GARDAÍ IN BALTINGLASS, Co Wicklow, have recovered three valuable paintings that were stolen during a burglary at a house in October last year.
The paintings by Irish artists Sir John Lavery, Paul Henry and Jack B Yeats were taken from the house in Donard and at the time gardaí released photos of them, appealing for the public’s help tracking them down.
The paintings have significant value, with all artists having works in the Irish collection held at the National Gallery of Ireland.
Today, Dennis Russell was cleaning rubbish from his land when he came across the paintings.
He told RTÉ’s Drivetime today that he thought the bag was rubbish.
“People often throw their rubbish over my ditch. I saw a black rubbish bag in the bush and thought “another one” and pulled it out and out fell four works of art.
“I know Paul Henry’s work and I recognised the Jack B Yeats work. They were still in frames and looked in reasonable condition.
I got a bit of a shock when they fell out, then carefully took them to the house and laid them on a table. I looked at them for a while before my wife came in and exclaimed that they were fine art.
“We then rang the guards who came out and took them away.”
Gardaí confirmed the paintings have been successfully recovered and have been taken to Garda Headquarters for examination.
However no arrests have been made and investigations are ongoing.
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