Artist lies low as storm rages

THE artist behind the nude paintings of Brian Cowen was lying low yesterday as controversy over his work and the Government’s outraged reaction to it deepened.

Amateur painter Conor Casby works for the Department of Education, running a School Completion Programme in 10 primary and secondary schools in Dublin’s north inner city, where his job is to support pupils at risk of becoming early school-leavers to keep at their studies.

Mr Casby did not reply to messages left on his mobile phone yesterday and at the school where the programme has a central office — Mount Carmel Secondary School at Kings Inn Street in Dublin — principal Gerard Cullen said Mr Casby had taken “a personal day”.