Politicians sell their art for charity's sake

FIANNA FÁIL TD Noel Treacy returned to his former career as an auctioneer when deputies and Senators raised more than €7,000 for charity by putting their own artwork up for sale last night.

Mr Treacy urged collectors to “invest now” in the work of potential presidential candidate Senator David Norris, who submitted a photograph of a sunset in Cyprus. “They have good spuds; we send them our spuds,” Mr Treacy said. The image sold to public relations consultant Stephen O’Byrnes for €100, with all proceeds from the event going to Our Lady’s Hospital for Sick Children, Crumlin, Dublin.

Mr Norris praised event organiser Fine Gael deputy Jimmy Deenihan, saying: “People you would never have suspected of the slightest artistic inclination have blossomed under your work as an impresario.”

The general election date could not be interpreted from the title of Mr Treacy’s own painting, Spring Blossoms, which fetched the highest sum of €400, while his party colleague Michael Mulcahy submitted a photograph simply entitled Spring.

Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport Mary Hanafin revealed the craft behind her photograph, Autumn Morning in Connemara. “I got out of the car and went click with my phone.” She also praised Mr Deenihan, for “forcing those of us in the Oireachtas who the public probably think have no talent at all” to make an effort. Ms Hanafin said those who could paint, draw and sketch deserved particular credit, adding that she could do none of those things. She singled out the work of Fianna Fáil deputy Seán Haughey, who drew on his family heritage to sketch Tigín at Inis Mhicileáin, for particular praise.

Some Oireachtas members contributed artworks featuring animals in their natural habitat, such as Seven Sheep in the Snow at Monasterboice, Co Louth by Fianna Fáil Senator James Carroll and Fine Gael TD Denis Naughten’s Three Ducks on Lough Ree. One of Mr Deenihan’s three photographs, featuring a golf course in north Kerry, was snapped up almost immediately by a mystery investor.