What do you think?
Rate this book
The Irish Game: A True Story of Crime and Art
In the annals of art theft, no case has matched-for sheer criminal panache - the heist at Ireland's Russborough House in 1986.
The Irish police knew right away that the mastermind was a Dublin gangster named Martin Cahill. Yet the great plunder - including a Gainsborough, a Goya, two Rubenses, and a Vermeer - remained at large for years. Cahill taunted the police with a string of other crimes, but in the end it was the paintings that brought him low. The challenge of disposing of such famous works forced him to reach outside his familiar world into the international arena, and when he did, his pursuers were waiting.
The movie-perfect sting that broke Cahill uncovered an astonishing maze of banking and drug-dealing connections that redefined the way police view art theft. As if that were not enough, the recovery of the Vermeer - by then worth $200 million - led to a remarkable discovery about the way Vermeer achieved his photographic perspective.
The Irish Game places the great theft in Ireland's long sad history of violence and follows the thread that led, as a direct result of Cahill's desperate adventures with the Russborough art, to his assassination by the IRA. With the storytelling skill of a novelist and the instincts of a detective, Matthew Hart follows the twists and turns of this celebrated case, linking it with two other world-famous thefts-of Vermeer's "The Concert" and other famous paintings at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" at the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo. Sharply observed, fully explored, The Irish Game is a masterpiece in the literature of true crime.
The Irish police knew right away that the mastermind was a Dublin gangster named Martin Cahill. Yet the great plunder - including a Gainsborough, a Goya, two Rubenses, and a Vermeer - remained at large for years. Cahill taunted the police with a string of other crimes, but in the end it was the paintings that brought him low. The challenge of disposing of such famous works forced him to reach outside his familiar world into the international arena, and when he did, his pursuers were waiting.
The movie-perfect sting that broke Cahill uncovered an astonishing maze of banking and drug-dealing connections that redefined the way police view art theft. As if that were not enough, the recovery of the Vermeer - by then worth $200 million - led to a remarkable discovery about the way Vermeer achieved his photographic perspective.
The Irish Game places the great theft in Ireland's long sad history of violence and follows the thread that led, as a direct result of Cahill's desperate adventures with the Russborough art, to his assassination by the IRA. With the storytelling skill of a novelist and the instincts of a detective, Matthew Hart follows the twists and turns of this celebrated case, linking it with two other world-famous thefts-of Vermeer's "The Concert" and other famous paintings at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston, and of Edvard Munch's "The Scream" at the National Gallery of Norway in Oslo. Sharply observed, fully explored, The Irish Game is a masterpiece in the literature of true crime.
220 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 2004
11 people are currently reading
1429 people want to read
About the author
Matthew Hart
13 books28 followersMatthew Hart has reported on gold and diamonds for Vanity Fair, The Atlantic Monthly, The Wall Street Journal, the London Times, and many other newspapers and magazines. He was a contributing editor of the New York trade journal Rapaport Diamond Report. His award-winning book Diamond: the History of a Cold-Blooded Love Affair was translated into six languages and made into a four-hour dramatic miniseries starring Sir Derek Jacobi and Judy Davis. His latest book Gold: the Race for the World’s Most Seductive Metal was adapted into a National Geographic TV special. He has traveled from the Arctic to Angola in pursuit of diamond stories. He once found a puff adder in his room, but not since moving to New York City.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
May 18, 2017
This nicely written and well researched book is primarily about the Beit art collection that was stolen from their Irish home of Russborough house not once but twice.
The collection itself was amazing by the sound of it; Vermeer, Goya, Gainsborough, Hals, Ruben, Velasquez.... The list is like an art lover dream and the thefts an art lovers nightmare.
Though the artworks are central to the book a large portion of the writing is given to the people who stole them, the people who hunted them and got them back and to the circumstances of Ireland itself.
Thus, the book reads more than a bit like a crime/police thriller, since many of the central characters are police and you spend a lot of time watching them set up elaborate 'stings' to recover the lost pieces.
Ireland itself is a country I have not read all that much about and never visited, so anything I read about it feels fresh and new, Hart describes just enough about the turbulent social and political circumstances of the land to give a background for the stories involved in the theft and recovery of the art collection.
I would recommend this book to non-fiction readers, I think there would be something for everyone who liked any of the themes explored here.
