First Minister’s sketch of cranes raises £750

A SKETCH of Harland & Wolff ’s famous yellow cranes by First Minister Peter Robinson has earned £750 for charity, beating off competition from the Prime Minister.

David Cameron may have felt somewhat sheepish when his Thinking of Ewe sketch scooped a mere £400.

Celebrities and politicians took a break from their day jobs to doodle for the Take Art for Action MS charity auction at Titanic Belfast.

Those who put pen to paper included comedian Patrick Kielty, Irish rugby captain Brian O'Driscoll and GAA legend Peter Canavan.

The images ranged from the peaks outside Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg’s Sheffield constituency to the symbol of bankrupt Fermanagh tycoon Sean Quinn’s local GAA club, Teemore Shamrocks. But in the end, local proved best. Mr Robinson’s sketch of the cranes arching across Belfast’s skyline fetched the highest price.

Other high earners included a portrait by Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness of Fanad Lighthouse in Donegal (£350), a rugby-inspired sketch by former Ulster captain David Humphreys (£400), and a colourful sketch of puffins by PSNI chief Matt Baggott (£300).

The main attraction came from internationally acclaimed artist and Royal Ulster Academy academic Neil Shawcross, which incorporated depictions of a number of the celebrity sketches. The piece, entitled Still Life, was snapped up for £5,500 on the night.