Brian Cowen nude portraits controversy

The artist, initially unidentified, was eventually revealed to be Conor Casby, a school teacher in his thirties from Claremorris, County Mayo. contradicting the Sunday Tribune's claim that it hung for over an hour. Both paintings depict Cowen from the waist up, wearing only his glasses. In the RHA painting, he is holding a pair of blue and white underpants in his left hand. ==Media reports==

Sunday Tribune reporter Ken Foxe was contacted by a source at the National Gallery on 9 March and was the first to break the story of Cowen's portraits. Subsequently, "Topsy Campbell" (a pseudonym for Casby) sent camera phone photographs of the paintings on display. RTÉ On 23 March, public broadcaster RTÉ ran a report on the hangings at the end of the ''Nine O'Clock News. The report by Tadhg Enright displayed the paintings, obtained an appraisal of zero from an art expert, and mentioned that Cowen was "not thought to have posed for the anonymous artist". The report was not used on subsequent newscasts. On 24 March, the Nine O'Clock News'' included an apology "for any personal offence caused to Mr Cowen or his family or for any disrespect shown to the office of Taoiseach by [the prior] broadcast." The original item was removed from the online archives at RTÉ.ie, and the apology added. Abroad The incident was covered by foreign newspapers, including The Times of London. It was also covered in Canada. and "Cowengate" in online discussions. ==Garda investigation==

The Garda investigation was said to have taken six hours. The possible crimes were offending decency, incitement to hatred, and criminal damage for nailing the painting to the wall Investigators telephoned Casby and he entered Pearse Street Garda Station where he was interviewed for two hours, admitted to having hung the two paintings and was subsequently released. He gave gardaí five more portraits of other politicians, including Michael McDowell. A file was prepared for the Director of Public Prosecutions, but it was expected that no charges would be brought. Casby expressed his desire to "draw an end" to the matter by auctioning the paintings for charity. ==Political reaction==

The incidents attracted comment from politicians. The RTÉ News report was criticised as being in bad taste by Fianna Fáil Senators Maria Corrigan and Mary O'Rourke and TDs M. J. Nolan and Michael Kennedy. Fine Gael TD Michael W. D'Arcy called it the "most distasteful report I have seen on RTÉ in years". and Charles Flanagan called it a restriction on freedom of expression. Liz McManus of the Labour Party criticised RTÉ for "bow[ing] to political pressure". ==Legacy==

The incidents are referred to in the 2009 episode of Reeling in the Years. In 2011, it was reported that both paintings were on display in Sean Mac D's pub in Dublin. ==See also==