A famous painting by one of the Republic's most celebrated artists which vanished for 17 years after being stolen in an art heist has gone on show to the public.

The Jack B Yeats work Bachelor's Walk, in Memory was taken during a robbery at Dunsany Castle, Co Meath, in 1990, never to surface again until two years ago when it went on sale at a Sotheby's auction.

Scotland Yard stepped in after being contacted by the National Gallery of Ireland who spotted a photograph of the missing piece in a catalogue for the Irish sale.

Now, the painting from 1915 has been given on long-term loan to the gallery on Dublin's Merrion Square.

It is being shown for the first time there since a centenary exhibition of the artist's works in 1971.

Raymond Keaveney, gallery director, thanked the owner - Lady Dunsany - for allowing the painting to go back on public display.

"We are delighted to accept this important painting on loan which affords a rare and wonderful opportunity for our visitors to see one of the artist's earliest and most significant oils displayed alongside the gallery's prestigious collection of Yeats paintings," he said.

The painting shows the aftermath of an attack by the King's Own Scottish Borderers in Dublin city centre on July 1914, in which they killed four people and injured 30 more.

The soldiers were returning to barracks after intercepting Irish Volunteers bringing in arms off the gun-running yacht Asgard at Howth when they were jeered and heckled by onlookers.

Yeats visited the scene the following day and made a sketch on the spot which he used to produce the oil painting.