A 110-year-old time capsule is to be preserved at a Breaffy bar after it was discovered last year during renovation works.

During the extensive renovation works for the new Healy Mac’s Irish Bar at Breaffy House Resort last year, the lead case was uncovered by workmen after a wall was knocked.

The case was placed in the wall in February 1905 by a Dominick Sidney Browne, and nobody knew it existed until the discovery.

Dominick placed the lead box in the east wall on the northern side of the fireplace of the room known as the study, which was uncovered a staggering 110 years later.

Inside the lead case was an envelope, sealed with the Browne crest. It read, “To whoever shall open the sealed leaden box containing these papers, I commend this envelope and its contents for preservation. DS Browne, February 6th 1905.”

The envelope contained two letters, one detailing some family history of the Brownes and another detailing the contents of the time capsule.

In addition to the letters, the capsule contained a number of newspapers: The Irish Times, The Times of London, The Western People, The Connaught Telegraph, a copy of the Illustrated London News, and a Punch or London Charivari.

There was also a small cloth bag, tied with string, containing a set of Victorian currency and a set of the currency of Edward VII, the reigning monarch.

In the letters, Dominick details a family history of the Brownes who initially lived in The Neale before settling in Breaffy.

A sketch plan of the house as built by Father Dominick Andrew Browne, which was commenced in 1873, and a scale plan of present addition, commenced October 1904, is also included in the lead case.

The Healy Mac’s team are now looking to get advice on how to best preserve the newspapers and other items.

It is hoped to have a cabinet made to display the contents of the time capsule within the hotel.

H/T: The Mayo News.