Monet Damaged in National Gallery Attack - Are We a Bit Careless with our National Treasures ?

[C. Flower]

The Indo is fairly casual about what sounds like a very destructive attack on a lovely little Monet, owned by the people of Ireland.

"No commercial value" is a nonsense expression, as it would cost millions to replace the painting with something of similar quality.

Are we too casual by half ?

http://cdn.independent.ie/multimedia/dynamic/01071/N01900013409913047_1071059t.jpg

http://www.independent.ie/breaking-news/national-news/monet-damaged-in-gallery-attack-3153946.html

In the past, we've allowed the wonderful Beit collection in Wicklow to be serially plundered by small-time crooks. The Chester Beatty was robbed for years by a rogue curator. More recently, someone was able to walk into the National Gallery and hang up a painting, uninterrupted.

http://www.veryhappypig.com/blog/bcowen.jpg

http://www.google.ie/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=8&ved=0CGEQFjAH&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.independent.ie%2Fopinion%2Fan alysis%2Fthe-beit-collection-stolen-twice-227402.html&ei=cfruT9yXGdCShgeQsriXDQ&usg=AFQjCNGMY4HsELnPcUmKzVPwYz1bVBIGAA

The level of security at our galleries and museums is way below what is normal in Europe, where routinely all bags and brollies are checked in and scanned, and where there is an attendant in each room.

Sadly, some museums in Italy have been partly closed, due to cuts, rather than drop standards.

[Dr. FIVE]

More recently, someone was able to walk into the National Gallery and hang up a painting, uninterrupted.

The Gardaí never moved as quick. We should get a few of them on the Anglo investigation.

[Trow]

The level of security at our galleries and museums is way below what is normal in Europe,.

Must dig out my professional burgling tools.;)

[Baron von Biffo]

The Indo is fairly casual about what sounds like a very destructive attack on a lovely little Monet, owned by the people of Ireland.

"No commercial value" is a nonsense expression, as it would cost millions to replace the painting with something of similar quality.

Are we too casual by half ?

The level of security at our galleries and museums is way below what is normal in Europe, where routinely all bags and brollies are checked in and scanned, and where there is an attendant in each room.

Sadly, some museums in Italy have been partly closed, due to cuts, rather than drop standards.

Attendants in every room! :eek:

PS pay bill! Gold plated Rolls Royce pensions! Corruption! Cronyism! Gombeenism! Nepotism! Quango!

[C. Flower]

Just read that the James Joyce Tower at Sandymount is closed to the public this summer for lack of staff.

[PaddyJoe]

Just read that the James Joyce Tower at Sandymount is closed to the public this summer for lack of staff.

Where's job bridge when you need 'em? :)

[Ah Well]

Unfortunately, we have now seen in the space of a few weeks destruction being imposed upon something of very ancient worth (Lia Fáil - Tara) and something of more modern vintage (Monet work)

It only takes the actions of one deluded/determined entity to ruin it for everyone else

Very sad but true (and more so it appears as time goes on with lack of respect for pretty much everything increasing all the time)

[Hapax]

Just read that the James Joyce Tower at Sandymount is closed to the public this summer for lack of staff.

And the Yeats tower in Galway, Thoor Ballylee, has been shut for a considerable time now, due to flooding. No indication of a date for reopening when I brought someone there to visit it some months back.

[C. Flower]

And the Yeats tower in Galway, Thoor Ballylee, has been shut for a considerable time now, due to flooding. No indication of a date for reopening when I brought someone there to visit it some months back.

Tourism is a "no brainer" aspect of our economy that should be prioritised, as it brings in foreign currency - and we have a glut of tourist accommodation that is costing us, via Nama.

