Queen 'pleased' to accept gift of painting by Clare artist

QUEEN ELIZABETH has agreed to accept a gift of a painting of her State visit to Ireland last month from a Co Clare artist.

Michael Hanrahan (59), a former AIB bank manager who has taken up painting full time, wrote to Buckingham Palace to offer the gift. He said he was “overwhelmed and honoured” by the reply. He has received a letter on official palace notepaper signed by Edward Young, the deputy private secretary to the Queen, who thanked the artist for his “most kind offer”. “I can confirm that Her Majesty would be pleased to receive this gift”.

Mr Hanrahan said he was now making arrangements to travel to London next month to deliver the painting to Buckingham Palace. However, the letter pointed out that it would “not be possible for the Queen to receive the painting in person”.

The Queen and the President at the Garden of Remembrance shows both heads of state attending a ceremony in the Dublin memorial garden dedicated to the men and women who died in the struggle for Irish freedom.

Before it is taken to Buckingham Palace, the painting will go on display for three weeks at Whyte’s of Molesworth Street in Dublin, from next Monday.

Fine art auctioneer Ian Whyte believes that Hanrahan would be the only living Irish artist represented in the British royal collection, which is one of the world’s most valuable art collections.

Hanrahan, who lives in Lahinch and works in a studio at the Courthouse Gallery in Ennistymon, was the only artist granted media accreditation to cover last month’s royal visit.

He has just completed a suite of seven paintings recording key moments of the Queen’s Irish journey which he had planned to sell by auction. The remaining six paintings will be auctioned by Whyte’s in the RDS in October.