The collection itself was amazing by the sound of it; Vermeer, Goya, Gainsborough, Hals, Ruben, Velasquez.... The list is like an art lover dream and the thefts an art lovers nightmare.
Though the artworks are central to the book a large portion of the writing is given to the people who stole them, the people who hunted them and got them back and to the circumstances of Ireland itself.
Thus, the book reads more than a bit like a crime/police thriller, since many of the central characters are police and you spend a lot of time watching them set up elaborate 'stings' to recover the lost pieces.
Ireland itself is a country I have not read all that much about and never visited, so anything I read about it feels fresh and new, Hart describes just enough about the turbulent social and political circumstances of the land to give a background for the stories involved in the theft and recovery of the art collection.
I would recommend this book to non-fiction readers, I think there would be something for everyone who liked any of the themes explored here.
September 27, 2018
A great choice for readers who prefer their True Crime with minimal gore and maximum historical context. Includes sweeping Irish/English history and plenty of artist/art collector info for art historians. The pace is pretty good, and switching from good-guy to bad-guy perspectives keeps you turning the pages. The typical reader's distance from these crimes (super wealthy collectors, international espionage, mob bosses) keep this book fun and almost cinematic.
July 5, 2022
The book is filled with details of art thefts in Ireland and one in Norway.
The crimes themselves seem unbelievably simple and straightforward, drive up to the family manor houses, break in, take the paintings from the walls and walk out.
Even stealing from the largest museum in Oslo, all that was needed was a tall ladder.
Noe catching the art thieves was a bit harder to do.
It involved Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Irish Giardia, and Norway's police force.
The biggest thief in Ireland was Martin Cahill. He was life timer criminal, whose disdain for the police was well known. He would steal art, which was much harder to unload, just to prove to the Irish police force he could.
The book is also a study of Vermeer's art and how an art restorer came up with a theory as to how Vermeer was able to make his painting so perfect.
Very interesting read.
The crimes themselves seem unbelievably simple and straightforward, drive up to the family manor houses, break in, take the paintings from the walls and walk out.
Even stealing from the largest museum in Oslo, all that was needed was a tall ladder.
Noe catching the art thieves was a bit harder to do.
It involved Scotland Yard, the headquarters of the Irish Giardia, and Norway's police force.
The biggest thief in Ireland was Martin Cahill. He was life timer criminal, whose disdain for the police was well known. He would steal art, which was much harder to unload, just to prove to the Irish police force he could.
The book is also a study of Vermeer's art and how an art restorer came up with a theory as to how Vermeer was able to make his painting so perfect.
Very interesting read.
November 28, 2019
This was fun! I had been in several of the areas - the Gardner museum, Wicklow mountains, the area near the train station in Antwerp, so picturing it was cool. Crazy stuff though!
May 13, 2022
A very well researched and humorous book. However a little complicated and hard to follow. None the less some great information about the criminal world around art and how government and authorities work to get stolen pieces back. I liked the fact that I learned about the history of some of the pieces and why they were so valuable
eventually
August 3, 2023August 2023: pausing this for now, to be continued.
May 10, 2023
Picked this up at Prospero's, thought I'd read it in March. Started great and then slowed too much to keep my interest. I'm sure someone will grab it from the neighborhood's little library and love on it a bit more than me.
May 10, 2022
Great history. Especially interesting since I have toured Russborourgh House!!
April 25, 2011
I loved this book. Ever since the theft of a Vermeer painting at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston in 2000, I'm obsessed with similar heists. Thus I found this book about the thefts of Vermeer paintings in Ireland utterly fascinating. There's also a reference to the Gardner heist near the end, and a rather startling theory on how Vermeer made the perspective in his paintings so accurate.
A further confession: while getting my Masters in Fine Arts, I spent a semester researching the Vermeer known as The Artist in His Studio.
The Irish Game is a true crime tale about famous paintings, nasty thieves and the relentless cops who eventually caught the bad guys and recovered the paintings.
A further confession: while getting my Masters in Fine Arts, I spent a semester researching the Vermeer known as The Artist in His Studio.
The Irish Game is a true crime tale about famous paintings, nasty thieves and the relentless cops who eventually caught the bad guys and recovered the paintings.
