Courts / Clare / Report

Damaged Felim Egan paintings to be destroyed, jury hears

Date
2014-11-28

Stage
Trial

Primary locality
Shannon

County
Clare

Summary

In a Dublin Circuit Criminal Court trial, Andrew Shannon, aged 50, pleaded not guilty to allegations of damaging two Felim Egan paintings, 'Morning Strand' and 'Evening Strand', at the Shelbourne hotel on 8 January 2014. The jury heard that the paintings, which were exhibited in the trial, appeared to have been slashed or torn with an object. Shannon also faced a separate not‑guilty plea for damaging a Claude Monet painting, 'Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat' (1874), at the National Gallery of Ireland on 29 June 2012. The court noted that the Monet had undergone an exhaustive repair and was back on display. Loss‑prevention manager Eamon Kelly reported that CCTV footage, burned to a disk, was handed to Gardaí the day after his return from holiday. Kelly confirmed the paintings were to be destroyed. Garda Eugene McCarthy explained that he had arrested Shannon on 31 January 2014 after reviewing the footage.

Who, what, where, when and why

What: Report matter: Damaged Felim Egan paintings to be destroyed, jury hears. Charges or matters: damaging the two paintings – 'Morning Strand' and 'Evening Strand' – by Felim Egan, at the Shelbourne hotel on January 8th, 2014; damaging one Claude Monet painting entitled Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat (1874) at the National Gallery of Ireland on Clare Street on June 29, 2012. Procedural stage: trial

When:

January 8th, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
June 29, 2012 Hearing Or Sentence
January 14th, 2014 Hearing Or Sentence
January 31st, 2014 Incident
2014-11-28 Publication

Case subjects

Andrew Shannon

Defendant

Charges: damaging the two paintings – 'Morning Strand' and 'Evening Strand' – by Felim Egan, at the Shelbourne hotel on January 8th, 2014; damaging one Claude Monet painting entitled Argenteuil Basin with a Single Sail Boat (1874) at the National Gallery of Ireland on Clare Street on June 29, 2012 (Alleged Or Contested)

Plea: Not guilty