A 16th century original Elizabethan painting of Black Tom, (Thomas the tenth Earl of Kilkenny ) that was hanging in the reception room of Kilkenny Castle has been slashed in an act of vandalism.
The painting which is understood to be the only one of its kind in the world, is held in high esteem by art lovers everywhere.
A second painting from the collection was also damaged during the incident. The painting by Hugh Douglas Hamilton of the 18th century Earl of Kilkenny, John Comerford was also slashed.
The damage which has been done to the ‘BLack Tom’ painting is currently being assessed but it has been speculated that it could cost up to €20,000 to reconstruct it. The face of ‘Black Tom’ was the subject of the damage and it is understood that the slash is up to nine inches in length. However, it would not have been possible to reach the face of the painting without standing on a chair making the attack on the work a very deliberate act of vandalism.
The painting of ‘Black Tom’ was bought at an auction in Belgium some years ago by the OPW and has been hanging over the grey marble table in the reception room of the castle ever since.
The two incidents are thought to have taken place over last weekend. The damaged paintings were discovered on Saturday by staff at the castle.
The paintings have both been removed to Dublin for assessment by an art conservationist who will evaluate the damage and determine whether or not the paintings are worth reconstructing.
The Advertiser has learned that security at the castle has been scaled down in recent months with no guided tours now taking place. Visitors to the castle now get a sheet of paper to guide them around the rooms of the castle, while the tour guides sit in the rooms, available to visitors who request information. Tour guides are now on shorter contracts following a government embargo on recruitment. However, this set-up means that visitors are often alone in the rooms if guides are on breaks.
Unlike the grounds of the castle, there are no security guards located inside the building and CCTV is only in operation in the west wing.
A spokesperson from the OPW — the caretakers of Ireland’s public buildings and spaces told the Advertiser that they were investigating the incident and there was no further comment to be made at this point. There was nobody at the castle available for comment when contacted by the Advertiser.
