An artist who painted the man convicted for his role in the murder of journalist Veronica Guerin has defended the inclusion of the portrait in an exhibition at a prominent Dublin gallery.
The painting of criminal Brian Meehan is one of 465 works hanging at the Royal Hibernian Academy at Ely Place, Dublin. It was painted by the artist Mick O'Dea over a series of sittings in Portlaoise Prison, where Meehan is serving his sentence. It is for sale at €3,000.
O'Dea yesterday told RTÉ's Liveline radio programme the only reason the painting had been included in the exhibition was because he considered it to be "one of the better portraits I have done over the last 12 months".
He said Meehan had sat for a total of about 22 hours last summer. The portrait was undertaken while O'Dea was conducting an Arts Council-sponsored workshop in Portlaoise Prison. O'Dea has worked with prisoners for many years.
When asked about the suitability of a prisoner such as Meehan being a subject, O'Dea said: "I don't particularly look into their case myself. I am not a detective. My portraits are not formal, they are not about power or glorification."
Meehan is serving a life sentence for the 1996 murder of Ms Guerin. He was a major player in the extended drugs gang headed by John Gilligan. His portrait includes his name. It shows him sitting on a chair and wearing a pair of shorts.
"I found him \ to be very co-operative for the job that was required of him," O'Dea said.
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