World Notes Ireland

The burglar alarm at Russborough House, the country estate of British Millionaire Sir Alfred Beit located 18 miles southwest of Dublin, went off at < 2 a.m. Police searched the premises, found nothing amiss, then left. The next morning, the administrator of the collection discovered that 18 paintings worth an estimated $45 million had been stolen. Sir Alfred put the blame on "thieves of a political nature."

He had ample reason for suspicion. In 1974 Irish Republican Army sympathizers stole 19 paintings from the mansion and attempted to exchange them for $1.25 million and the transfer of several colleagues from English prisons to jails in Northern Ireland. The ransom was refused. Eight days later, the works were recovered. This time, seven of the less valuable paintings were found abandoned the afternoon of the theft. Still missing are masterpieces by Gainsborough, Goya, Rubens and Vermeer.