Communities on nine non-Gaeltacht islands have expressed concern at the news that the Department of the Environment, Community, and Local Government is to terminate funding to their five community development company offices from the end of next month.

A MAJOR painting from le Brocquy’s celebrated Tinker series will lead the 23 Irish works at Sotheby’s sale of British and Irish art in London on December 10. 

William Scott’s Quiet Ochre painted in 1973 makes its first appearance on the auction market estimated at £100,000-€150,000.

Slowly, the Irish art market is climbing out of recession.

Francis Bacon made art market history in New York this week when his Three Studies of Lucian Freud sold for $142,405,000 at Christie's in New York to become the most valuable painting ever sold at auction.

DR Éimear O’Connor has made a remarkable contribution to Irish art history. She has curated two major exhibitions of the work of 20th century artist, Seán Keating, and has written several books on him, of which the most recent is Seán Keating: Art, Politics and Building the Irish Nation.

A fisherman and father of seven facing a penalty for under-recording his catch of monkfish said yesterday he did not have the heart to throw a good catch over the side.

THE Irish art market will be tested on the international stage in London next Thursday.

The Crawford Art Gallery in Cork puts the work of Seán Keating in a modern context, writes Tina O’Sullivan

AN enduring love story that captivated Edwardian society is highlighted in a pair of portraits at Sotheby’s British and Irish art sale in London next Thursday (May 10).

A CHANCE discovery in the files of a Dublin solicitors’ firm has revealed first-hand accounts of one of Ireland’s most famous artists about the horrors left in the trenches of World War I.

THE country might be in the grips of a recession but, for the next week, art lovers will be given a rare opportunity to look at a more pleasant image of Ireland.

Richard Fahey’s impressive start to the season continued when Halla San made a mockery of his rivals in the catterickbridge.co.uk Handicap at the Yorkshire venue.

A painting from a highly-acclaimed portrait series by Louis le Brocquy is expected to fetch the highest price at a major sale of post-war Irish art which goes on display today.

TWICE of late Walk In My Shadow has done us tasty favours and one cannot resist rowing in with her again in the first division of the Connollys' Red Mills Horse Care Cubes Handicap at Roscommon this evening.

FRAN BERRY drew level with Michael Kinane at the top of the jockeys’ championship when taking his total for the campaign to 28 aboard Spirit Of Age in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Handicap at Tralee last night.

DERMOT WELD’S Bobs Pride can provide the answer to the Group Three P W McGrath Memorial Ballysax Stakes at Leopardstown tomorrow.

JOHNNY EGAN made a successful first visit to Cork Racecourse yesterday when guiding Slip Dance to a smooth victory in the Irish Stallion Farms’ EBF Fillies Race.

MARINE Minister Dermot Ahern has temporarily deferred new port charges which, fishermen claim, threaten the future of the industry.

SOME of the country’s best known fishing ports could face extinction if new landing charges are introduced, fishing groups warned yesterday.

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