Ambassadors from eight countries—Mexico, Bolivia, Costa Rica, Colombia, Ecuador, Guatemala, Panama and Peru—whose heritage was included in the sale launched a united front against it, with calls for Unesco to intervene

A previous version of the show was due to open in 2018, but was cancelled at short notice. Now it is being shunned.

Government has established €600,000 three-year pilot project called NEXUD to combat illegal trade in antiquities