Druids Glen golf club to sell off portraits of seven 1916 signatories Paintings of Rising leaders no

wicklow | arts and media | other press Thursday November 24, 2011 08:00 by Ken Sweeney - Irish Independent 21 November 2011

Paintings of Rising leaders no longer suit the 'ambience' of prestigious resort

THE heroes of the 1916 Rising have been turfed out of one of the country's most prestigious golf clubs. While these bastions of the sporting elite can be notoriously picky about who they do and do not allow to enter, eyebrows have been raised after the management of Druids Glen Golf Resort in Co Wicklow decided to evict the seven signatories of the 1916 proclamation. Their portraits have graced the stairs of the clubhouse, Woodstock House, since it opened in 1995. However, they no longer suit the "ambience" and will be put up for auction later this month.

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Artist Robert Ballagh, who was commissioned to create the pencil drawings by the club's previous owner Hugh 'Hugo' Flinn, said he was disappointed. "Sadly, Hugo is no longer with us and it seems the new management have decided to divest the house of these proudly nationalist emblems. "The portraits of the 1916 signatories have been there since Druids Glen opened and I believe they should remain there," he added.

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