Irish Georgian Society Review

2015

In this issue Regulars

Features

Message from the Editor Letitia Pollard

Our editior casts an eye on some significant happenings over the last fifteen months.

With the assistance of our London Chapter, several worthy projects received funding to maintain their structures

Heritage Update Donough Cahill

Overview of planning and other issues during the past year

Conservation & Outreach Programme Emmeline Henderson

Courses and exhibitions held during the past year

Events Round-Up Doreen McNamara

What we got up to during the year, around Ireland and overseas

Conservation Grants Scheme Ashleigh Murray

Living City Initiative Amy Hastings

The benefits of maintaining historic environments in towns and villages

The Chapel Royal Dr Myles Campbell

Celebrating 200 years of the Chapel Royal in Dublin Castle 22

Beit Paintings: A Perfect Marriage Dr John Loughman

Highlighting the importance of paintings as an integral part of Russborough House

Art in the Country House Conference Dr David Fleming A report on a conference held in Dublin Castle by the Irish Georgian Society

Cobbe Cabinet of Curiosities: An Anglo-Irish Country House Museum William Laffan

Chapter Reports Cork Kevin Hurley Limerick Dr Ursula Callaghan Birr John Joyce London Ashleigh Murray IGS Inc. Michael G. Kerrigan

A review of an extraordinary collection

Editor Letitia Pollard Committee Member Advertising Sales ZoĂŤ Coleman

Editorial Committee Donough Cahill Executive Director Rose Mary Craig Committee Member

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Message from the Editor Letitia Pollard

Many exciting activities have been undertaken by the Society; our editor casts an eye on some significant happenings over the last fifteen months The newlydesigned Irish Georgian Society Review last year highlighted the wondrous Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design 1690-1840 exhibition which was held at the Art Institute of Chicago from March to the end of June earlier this year. In May this year, a group of IGS members visited Chicago and enjoyed a delightful week, orchestrated by Michael Kerrigan of the Chicago Chapter, where they had a private guided tour of the exhibition and also visited private houses along the shores of Lake Michigan. The wealth of Irish artefacts in North American collections – private and public – is outstanding, and while it is fortunate that such items have found sanctuary elsewhere, it is also sad that they have had to be moved from their original settings. In the Spring, the Society organised a conference entitled art in the country house and the following day it was announced that the Alfred Beit Foundation were proposing to sell some paintings to raise funds to support the upkeep of Russborough. Much public debate ensued, the planned sale was postponed while efforts are made to find an alternative, acceptable solution to the dilemma. The City Assembly House has become an established cultural base with a constant stream of visitors to the varied exhibitions and talks held during the year, lunchtime walking tours during the summer and our very popular – and busy – bookshop attracting regular buyers. In the office upstairs there have been significant changes of personnel with our Membership and Events Administrator Doreen McNamara

leaving after many years’ service – her folk memory of the Society and its members is extraordinary - but even though she has relocated to Co. Kerry, we hope to maintain contact, and doubtless the Cork and Limerick Chapters will welcome her to Munster! In Doreen’s stead, we welcome two new staff members: Roisin Lambe as Membership and Events Administrator, while Zoë Coleman joins as Development Administrator to assist Donough Cahill in raising funds for future development of the Society and the building. Plans for 2016 are exciting and we look forward to an interesting programme of events and the restoration of our headquarters which we hope you will enjoy and share with us over the coming months.

01 Doreen McNamara departs after twentyseven years of service to the Society 02 New recruits Zoë Coleman and Roisin Lambe

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Heritage Housekeeping: Philosophy and Practice Study Day

John Lyons, the Russborough factotum, cleaning windows, c.1962 private collection

The Irish Georgian Society, in association with the Institute of ConservatorsRestorers Ireland (ICRI), are partnering to deliver a heritage housekeeping study day in the Saloon at Russborough. Owners, managers and curators of heritage properties, both in public and private care, are encouraged to attend in order to learn about the importance of good housekeeping and receive expert advice on the care and conservation of their collections. Attendees will learn about the appropriate handling, cleaning, storage and display of their paintings, furniture, textiles, books, glass, ceramics and silver. The seminar will be of great benefit to anyone with a responsibility for private and public historic house and heritage property management.

