Stolen paintings found in Dublin

The works were stolen from Russborough House in 2001

Two paintings stolen from Ireland's National Gallery - worth four million euros (£2.5m) - have been recovered from a house in Dublin.

Gainsborough's Madame Baccelli and Bernardo Bellotto's View of Florence were being examined by experts on Friday after being found by police on Thursday night.

What we are interested in is that we finally got back the paintings

Sergio Benedetti, National Gallery of Ireland

The paintings were stolen from Russborough House in Wicklow in an armed raid on 26 June 2001.

Two cars rammed the front door of Russborough House and at least two armed men were involved in the theft.

A police spokesman said the paintings were in a good condition but they were not in their frames.

'Excited'

No arrests have been made.

The curator of Ireland's National Gallery, Sergio Benedetti, said he was "very excited" to have the paintings back.

"The two pictures are very important, important for the back collection and also very important for the national heritage," he said.

Mr Benedetti said he was not interested in the mystery surrounding how the paintings were found.

"What we are interested in is that we finally got back the paintings," he said.

"I am an art historian so I'm keen that these two marvellous paintings are back."

Gainsborough's Madame Baccelli has gone missing before.

In 1986 the work was stolen by infamous Dublin gangster Martin Cahill, nicknamed the General.