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Naked Brian Cowen pictures make a comeback

Dublin pub has ‘Biffo on the Bog’ and other controversial nude portrait of Taoiseach on display for general election.

THOUGHT YOU’D SEEN the back of Brian Cowen? You’d be wrong. The infamous “nudie” paintings of the former Fianna Fail leader have made a comeback – on the wall of a Dublin pub.

The Taoiseach may have signalled his intent to step down from national politics in the upcoming general election but he hasn’t yet faded from view for patrons of Sean Mac D’s pub in Harold’s Cross.

Owner of the pub, Mark Leavy, told TheJournal.ie that he had been given the paintings “on loan” from artist Conor Casby to display in his pub during the general election campaign. Leavy said:

I met him (Casby) in the bar here and he liked the other artwork we have displayed around the place so he offered to loan us the paintings for the duration of the election. I’ll be loathe to give them back though – he’ll have to fight me for them!

Leavy said visitors had been popping into the pub to catch a glimpse of the controversial paintings which Casby first ‘exhibited’ in March 2009. At that time, Casby’s two unofficial portraits (one of which is entitled Biff on the Bog) were smuggled into the National Gallery and the RHA hung on the wall there until staff noticed them.

RTE News later issued an apology for carrying images of the two works in their report on the incident. The station apologised “for any personal offence caused to Mr Cowen or his family or for any disrespect shown to the office of Taoiseach by our broadcast”.

Mark Leavy said that he had had several members of the public pop into to see the portraits since he hung them there last week. They fit in with the other original works of art scattered around the hostelry, including sculptures by Leavy himself.

And the good news for Sean Mac D patrons is that the paintings may well be best seen through beer goggles.

Cowen exposed
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  • Cowen exposed

    One of the nude portraits of Brian Cowen by artist Conor Casby, hanging on the wall of Sean Mac D's pub in Dublin.Source: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie
  • Cowen exposed

    One of the nude portraits of Brian Cowen by artist Conor Casby, hanging on the wall of Sean Mac D's pub in Dublin.Source: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie
  • Cowen exposed

    The nude portraits of Brian Cowen by artist Conor Casby, hanging on the wall of Sean Mac D's pub in Dublin.Source: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie
  • Cowen exposed

    Mark Leavy outside his bar Sean Mac D's where the nude portraits of Brian Cowen are currently exhibitedSource: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie
  • Pop art heroines

    Female icons of Irish history, including Constance Markiewicz, get the pop art treatment at Sean McD's pub.Source: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie
  • Ship shape

    An artwork by Sean Mac D pub owner Mark Leavy - he currently has the nude portraits of Brian Cowen also displaying in his Dublin pubSource: Adrian Acosta via TheJournal.ie

Pictures: TheJournal.ie

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6 Comments
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    Mute Radovan Karadzic
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    Mar 12th 2024, 4:48 PM

    Someone with an invisible passport

    295
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    Mute tara tevlin
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:07 PM

    @Radovan Karadzic: brilliant

    91
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    Mute Ian
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:38 PM

    @Radovan Karadzic: clown

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    Mute Gearoid MacEachaidh
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:51 PM

    @Radovan Karadzic: on a flight from Abu Dhabi? Unlikely.

    39
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    Mute Wolfgang Bonow
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:32 PM

    @Radovan Karadzic: If you would have spent 60 seconds on Google you would have known that a lot of international flights stop in Abu Dhabi.
    Most (all?) Ireland to Australia flights do so.
    I’m not Irish and according to your name, you’re not either, most likely from Serbia.
    Bold comment from someone (potentially) coming from a country which is for 10 years in the EU?

    35
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    Mute brian madden
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:51 PM

    @Wolfgang Bonow: he has multiple accounts. He is unfortunately irish.

    41
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    Mute Wolfgang Bonow
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    Mar 12th 2024, 8:13 PM

    @brian madden: This wouldn’t surprise me. Posting BS under one account and complaining under another why comments are closed.
    It’s like in Kindergarten.

    20
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:45 PM

    @brian madden: Quite unfortunate tbf!!

    4
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:47 PM

    @Wolfgang Bonow: If they are given a pass by all the reasonable who could possibly counter their BS and get comments closed, why wouldn’t they, they see it as a win coz they force folks to treat them in a way they can then lament, the right wing playbook!

    7
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    Mute Mr G Pickett
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    Mar 12th 2024, 4:46 PM

    Will they please lock down the country ASAP just like they did for the runny nose pandemic

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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:58 PM

    @Mr G Pickett: It’s funny that you think you’re funny ngl! I am amused!

    12
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    Mute Name not provided
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    Mar 12th 2024, 11:06 PM

    @Mr G Pickett: we don’t have to because thankfully the vast majority of us are vaccinated against measles. A very effective vaccine against a highly contagious and dangerous disease. Unfortunately a few hippies and WEF-obsessed clowns refuse to get vaccinated, hence why the measles spike.

    32
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    Mute Tom Mc Donnell
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    Mar 12th 2024, 4:54 PM

    Surely the airline would have a list of passengers

    168
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    Mute Cathy Cagney
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:41 PM

    @Tom Mc Donnell: Yes, but with GDPR, the airline may need to contact each passenger individually to get their consent before releasing their information

    51
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    Mute Peter Cummins
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    Mar 12th 2024, 7:35 PM

    @Cathy Cagney: Only the one plane tho. Few mins a call….a day of work for a few people??

