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Gay Byrne joins old masters in National Gallery

A portrait of broadcaster Gay Byrne was unveiled at the National Gallery last night and goes on public view today. The portrait, painted by Belfast-born artist John Kindness, is the third in a selection of portraits that have been sponsored by Irish Life and Permanent. Others that have been unveiled to date include portraits of Nicholas & Mary Robinson and Ronnie Delaney.

The commissioned portraits will be added to the Gallery's National Portrait Collection. Director of the National Gallery Raymond Keaveney said that the series paid tribute to figures who had made a decisive contribution to contemporary Ireland as well as providing an opportunity for living artists to have their work exhibited in the National Gallery of Ireland.

John Kindness moved to Dublin in 1991 and began working on large-scale public commissions. His work is included in the collections of the Irish Museum of Modern Art, the Butler Gallery in Kilkenny, the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston and the Imperial War Museum in London. He was recently awarded the Sargant Fellowship at the British School at Rome.

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