Artist John Shinnors injured in motorway crash

Gardaí are investigating an incident on the M7 Limerick to Dublin motorway in which well-known artist John Shinnors was injured in a collision with a van driven by an off-duty garda.

Artist John Shinnors injured in motorway crash

Gardaí are investigating an incident on the M7 Limerick to Dublin motorway in which well-known artist John Shinnors was injured in a collision with a van driven by an off-duty garda.

Mr Shinnors, 64, who is lucky to alive, was crossing the motorway after his car broke down when he was struck by a white Renault van.

Gardaí said Mr Shinnors sustained two broken legs and other minor injuries and in a "stable" condition in hospital.

"He's in a stable condition, he has severe injuries to his legs. He has two broken legs and other minor injuries as well," a senior Garda said.

It is believed the Mr Shinnors's navy blue Renault Scenic car may have broken down on the side of the motorway prior to the collision. Gardaí believe he had been attempting to cross the road when the collision occurred.

"He was seemingly crossing the dual carnage way...and he was hit by a van. (The driver) took excellent evasive action, but unfortunately nipped him slightly on the left-hand side and caught him with the mirror of his van," the garda explained.

"The (garda) was fairly traumatised. He was off duty, minding his own business in traffic," the garda source added.

The Limerick artist was taken from the scene by ambulance to University Hospital Limerick where his injuries are not life-threatening.

"He was taken to hospital from the scene, the Gardaí sealed off the scene and everything was examined. The investigation continues. There are a number of witnesses," said the garda.

The motorway which was closed for several hours causing traffic chaos alongside routes from Kerry, Clare and Cork into and out of the city via the Limerick Tunnel, has since reopened allowing traffic to move freely, Garda said.

As there was a member of the force involved in the incident, officers attached to the Garda Ombudsman Office are also carrying out inquiries as a matter of normal protocol.

Mr Shinnors whose work is known across the world has lived and worked all his life in his native city aside from a brief period spent in London during his teens.

He studied at the Limerick School of Art and Design under the influential Jack Donovan.

His career has seen him move from figuration to abstraction with a reduced palette of black and white relieved by brightly coloured underpainting and glimpses of bright red. He has also held regular solo exhibitions in Ireland since the 1980’s and more recently in London.

His work, which sells for thousands of euro, is represented in numerous public and private collections.

Mr Shinnors has also been the recipient of several awards and was the subject of an RTÉ documentary 'Split Image' by Michael Garvey in 1997.

He is a member of Aosdána and is involved in the promotion of the arts through the Shinnors Scholarship and the Shinnors Drawing Award and is represented by the Taylor Galleries, Dublin.

"His family are distraught. Everyone hopes he makes a good recovery," said a local source.

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