RUSSBOROUGH House in Co Wicklow was filled to capacity with invited guests at the reopening of the beautiful Palladian mansion after extensive refurbishment that cost over €1 million.

It also marked the return on loan of the Milltown Collection from the National Gallery of Ireland, which last hung in Russborough over 120 years ago before they were donated to the National Gallery by Countess Milltown in 1901. The Milltowns’ were the Leeson family, after who Leeson Street is named as they were large property owners in the area.

One of the finest paintings on view was a hunting scene of a black buck and three hounds painted by Jean Baptiste Oudrey (1685-1755) who was the French Royal Court artist of the Royal Hunt in the reign of King Louis XVI.

Sir Alfred Beit acquired it in unusual circumstances as at the auction, in an intensive display of bidding, the billionaire Paul Getty outbid Sir Alfred.

But Getty later gave the painting to Sir Alfred as he maintained that he did not have space for it in his own home.

Equestrian enthusiasts will also be delighted to hear that the Hippodrome which had fallen into disrepair is also being restored, and will soon be available for civil weddings.