**Apologies, registration full** This river of many names, mostly flowing underground, out of sight and often forgotten, has borne witness to all the key events of our shared history. It creates estate and parish boundaries, illustrates how skilled our Medieval ancestors were at hydro-engineering, it protected our city and citizens from invasion and most importantly...
An illustrated talk on the history of tourism in Dublin with Dublin City Historian in Residence, Katie Blackwood. Tourism is an industry that packages and sells culture and national identity and this talk will explore these issues while tracing Dublin's own meandering journey as a place to visit. Note: Limited spaces, booking essential.
In Shakespeare's drama ageing is variably described as, 'when age is in, the wit is out' (Much Ado About Nothing) and 'silver hairs/will purchase us good opinion' (Julius Caesar). This talk confronts the complexities and contradictions associated with growing old in Shakespeare's time. As our population continues to age and incidences of ageism increase, the...
David Lloyd George boasted that he had 'murder by the throat' in a speech in London in 1920 having swamped Ireland with troops, Black and Tans, Auxilliaries, assassins, touts and informants. Eighteen months later the British left Ireland defeated by counter-espionage. Edward J. Bourke, using information newly investigated, outlines for us a web of espionage,...
Join Author, Albert Perris, for a history of Tallaght House, one of the finest 19th century residences in Tallaght village. Built in the 1820s by Major James Palmer, Tallaght House then passed to John Lentaigne, before being sold to the Dominican Order in 1855. Albert Perris will explore the milestones, characters and tragedies, beyond the...
Sheila O'Flanagan, Jennifer Ryan and Nicola Cassidy will discuss their novels on a theme of War in Fiction, with Hazel Gaynor. The world wars, the Irish civil war and the War of Independence are popular settings for historical novels. This fascinating event will explore why periods of war appeal for writing fiction, the inspiration and...
Driven by a determined hope or the gritty practicalities of lived experiences the resilience of Irish women has been both situational and generational. This panel discussion will showcase original research questioning what drove these women to rebound from adversity and to adapt and withstand daunting societal and personal provocations. Note: Booking essential.
Despite initially warm relations between the Bolsheviks and the underground Dáil administration in 1920, it would be another 54 years before formal diplomatic relations were established, when a Soviet embassy opened on Dublin’s Orwell Road, and Irish diplomat, Jim Sharkey, turned the key in the door of an Irish embassy in Moscow. In conversation with...
Meg Connery was a leading figure in the Irish militant suffragette movement of the early twentieth century, and was prominent in driving the campaign for voting rights for Irish women. A contributor to The Irish Citizien newspaper, one of the most iconic images of the revolutionary period shows her confronting Andrew Bonar Law and Edward...
The Dublin launch of James Durney’s new book, ‘Jailbreak, Great Irish Republican Escapes’ will take place in the historical surrounding s of the East Wing of Kilmainham Gaol. James will give a brief presentation about the famous escape from Kilmainham on 14 January 1921 as part of the event.
To understand the past of Dún Laoghaire Rathdown is to understand that of all Ireland. Its remarkable diversity of landscapes, occupations, socio-economic status, politico-cultural affiliations, and views create a place...
Join us for this talk ‘Tracking Change and Turmoil: the Paintings of William Orpen (1878-1931)’ with Dr Anne Cormican. The talk explores William Orpen’s work as a continuum which documents momentous cultural, social and political upheaval, nationally and internationally, during the first quarter of the twentieth century. It examines paintings which pertain to the Irish...
Discover the vibrant history of Dublin Port with Grainne Shaffrey as she explores the groundbreaking Dublin Port Heritage Conservation Strategy. Shaffrey will delve into her meticulous mapping spanning over three centuries of development, highlighting Dublin's rich maritime heritage and its profound impact on the city's urban landscape. This marks the first comprehensive mapping of Dublin...
This talk by Eunan McKinney, Project Director of The Yeats Sisters Commemoration Project, will explore the neglected creative and entrepreneurial reputations of Susan and Elizabeth Yeats. For almost 50 years in the first half of the 20th century, the Yeats’ sisters made a lasting contribution to the cultural identity of an emerging new state, the...
Dr Elaine Leong (University College London) will give a lecture on ‘Book Cultures and Surgical Training in Early Modern London’. This is the Davis Coakley Memorial Lecture in Medical History. Note: Limited spaces. To book, email info@edwardworthlibrary.ie
Instead of studying the book as an individual author's work, book historians pay attention to its architecture, and processes of book production. They focus on publication contexts that might impact the meaning contained in the book. Dr Lucy Collins, Professor Porscha Fermanis, Eoin McCarney, and Dr Tapasya Narang will reflect on the importance of holding,...
ONLINE TALK Following the return of his Antarctic expedition (1907-1909) aboard SY 'Nimrod', Ernest Shackleton toured Europe delivering lectures to the peoples and learned societies of the great cities. He returned to his native Ireland in December, 1909, and gave a lecture in Dublin to raise funds for the Lady Dudley nurses scheme. This talk...
The long life enjoyed by Dr. T.K. Whitaker parallels the history of the modern Irish state in whose economic, financial, social, constitutional, educational, political and cultural evolution he played a pivotal role. Whitaker’s inspirational blueprint for the regeneration of the Irish economy in the 1960s, guiding Ireland’s path to membership of such bodies as the...
