Do a little digging and you never know what you might find. Dr Nicola Figgis and Dr Brendan Rooney have been cataloguing the Irish collection at the National Gallery on Merrion Square and have turned up a few surprises. Irish Paintings in the National Gallery, Volume 1 was launched by Dr David Spearman, president of the Royal Irish Academy on Tuesday evening in the gallery's atrium.
"There is sex, violence and intrigue," promised an enthusiastic Rooney.
"People might be expecting something a bit dry, but there are some great stories. The biographies are fascinating and it should be of interest to all sorts of people."