July 23, 2015
- one of the most audacious art heists in history - 1986, Ireland's Russborough House, $200 to $300 million dollars worth of paintings (Gainsborough, Goya, Rubens, and Vermeer's 'Lady Writing A Letter With Her Maid'), money laundering, drug dealing, I.R.A. assassinations; the police knew immediately who had done the crime, but it took many years to prove the crime.
- the theft indirectly led to a remarkable discovery about the way Vermeer achieved his photographic perspective
- contains an additional chapter on the 1994 theft of Edvard Munch's 'The Sream' in Oslo, Norway.
- well-written
- quite enjoyable
- the theft indirectly led to a remarkable discovery about the way Vermeer achieved his photographic perspective
- contains an additional chapter on the 1994 theft of Edvard Munch's 'The Sream' in Oslo, Norway.
- well-written
- quite enjoyable
May 4, 2008
A little bit disjointed in places, but I'm a total sucker for this kind of thing - the insights into Vermeer's technique are the best part.
August 22, 2009
story of crime and art theft - just ok
July 5, 2021
This true-crime art heist tale, published in 2004, has as many unlikely twists, betrayals, and double agents as a compelling mystery novel.
In 1974, a British heiress sympathetic to the IRA, together with three men, stole 19 paintings, including Vermeer's LADY WRITING A LETTER WITH HER MAID, from Russborough, a castle and the dwelling place of the English aristocrats Sir Alfred and Lady Beit in Ireland. The paintings were recovered; but in 1986, the Vermeer and other paintings were stolen again by a bold Dublin gangster named Martin Cahill. Set against Irish tensions of the late 1900s that reflected the chasms between the classes and between Ireland and England, this story illuminates the darker side of art--including the connections to drug and mob money and to violence.
My fascination with the stories and historical tidbits that surround high-end art began when I worked at Christie's Auction House in NYC in the 1990s. Much of what I learned there about the art world became good fodder for the novel that would eventually become A TRACE OF DECEIT. I first read this book (THE IRISH GAME) as I was drafting TRACE, years ago, because it tells more than the story of the solved art heists. It also tells the story of how a man restoring the painting carefully removed the top layer of paint (which was added after Vermeer died) to reveal a red wax seal on the letter, which adds to the emotional depth of the painting; and how a conservator discovered the technique Vermeer used to achieve perspective in his painting. Amazing.
I reread this book again recently because as I develop my new protagonist, Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and raised in an Irish section of Whitechapel, I'm obsessing about Ireland--its history, the prejudices against the Irish in England in the 1800s, and the complex web of police and criminals that reached from one island to the other across the Irish Sea.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in art, Ireland, and true crime.
In 1974, a British heiress sympathetic to the IRA, together with three men, stole 19 paintings, including Vermeer's LADY WRITING A LETTER WITH HER MAID, from Russborough, a castle and the dwelling place of the English aristocrats Sir Alfred and Lady Beit in Ireland. The paintings were recovered; but in 1986, the Vermeer and other paintings were stolen again by a bold Dublin gangster named Martin Cahill. Set against Irish tensions of the late 1900s that reflected the chasms between the classes and between Ireland and England, this story illuminates the darker side of art--including the connections to drug and mob money and to violence.
My fascination with the stories and historical tidbits that surround high-end art began when I worked at Christie's Auction House in NYC in the 1990s. Much of what I learned there about the art world became good fodder for the novel that would eventually become A TRACE OF DECEIT. I first read this book (THE IRISH GAME) as I was drafting TRACE, years ago, because it tells more than the story of the solved art heists. It also tells the story of how a man restoring the painting carefully removed the top layer of paint (which was added after Vermeer died) to reveal a red wax seal on the letter, which adds to the emotional depth of the painting; and how a conservator discovered the technique Vermeer used to achieve perspective in his painting. Amazing.
I reread this book again recently because as I develop my new protagonist, Inspector Michael Corravan, born in Ireland and raised in an Irish section of Whitechapel, I'm obsessing about Ireland--its history, the prejudices against the Irish in England in the 1800s, and the complex web of police and criminals that reached from one island to the other across the Irish Sea.
I recommend this book for anyone interested in art, Ireland, and true crime.
February 25, 2017
This was an art theft book with a strong start but which fizzled out to a weak ending.
