Des O’Sullivan reports on stellar prices and previews upcoming sales

Des O’Sullivan casts an eye over Morgan O’Driscoll’s online art sale BISHOP Willie Walsh of Killaloe is generally considered by liberals in Ireland to be one of the good guys.

Seriously Ryan, what the hell were you at?

The winter selling season for Irish art continues apace next week with major sales by Morgan O’Driscoll at the RHA Gallery in Dublin next Monday at 6pm and by James Adam on Wednesday at 6pm.

The Aidan O’Brien-trained Sir John Lavery, a very promising third on his debut at the Curragh just a week ago, proved the star of yesterday’s Gowran Park action as he romped to an impressive seven lengths win in the one-mile Irish Stallion Farms 2-Y-0 Maiden.

Here’s a briefing on some of the stories and issues highlighted on irishexaminer.com today.

Best of Sotheby’s

Sotheby’s is an important springboard to showcase Irish art like The Disasters of War says Des O’Sullivan.

Des O’Sullivan reports on a September sale in London which features a strong list of top modern Irish artists.

The National Gallery is to pay consultants up to €75,000 to provide an economic assessment that will include a cost benefit analysis on its proposed €50m to €60m final phase of its Master Development Plan (MDP).

Des O’Sullivan looks at 20th century Irish art at de Vere’s auction.

Des O’Sullivan looks at a number of different art works on offer through three auction houses in the capital.

Des O’Sullivan on the work of 19th century artist, James Mahony, who painted the major events of his time.

Three valuable paintings that were stolen from a house in Wicklow last year have been recovered, after a man cutting a hedge found them discarded in a black bag.

Dancer Michael Flatley has been stepping his way into the history books for the past 21 years — and now he’s tapping into the global art market, having reinvented himself as a painter.

Des O’Sullivan finds a welcome in the parlour for a very fine collection of Irish art pieces sold in Dublin.

MORE than 340 lots will come under the hammer at two sales of Important Irish Art in Dublin next week.

Kya deLongchamps revels in a book which uses fascinating visual material from Irish mansions to illustrate life at that time and the dynastic tales behind the scenes

OUGHT just this year The Friends of the Model by the Cork artist Harry Jones Thaddeus (1860-1929) is on display in the Masterpieces from the Collection exhibition now on at the National Gallery of Ireland.

A pair of wonderful Dublin-made Gainsborough armchairs, a large early 19th century Chippendale hall lantern; a 19th century Dresden pen and ink stand; a Flemish alterpiece from the 15th century; an 18th-19th century cloisonne Guang or ritual vessel; a Dublin 1744 printing of the Life of Robinson Crusoe and a portrait by Sir John Lavery of Cardinal Hayes are among the lots to feature at three days of sales at Sheppard’s in Durrow next week.

AN early masterpiece by Roderic O’Conor will highlight the James Adam’s sale of Important Irish Art in Dublin next Wednesday, May 28, at 6pm.

MASTER works by Gerard Dillon and Nano Reid lead Whyte’s sale of Important Irish Art at the RDS on Monday at 6pm.

In 2013 there were buyers available, but a shortage of work at the top end of the market, writes Des O’Sullivan.

Whyte’s British and Irish art sale at the RDS, Dublin, features 216 lots.

An exceptional Irish longcase clock and horse drawn carriage are among the lots at Mealy’s auction at Woodview House near Ferns, Co Wexford next Tuesday, (Oct 1), at 11am.

AN 1829 watercolour by Daniel Maclise RA, (1806-1870), of a young girl at play comes up at Morgan O’Driscoll’s sale at the Clyde Court Hotel in Dublin next Monday evening.

Ninety-one years after he was killed in an ambush in West Cork, it is surely time to allow Michael Collins to rest in peace.

The Pikeman, by Jerome Connor, is for sale at Adam’s.

Friends Michael Collins and Harry Boland fought on opposite sides in the Civil War. They also wooed the same woman, says Richard Fitzpatrick

Gavin Friday’s album Catholic pays tribute to those killed between 1916 and 1922 who might have built a better nation, says Alan O’Riordan

Fireside is the title of this work by Mark O’Neill at Dolan’s art auction in Galway next Tuesday (May 22).

The boom buyers have vanished and lovers of more expensive Irish art can no longer afford it.

The celebrities championing the works of art in RTÉ’s Masterpiece campaign to discover Ireland’s favourite painting may be better known than the artists.

Irish painters such as Seán Scully and Paul Henry will go up against master Caravaggio in the battle for Ireland’s favourite painting.

“IT is not those who can inflict the most, but those that can suffer the most who will prevail” – the words of Terence MacSwiney, playwright, author, politician, revolutionary and martyr.

ONE of Ireland’s best known hotels, which has counted Princess Grace, Charles de Gaulle and George Bernard Shaw as guests, reopened yesterday following a multi-mullion euro refurbishment.

An early painting by one of Ireland’s most celebrated artists goes on public display for the first time today.

Some of the most famous names in Irish art will go on show in Dublin today.

Valuable works by some of Ireland’s most sought after artists are to be sold off next month in London’s two most famous auction houses, Sotheby’s and Christie’s.

The Hugh Lane Gallery has presented the House of Commons in London with a portrait of Winston Churchill.

SHIFTING conditions and heavy gusts caused problems for the 31 boat Dragon fleet in the Matthews Centre Dragon Nationals at Kinsale.

Limerick 0-07 Down 1-08

Tyrone 1-17

Down 1-12 Monaghan 0-13

IN the heady days of the late 1990s when Irish art was new to the international market it seemed as if you could sell anything once it was from an Irish artist. It is not like that now.

Paintings from one of Ireland’s most prestigious art collections are to be sold in London.