Eddie Cahill, brother of notorious crime boss Martin Cahill (The General), sees an exhibition of his artwork launched in a Dublin gallery this week.

The former criminal, who followed his brother into a life of crime, took up painting when serving time in Portlaoise prison 24 years ago.

Cahill, who usually shuns the press, spoke exclusively to The Green Room:

Asked what he would now be doing if he hadn’t started to paint, Cahill responded, “Would I still be climbing bank counters? I don’t know, I don’t know. I think with arthritis and old age, I wouldn’t be able to climb counters anymore. I don’t know what I would have done.”

£30 million pounds worth of paintings were stolen by Martin Cahill’s gang from Russborough House in 1986. Eddie Cahill said he wouldn’t mind if someone stole one of his artworks.

The irony of his current profession is not lost on Cahill: “If someone put their liberty at risk for one of my paintings, I would be well pleased.”

One of Cahill's paintings which will be on displace at Origins Gallery in Dublin

The former prisoner says he chose a life of crime because it was better than a life on the dole.

“It was either that or going on the dole. I don’t take kindly to the dole, I’d rather be in prison. I was thinking at the time, 'better jail than dole'.”

The artist says he maintains contact with his criminal colleagues of old but says few have gone on the straight and narrow as he has.

Asked if he felt any regret or guilt, Cahill said he would feel regret but no guilt: “I wouldn’t feel guilt. People didn’t care. I didn’t care. Nobody cared. It was a dog-eat-dog kind of thing. It’s a bit late to be coming along for apologies. I don’t do apologies.”

The full interview airs on The Green Room this Saturday evening from 9-11pm.

Eddie Cahill’s exhibition is currently being shown at Origin Gallery, Dublin 2.