales, much nearer the original distillery,” he told the Cambrian News.

“I originally valued them at approximately £1,500 but expected something between £2,000 to £3,000.

“It was great to see them go for as much as they did. They were so rare, they weren’t so easy to value.

“They could’ve gone for a very high sum or a very low sum but we’re delighted it was the former, especially for the sellers.”

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