    26
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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Mar 12th 2024, 4:55 PM

    I’m just hoping no one with Ebola Virus turns up at Dublin Airport!

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    Mute Sean O'Dhubhghaill
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:17 PM

    @Brian Hunt: High lethality rate, but not very contagious.

    18
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    Mute Gearoid MacEachaidh
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:24 PM

    @Brian Hunt: the good thing about Ebola is symptoms appear quickly and in most cases severely. Easy to spot and contain. There are probably worse viruses out there that we haven’t come across yet.

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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:49 PM

    @Brian Hunt: Or are you just fear-mongering? Hard to know!

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Mar 12th 2024, 10:36 PM

    @Chutes: Then try harder!

    7
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 10:58 PM

    @Brian Hunt: At what exactly? Knowing? Sure though if I’m honest, hard to know where to begin trying to understand such fkwittery ngl. I’ll try tho just for you!

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    Mute Brian Hunt
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    Mar 12th 2024, 11:55 PM

    @Chutes: I couldn’t care less about you think, you’re just another virtue signalling member of the Holier-Than-Thou Brigade!

    7
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    Mute Gerard Carey
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:17 PM

    Wasn’t that long ago we couldn’t get into Tesco without a muzzle and a green light.
    The good ole days.

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    Mute damien leen
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:54 PM

    @Gerard Carey: Ah yes good times…at one stage to go for a drink you had to show U were vaccinated…show ID..Give your address & phone number and then be told to be out by 8…Good times indeed, brilliantly handled.
    Funny how no goverment on this old blue planet had a plan in place for such an event…not like we didn’t have scares like, Bird flu, Sars….mad cow disease… ebola…Hmmmm…some might say our world governments were a wee bit negligent .

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    Mute Diarmuid Hunt
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    Mar 12th 2024, 7:35 PM

    @Gerard Carey: A muzzle? Isn’t that hyperbole at its finest!

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    Mute Gerard Carey
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:04 PM

    @Diarmuid Hunt: Hyperbole at its finest, indeed.

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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:51 PM

    @Gerard Carey: Be honest, did ya have to look up ‘hyperbole’ before you replied? ;)

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    Mute alan wallace
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:22 PM

    No wonder the comments section is closed on most articles with all the alt-right conspiracy nutters posting on here.

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    Mute James Reardon
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:36 PM

    @alan wallace: you could say the same for “offended by everything” left.

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    Mute Ian
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:39 PM

    @alan wallace: Utter lunatics

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    Mute damien leen
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    Mar 12th 2024, 6:56 PM

    @alan wallace: you say conspiracy nutters, guess thats the easiest way for you to label people who asked questions that needed to & still need to be asked about the fiasco that was the handling of Covid.

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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:35 PM

    @alan wallace: Until folks are willing to take them on it will continue, it’s the same as complaining about governance, until you stand they will continue to fk you!

    As the Irish love to say, ‘beatings will continue until morale improves’. They will for as long as you are willing to accept the beatings. Maybe the English made us so willing to accept our lot over the many generations, who knows eh?

    Until reasonable folks come together, those that would divide us will continue to stupidly easily because they are motivated, organised and together in their efforts. It’s remarkably simple to stop them but it takes collective action.

    At least you’ve noticed. Now all you need is the next single step, whatever that may be to you, doesn’t need to be here but you know you need to do something, clearly evidenced by your comment. There are many more who would join you in whatever form your resistance may take. There is so much to resist these days. Try here, try somewhere!

    2
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 9:37 PM

    @damien leen: Who exactly have you personally asked questions of and I don’t mean someone down the pub after hours?

    7
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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Mar 12th 2024, 11:06 PM

    @James Reardon: the ‘offended by everything left’ jibe doesn’t exactly ring true when it mostly used by people who would protest against the opening of an envelope if they had nothing left to rail against.

    5
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 11:32 PM

    @Setanta O’Toole: @James Reardon clearly has difficulties with the concept of truth! Stop picking on him like the radical leftie you are, it’s no wonder all those strong men are so afraid kappa!

    5
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    Mute Lisa O'Connor
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:01 PM

    How about isolating sick people instead of allowing them in schools, work and travelling?

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    Mute Susan Walsh
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    Mar 13th 2024, 9:42 AM

    @Lisa O’Connor: Unfortunately some diseases, like measles, the symptoms aren’t always obvious while the person is still contagious. The rash (most commonly known & recognised symptom) can appear 7 days after a person becomes infectious. So it’s hard to lock anyone down when they don’t have any symptoms.

    1
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    Mute Mick Hanna
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:25 PM

    Is there anything to be said for another lock down?

    57
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    Mute Steve
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    Mar 12th 2024, 7:03 PM

    What’s the difference between Dubai and Abu Dhabi?
    The people in Dubai don’t like the Flintstones, but the people in Abu Dhabi do.
    I know, I know, sorry!

    52
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    Mute Chutes
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    Mar 12th 2024, 10:55 PM

    @Steve: lol, at least ur sorry! :)

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    Mute Barry Hickey
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    Mar 12th 2024, 4:55 PM

    Sunday was 10th March.

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    Mute Hugh Flahive
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    Mar 12th 2024, 5:03 PM

    Was Sunday not the 10th March??

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    Mute Steve Bradshaw
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    Mar 12th 2024, 7:29 PM

    That’s my joke, must be a Steve thing….

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