The re-vamped Ulster Museum could display ceremonial robes belonging to Sir Edward Carson as part of Ulster Covenant centenary commemorations after snapping them up at auction for £43,000.

The historically important uniforms, worn by Carson when he was Solicitor General of Great Britain and Ireland, were bought at auction in Dublin on Saturday by National Museums Northern Ireland (NMNI).

The official court outfits consist of two black wool coats trimmed with gold, a pair of trousers with gold filigree stripe and two pairs of knee breeches, along with a pair of black patent court shoes with gilt buckles decorated with the emblems of the UK.

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Dublin-born Carson, whose statue outside Stormont's Parliament Buildings in east Belfast is a well known landmark, was a successful lawyer before entering the political fray at the turn of the 20th century. He held the position of Solicitor General for the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and in 1895 cross-examined Oscar Wilde during the writer's libel action against claims he consorted with male prostitutes.

Seen as the father of modern-day unionism, Carson led the anti-Home Rule campaign which eventually resulted in the partition of Ireland in 1921.

National Museums Northern Ireland, which secured the prized items at Whyte's auction house in Dublin, now intends to put them on public display along with other artefacts relating to the creation of Northern Ireland at the newly re-opened Ulster Museum in Belfast.

Dr Jim McGreevy, director of collections and interpretation at NMNI, said: “We are very pleased to have acquired these ceremonial uniforms. Sir Edward Carson was a formidable lawyer and one of the most prominent politicians of his time. He played a defining role in shaping our history.”

Dr McGreevy said the striking robes could play an important part in the Ulster Museum’s marking of the 100th anniversary of the signing of the Ulster Covenant which protested against the introduction of Home Rule.

The Ulster Covenant was signed by almost 500,000 people in protest against the Home Rule Bill. Sir Edward Carson was the first person to put his name to it when it was opened in Belfast City Hall in 1912.