A house called Russborough House, located a few miles from Dublin in the Wicklow Mountains had both a famous art collection, unequaled in Ireland, as well as the worst luck with thieves making off with items from the collections, several items being stolen and recaptured repeatedly! The whole story could have been a cautionary tale of how NOT to care for an art collection. They (the owners) never seemed to learn that they were enticing the thefts both by the value of the art pieces and the total lack of security. I couldn't get over that such aristocratic people with plenty of money at their disposal, would have such a nonchalant attitude to their art collection to the point of allowing it to be plundered five (5) times!
Apart from the thefts and subsequent elaborate police actions taken to retrieve the paintings, I found the information regarding Vermeer and how he worked to be most interesting, if beyond my pedestrian grasp of perspective. Also, I thought it was quite heartening to learn that police art recovery teams from various countries manage to work together so smoothly while obtaining a good outcome. It gives me hope for the possibilities of international cooperation in other fields!
A house called Russborough House, located a few miles from Dublin in the Wicklow Mountains had both a famous art collection, unequaled in Ireland, as well as the worst luck with thieves making off with items from the collections, several items being stolen and recaptured repeatedly! The whole story could have been a cautionary tale of how NOT to care for an art collection. They (the owners) never seemed to learn that they were enticing the thefts both by the value of the art pieces and the total lack of security. I couldn't get over that such aristocratic people with plenty of money at their disposal, would have such a nonchalant attitude to their art collection to the point of allowing it to be plundered five (5) times!
Apart from the thefts and subsequent elaborate police actions taken to retrieve the paintings, I found the information regarding Vermeer and how he worked to be most interesting, if beyond my pedestrian grasp of perspective. Also, I thought it was quite heartening to learn that police art recovery teams from various countries manage to work together so smoothly while obtaining a good outcome. It gives me hope for the possibilities of international cooperation in other fields!
June 21, 2025
As others have noted, the book’s writing is spotty. Many sentences in the first few chapters are awkward. But the writing evens out in mid to late chapters. I suppose that the author lifted whole sections from prior writing that had been edited appropriately. Because much of the narrative is quite interesting, I suggest readers hang in there throughout the first chapters
It is noteworthy that whereas some reviewers did not care for the detailed descriptions of the criminal investigations, others thought the detailed descriptions of the paintings were boring. I actually found them both interesting even though I got more than a bit lost in the sea of names, aliases, and comings and goings of stings that were all over the place.
Many of the criminals seemed to possess a partial brain. I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers, but many actions would be comical were they not criminal. Maybe I will look for a book on the criminal mind.
It is noteworthy that whereas some reviewers did not care for the detailed descriptions of the criminal investigations, others thought the detailed descriptions of the paintings were boring. I actually found them both interesting even though I got more than a bit lost in the sea of names, aliases, and comings and goings of stings that were all over the place.
Many of the criminals seemed to possess a partial brain. I won’t go into details to avoid spoilers, but many actions would be comical were they not criminal. Maybe I will look for a book on the criminal mind.
January 10, 2019
This is a highly entertaining book about a series of heists of the Beit art collection at Russborough House in Ireland, with a focus on the biggest heist pulled off by Dublin gangster Martin Cahill. In addition to gangsters, Matthew Hart gives us a rogue English Heiress, the IRA, the FBI, Interpol, Scotland Yard, and of course, the Irish Garda. My only complaint is the inclusion of chapters on two other major art heists, one at the Isabella Stewart Gardner Museum in Boston and the theft of Edvard Munch's The Scream from the National Gallery of Norway. I understand why Hart wanted to include them, they are great stories, but they distract from the narrative flow, especially near the end of book as the sting operation to take down Cahill plays out. My only question is why hasn't this been made into a film? Let's get the cast of The Italian Job back together and make this happen.
July 10, 2024
Very quick and well researched book. I loved the explanations on certain art pieces and even the details of Isabella Stewart Gardner (although this seemed to have very little to do with actual Ireland). The discoveries about Vermeers because of the thefts are fantastic stories.
A problem with this book is it leaves you wanting more. I’m interested in Martin Cahill’s life and while Hart touches on several parts up until his death, we don’t get that deep and it comes across as biased in certain areas. And some of the paintings also stolen are barely discussed. I would’ve liked to see a bit more in depth explanations on all the art instead of long slightly confusing descriptions of the sting operations. Robert K. Wittman does a much better job in that regard.
Still, a fun easy to read book. It won’t convince me that art theft is a bad thing though. I love art crime.
