Athlone councillor to seek removal of Luan Gallery artwork

Fine Gael councillor Mark Cooney has put forward a motion for next Monday's meeting of Athlone Town Council calling for the removal of a contentious artwork on display in the town's recently-opened Luan Gallery. The piece in question - 'Fragmens Sur Les Institutions Républicaines IV' by Longford native Shane Cullen - is a painting of a messages smuggled out of jail on behalf of Republican prisoners in Northern Ireland during the period of the 1981 hunger strike campaign. Cllr Cooney's father, the former Minister for Justice Paddy Cooney, has publicly criticised the work, saying: "First of all, I don't think it is art and secondly, the theme is inappropriate." The motion from Cllr Cooney for Monday's meeting is worded as follows: "That this Council in congratulating Athlone Art & Heritage Ltd's successful opening of the Luan Gallery and noting that art can be provocative and controversial, requests that the exhibit entitled 'Fragmens Sur Les Institutions Républicaines IV' be removed as it is offensive to so many people." The Athlone Town Council meeting will take place in the Civic Centre at 6pm on Monday. The €3.4m Luan Gallery was officially opened by Fine Gael Arts Minister Jimmy Deenihan on November 29 last.