Two Rubens among stolen Beit paintings

The works include Rubens' 'Portrait of Dominican Monk' and Jacob Van Ruisdael's 'The Corn Field', which had been stolen in 1986 and returned seven years later.

The other three missing paintings are Rubens' 'Venus Supplicating Jupiter', Wilem Van Dervelde's 'The Calm Sea' and Adrien Van Ostade's 'The Adoration of the Shepherd'.

Detectives investigating the theft say the main suspect is a man who was involved in three previous robberies at the stately home.

The well-known Dublin criminal, was an accomplice of the so-called 'General', Martin Cahill; two previous robberies at the property have been attributed to the late Martin Cahill and the Provisional IRA.

This robbery comes just three days after Gardaí recovered Gainsborough's 'Madame Baccelli' and Bernardo Bellotto's 'View of Florence', which were stolen from Russborough last year.

The Beit Foundation is to meet this week to discuss how to fund a new security system at Russborough House.

This latest robbery took place on Sunday morning. Police were alerted at 5.00am when an alarm was sounded from the house.

Russborough House was the home of the late South African diamond millionaire, Sir Alfred Beit, who donated his priceless art collection to the nation.