2016: "ARTIST FLOORED BY THE THEFT OF VICTORIOUS MCGREGOR PRINT". The Herald. 20th December, 2016.
An artist has been left reeling after a print of one of his prized paintings was stolen from a city centre art gallery.
The print of UFC fighter Conor McGregor is based on an original by Niall O'Loughlin.
It was taken from the Balla Ban Art Gallery in the Westbury Mall near Grafton Street on Sunday.
The painting is understood to have been seen on a bus from the city centre to Santry on Sunday evening.
The print shows McGregor after his victory over Chad Mendes in Las Vegas in July last year.
A frustrated Mr O'Loughlin tweeted: "Would love to catch the f**k@r who stole my Conor McGregor from the BallaBanArtGallery. If u saw anything let me know."
The artist, who is based in Dunboyne, Co Meath, and is well known for his caricatures, said he believes Christmas shoppers may have witnessed the theft.
"I just got a call from the gallery to say [the person who worked there] turned his back to chat to someone and when he looked back, it was gone.
"It is not a small painting, so surely somebody saw the person with it."
Mr O'Loughlin said he was ''annoyed but relieved" it was not the original.