The IGS has called for a public acquisition of the ‘Armada Table’ which the Knight of Glin and James Peil describe as “one of the most important and earliest pieces of ‘Irish’ furniture” (Irish Furniture, 2007). In a letter to Josepha Madigan TD, Minister for Culture, Heritage & the Gaeltacht, the Society wrote the following:

The sale of the ‘Armada Table’ is most regrettable given its centuries-long ownership by the O’Brien family and its association with the great castles of Co. Clare they once resided' in: Lemenagh, Dromoland and Bunratty. Their custodianship of the table has ensured the survival of an item of furniture of national importance to our decorative arts heritage, and which represents one of the very few examples of woodcarving from the Early Modern Period in Ireland. Furthermore, their loan of the table to Bunratty Castle since the 1960s has presented an opportunity for countless visitors to see it within an old O’Brien home.

The significance of the table to Ireland’s cultural patrimony and to that of Co. Clare provides every reason for public intervention to ensure it not only remains in the country but continues to be on public view. An opportunity to finance such a public acquisition could be presented through the provisions of the Heritage Fund Act 2001 and if not, other public-private solutions should be sought as a matter of urgency with the auction scheduled for mid-October.