ains borough s ▁and ▁three ▁Rub ens ▁from ▁the ▁Russ borough ▁House ▁home ▁of ▁Sir ▁Alfred ▁Beit ▁by ▁armed ▁members ▁of ▁the ▁I RA . ▁Led ▁by ▁the ▁British ▁he ir ess ▁Rose ▁D ug dale , ▁the ▁th ieves ▁used ▁sc rew dri vers ▁to ▁cut ▁the ▁paint ings ▁from ▁their ▁frames . ▁However , ▁the ▁V erme er ▁and ▁other ▁works ▁were ▁recovered ▁eight ▁days ▁later ▁at ▁a ▁c ott age ▁in ▁County ▁C ork . ▁The ▁work ▁was ▁again ▁taken ▁in ▁ 1 9 8 6 ▁by ▁a ▁gang ▁led ▁by ▁the ▁Dublin ▁gang ster ▁Martin ▁C ah ill . ▁Al ong ▁with ▁a ▁number ▁of ▁other ▁art - works , ▁C ah ill ▁held ▁the ▁painting ▁for ▁a ▁r ans om ▁of ▁IR £ 2 0 ▁million . ▁However , ▁the ▁money ▁was ▁not ▁paid , ▁and ▁C ah ill ▁lack ed ▁contacts ▁or ▁knowledge ▁to ▁otherwise ▁pass ▁it ▁on ▁to ▁international ▁art ▁th ieves . ▁According ▁to ▁a ▁R T É ▁report , ▁C ah ill ' s ▁taste ▁in ▁art ▁extended ▁only ▁to ▁" che ery ▁scenes ▁like ▁the ▁cheap ▁print ▁in ▁his ▁living ▁room ▁of ▁sw ans ▁on ▁a ▁river , ▁but ▁he ▁believed ▁the ▁st olen ▁master pie ces ▁would ▁bring ▁him ▁a ▁fortune ." ▁The ▁painting ▁was ▁eventually ▁recovered ▁during ▁an ▁August ▁ 1 9 9 3 ▁exchange ▁at ▁Ant werp ▁air port ▁which ▁turned ▁out ▁to ▁be ▁a ▁st ing ▁operation ▁organ ised ▁by ▁the ▁Irish ▁police . ▁It ▁had ▁already ▁been ▁don