A problem with this book is it leaves you wanting more. I’m interested in Martin Cahill’s life and while Hart touches on several parts up until his death, we don’t get that deep and it comes across as biased in certain areas. And some of the paintings also stolen are barely discussed. I would’ve liked to see a bit more in depth explanations on all the art instead of long slightly confusing descriptions of the sting operations. Robert K. Wittman does a much better job in that regard.
Still, a fun easy to read book. It won’t convince me that art theft is a bad thing though. I love art crime.
May 20, 2018
A fascinating look at the world of art theft and organized crime in Ireland, The Irish Game is a quick read that does not disappoint. outlining a few major cases spanning from the 1970s to the 2000s, specifically stemming from one particular estate in Ireland, Russborough. The crimes were not limited to Russborough, however, and the book highlighted an intricate world of art dealers from England, Ireland, Norway, Belgium and the US. It also gave an interesting account of determining Vermeer's methods of developing perspective, and what a breakthrough it was in the art world. Fascinating stuff.
July 19, 2024
A very interesting set of stories about art theft. I think the sections about the Gardner Museum were of course fun to read, but were not very relevant to the rest of the book. I understand that another Vermeer in addition to Lady Writing a Letter with Her Maid was stolen from the Gardner, but other than that there isn't a strong connection to Ireland with the Gardner theft. I think the book would have done better with a focus on and deeper dive into the Beit paintings and Martin Cahill. I did love the art analysis and sections on the conservators who were looking at the Vermeer painting though, that was wonderful and so interesting. Definitely worth a read!
January 1, 2021
A fast paced look at one of the largest art heists in history. The Irish Palace of Russborough becomes the site of this spectacular crime. The Irish police, Scotland Yard and many governments become players in the incredible story. The author also touches on some really fascinating discoveries about the artist Vermeer that results from the heist, and other art heists/ investigations that were influenced by it. Definitely worth a read for those who love non-violent true crime.
May 24, 2017
I really enjoyed reading this book! Who would have thought some of the biggest art heists took place in Ireland of all places?? I love Ireland and also have a soft spot for Vermeer so this was a perfect match - which also nicely coincided with my trip to Amsterdam and The Hague where I saw Vermeer's works first hand.
September 28, 2018
Irish Art theft and Recovery with Rascals on both sides
This book was a very satisfying read. Thank you to the author. Thanks to the clever police units from Ireland to England to the Netherlands and to Norway. What an amazing mix of characters that all stumble through avarice by the blind sight of ego.
This book was a very satisfying read. Thank you to the author. Thanks to the clever police units from Ireland to England to the Netherlands and to Norway. What an amazing mix of characters that all stumble through avarice by the blind sight of ego.
September 19, 2020
I really enjoyed this book. Well-written and does a good job of telling the whole story. It was a little hard to understand at some points for an American who doesn’t understand European culture. I do wish he had explained some of those things more. But overall, great book and my confusion didn’t distract from the story
March 4, 2020
Who doesn't love a good heist story? The art history, and the thefts and their investigations are fascinating. Some of the ties to Irish history were interesting, but I found it nearly impossible to keep the whole cast of characters straight, especially with all of the threads in the narrative.
October 6, 2021
A non-fiction that has the feel of a thriller. Hart does the justice of a brilliant telling of an intriguing story and I couldn't put this one down until it was done. Even if you're not into art, it will draw you in and keep you reading.
February 23, 2024
I was absolutely intrigued by this fascinating account of extraordinarily valuable works of art which were stolen and then retrieved by a complex plan by the police and informers. The restoration of the paintings was also very well explained. A most interesting read.
May 17, 2024
Really interesting book about art thefts in Ireland, and police efforts to get them back. Some pieces were stolen more than once. It also includes a bit about art restoration. Lot of mini bios on the people in the book. It is a well written, quick, easy read.
December 4, 2025
I love art and the history behind paintings and an art heist is always fascinating to read about.
The author has done a remarkable amount of research, but I lost interest after reading 130 pages and decided to just skim through to the end.
The author has done a remarkable amount of research, but I lost interest after reading 130 pages and decided to just skim through to the end.
July 26, 2017
Fascinating. A page turner that I could not put down.
October 30, 2017
I've read this twice and it's just as unbelievable and entertaining each time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews