The High Court has lifted, on consent, an order restraining a Dublin gallery from selling or disposing of paintings by an eccentric Belfast-born artist, David Marcus Robinson, known as "Markey", who died earlier this year.
The interim order which had been granted against the Oriel Gallery, Clare street, and its owner, Mr Oliver J. Nulty, applied only to paintings the gallery did not legally own. The gallery had said all the "Markey" paintings it had were legally held.
The interim order was obtained on April 1st by the artist's two daughters and next-of-kin, Ms Annie Robinson, Vancouver, British Columbia; and Ms Bernadette Muldowney, Niddrie House Park, Edinburgh, Scotland.
Then it was stated that Ms Robinson believed "Markey" paintings at the Oriel gallery were the property of her father's estate and that many of the sales of paintings which "Markey" had made to Mr Nulty could be challenged on grounds of undue influence.
On April 12th the High Court continued the interim order. Mr Louis McEntagart, for the defendants, said the order was not grounded on any factual evidence to the effect that the gallery was not in legal ownership of the "Markey" paintings it held.
His clients utterly rejected the suggestion that any of the artist's paintings they held were not legally owned. The interim order had attracted considerable publicity and was causing hardship to his clients, who were trying to discharge any obligation they had and would volunteer information on sales of the paintings.
Because of the order, his clients were suffering ongoing damage regarding the cancellation of sales, counsel said.
Yesterday Miss Justice Carroll was told by Mr McEntagart that the injunction could be lifted on consent, on terms agreed between the parties.