The Arts Council tonight paid tribute to a woman who donated a priceless art collection to the state.
Lady Clementine Beit, a former member of the board of the National Gallery of Ireland, died two days ago. The Arts Council said she and her husband Alfred were exceptionally generous patrons who donated their art collection and Russborough House, their 18th century mansion, to the state.
"The gifts of art and architecture to the Irish people by Lord and Lady Beit are exceptional, by any standards. Russborough and its collection will be cherished by us all," said arts policy director Séamus Crimmins.
Sir Alfred, the son of a wealthy South African diamond magnate, bought Russborough House in Co Wicklow in 1952 as the home for his art collection. Among the many famous paintings were works by Goya, Vermeer and Steen.
When 17 of the paintings were donated to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1987, it was described by the then gallery director, Homan Potterton as being "one of the most magnificent ever received by any museum anywhere".
However, Russborough House has been the victim of several arts thefts over the last three decades. The first robbery came in 1974 when an IRA unit, which included British heiress Dr Rose Dugdale, tied up Sir Alfred Beit and one of his staff and stole 19 paintings valued at €10 million.
In 1986, Dublin criminal Martin Cahill, known as the General, stole €38 million-worth of paintings and in 2001, robbers rammed a car through the front door of the house and stole two more paintings.
All of the stolen paintings in the €40 million Beit collection at Russborough House have been recovered but have been in storage for the last two years while restoration and security work is carried out.
PA