I'm not sure that there is much awareness of what is actually of interest to tourists. Thoor Ballylee, and the Joyce Tower would not be the first things I'd close. The Joyce Tower is also very badly signposted :(

*sighs*

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

I was amazed to see a triptych of Le Brocquy's (Yeats, Beckette, Joyce) hung on the ground floor in the entrance hallways between the staff area and the cafe at the Crawford in Cork. It was pretty surprising because I would have thought on value alone they would have been a target for theft as someone would have one off the wall and be out the door and into a vehicle in seconds. I wrote an email to them asking would they consider moving them up to the first floor gallery (my vague estimate would have been at a milion plus for the three and that was when Le Brocquy was alive).

Apart from that the paintings were labelled incorrectly. Next time I went back they had gone and I was kind of relieved- must have been on loan and gone back to Dublin I suppose. I didn't want to be annoying the gallery as I am a fan and go there wherenever I am in Cork but I couldn't rest easy in my mind at where they were located and would have hated to have seen them stolen.

[C. Flower]

Google translation of a review :) The other reviews all rated the Tower highly, although it was closed.


Traveller rating: 4 stars
"Randomly Yeats of Ireland"
23 Mar 2008 A TripAdvisor Member
Yeats is everywhere in Ireland. During our last visit, in September 2007, of course obligatory stop at Drumcliff cemetery to see his tomb and its famous inscription. Hello little weird starting the statue of the crouching man (Turkish toilet?). Random road, a manor (sorry, but that was where?) With lots of memories of him, and the return of the loop in the country, again by chance, near Gort, a small brown sign ( So tourism) "Thoor Ballylee-House of Yeats". After a shady path, a low house flanked by a massive tower, feet in water. At the entrance is believed to be in one of the usual tourist bazaars, caps, magnets, objects Guinness ... Then we visit the tower and we watch the film. Wonderful Irish, we change the DVD immediately to put the sound in French! .. Little extraordinary, of course, but more than a presence, an atmosphere .. a moment of peace. It is understandable that Yeats has enjoyed it. In the end, no need to make a detour, but unforgivable not to stop there one hour if you pass. Didier - Valenciennes;

According to the most recent review, there are no plans to reopen.

http://www.tripadvisor.ie/ShowUserReviews-g211936-d215847-r127949835-Thoor_Ballylee-Gort_County_Galway.html

This building is also in the charge of Faílte Ireland, as is the Joyce Tower. It seems that Faílte Ireland is either under-resourced, or incompetent, when it comes to taking care of buildings. There is a proposal to hand the Joyce Tower over to Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council. This is not a body with either tourism or historic structures expertise. Why not the OPW ? It seems to me that an international appeal for funds towards restoration of both of these structures would get results, so it is not just a question of money, but of will and capacity to do something about this.

http://www.labour.ie/press/listing/13160286663148393.html

[Captain Con O'Sullivan]

jesus- not the OPW for any reason. Those plumbs covered themselves in no glory when they were busy employing gobshytes to keep people away from the valley of the boyne sites and Tara and so on.

Better off with Dun Laoghaoire Rathdown (is that the council which is paying for one of its councillors to do a course at Kings Inn or somewhere? Which they could usefully stop doing and pay towards opening the tower instead) as local control is always better than some quango schutzstaffel in Dublin dedicated to expenses forms and preventing anything useful other than annoying the people who pay for it to exist.

[C. Flower]

jesus- not the OPW for any reason. Those plumbs covered themselves in no glory when they were busy employing gobshytes to keep people away from the valley of the boyne sites and Tara and so on.

Better off with Dun Laoghaoire Rathdown (is that the council which is paying for one of its councillors to do a course at Kings Inn or somewhere? Which they could usefully stop doing and pay towards opening the tower instead) as local control is always better than some quango schutzstaffel in Dublin dedicated to expenses forms and preventing anything useful other than annoying the people who pay for it to exist.

Dun Laoghaire Rathdown were pulled up by An Bord Pleanala for reckless planning.

Historic buildings were constructed using crafts and materials that are not in use in current construction. Maintenance and repair need to be done by people properly trained and expertly supervised, if they are not to do damage.

It wouldn't make sense for each local authority to run suitable conservation teams.