An original copy of the 1916 Proclamation of Independence made a record €390,000 when it was auctioned in Dublin last night.
The proclamation, which was found in a cupboard in a family home, is one of only 20 known to still exist. It had a pre-auction estimate of €150,000.
The auction in the packed James Adam saleroom in St Stephen's Green saw the bidding start at €70,000 and rise rapidly in bids of €5,000 with a man in the front row making many of the offers.
Telephone bids were accepted, as well as offers from potential buyers in the room.
At €370,000, the auctioneer Mr James O'Halloran, coaxed the last two offers - one from a person in the hallway and the other from a telephone bidder - before bringing down the gavel and selling the copy to the anonymous telephone bidder.
After the auction a spokeswoman for James Adam said no statement would be made on the owner's identity or nationality.
The Minister for the Environment, Mr Roche, who also has responsibility for Heritage, said he had not bought the copy on behalf of the State. Nor, to the best of his knowledge, was it purchased by anyone else acting on behalf of the Government, he said.
"We have a couple of copies already," he said, remarking that the one sold last night was a "particularly fine" copy.
The price is the highest achieved at auction for an original copy of the proclamation.
Another copy, signed by the printer Mr Christopher Brady, was sold for £100,000 sterling last August.
The State owns copies in Leinster House and the National Museum. The copy sold yesterday was authenticated by staff at the National Library, which has the State's third copy.