Speakers and Chairs include: Katy Lithgow, head conservator, the National Trust, UK (keynote speaker); Jessica Baldwin, chair of Institute of Conservator-Restorers in Ireland (ICRI); Eric Blatchford, CEO Alfred Beit Foundation; Donough Cahill, IGF Executive Director; Susan Corr, president of European Confederation of Conservators-Restorers' Organisation (ECCO); Cliodna Devitt, independent textile conservator; Dr David Fleming, IGF chair; Sven Habermann, manager, Conservation Letterfrack; Lesley-Ann Hayden, the Heritage Council's Museum Standards Programme for Ireland coordinator; Kevin Mulligan, co-author of Russborough: A Great Irish House, its Families and Collections; Simone Mancini, head of conservation at the National Gallery of Ireland; and Fergus Purdy, independent furniture conservator. Price: €90 (includes morning tea/ coffee and lunch). Discounted IGS & ICRI members rate of €80. For the full programme and to book please see the Society’s website or contact the office. Thursday 26th November 2015 The Saloon, Russborough, Co. Wicklow

This seminar is being delivered with support of The Apollo Foundation.

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Heritage Update Donough Cahill

It has been a full and eventful year and all thanks are due to the dedication of volunteers and staff and to all our members and supporters. A highlight for the year was our involvement with the Art Institute of Chicago’s exhibition Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690–1840. This important exhibition had its genesis in the friendship and shared interests of the late Desmond FitzGerald, Knight of Glin, and Exhibition Curator, Dr Christopher Monkhouse. At its launch in March, the Society gave its support to a day-long symposium with original research presented by scholars from both sides of the Atlantic and also hosted a gala dinner at which Volume XVII of the Society’s journal, Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies, was launched. Its content coincided with and aimed to reflect the internationalist approach of the exhibition and served to complement the catalogue. In May, our Chicago Chapter royally welcomed a contingent of IGS members who travelled especially to visit the exhibition and to explore the rich architectural heritage of Chicago and its surrounding area (see page 50). The Society’s further engagement with the Chicago exhibition was delivered through the conference Art in the Country House (see page 28) which was held in Dublin Castle in association with the Office of Public Works and at which the Irish launch of the catalogue was also held. A further triumph was the Summer School Conservation Without Frontiers: Historic Buildings of Armagh & Monaghan in Context held in association with the Ulster Architectural Heritage Society. Run over three days in partnership with Monaghan County Council, Armagh Urban and District Council and the Heritage Council, the event drew together students, enthusiasts and practitioners to explore, discuss and debate issues relating to the shared heritage of the two counties.

On planning and policy matters the Society continued its monitoring of infrastructural projects that could impact detrimentally on our built heritage. Of on-going concern are development proposals that threaten the integrity of formal parklands at Whitewood House, Co. Meath (above). Built c.1735 as a hunting lodge for Jenico Preston, 10th Viscount Gormanston, and attributed to Richard Castle, Whitewood is of special interest as it retains substantial parts of its 18th-century designed landscape. Recent planning proposals have seen permission granted for the development of an incinerator at the termination of one of the prospects from the house whilst, most recently, Eirgrid has submitted an application for the north/south inter-connector which could see pylons stretch across the view from Whitewood House from the south. One moment of positive news occurred in June with An Bord Pleanála upholding a decision by Meath County Council to refuse permission for the construction of wind turbines that would have detrimentally affected the character of its important surviving baroque parklands. The owner of Whitewood, David Horgan, is to be commended for his on-going efforts to

protect the nationally important designed parklands around his home. Regrettably, the setting of another historic designed landscape, that at Larchill House, Co. Kildare, also came under threat this past year. The gardens at Larchill were created between 1740 and 1780 as a ‘Ferme Ornée’ or Ornamental Farm and are reputedly the only surviving, near complete, garden of this type in Europe. Restored in the 1990s through the passion and dedication of the de Las Casas family, permission has sadly been granted for a composting facility on lands that once formed part of Larchill’s historic demesne. Whilst not encroaching on the Arcadian gardens, the development will undermine an appreciation of the broader historic landscape. This decision fails to take into account the role of Larchill not just as an important surviving 18th century garden, but also as a site that serves as part of the region’s tourism offering. The proposed sale earlier this year of paintings from the Beit Collection was a matter of great concern to the Society, a concern that was shared with other organisations and over 5,000 individuals who signed a petition launched by the Irish Arts Review magazine. The Irish

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Over the course of the last year the Irish Georgian Society has delivered outstanding education and scholarship programs, provided essential grant aid for conservation projects, campaigned on planning matters and policy issues, and run highly successful membership events programmes in Ireland, the UK and the USA.

Image Whitewood House Co.Meath

Georgian Society welcomed the decision by the Alfred Beit Foundation to postpone the sale so as to allow alternative options to be considered, and supported Minister Heather Humphreys in her efforts to safeguard the integrity of the collection. While the financial challenges faced by Russborough remain very much at large, the future of the paintings remains uncertain. Projects that were awarded conservation grants by the Society in 2014 have largely been completed at this stage with outstanding initiatives coming close to completion. Through the support of the Society, St. Columba’s Church in Swords, Co. Dublin was able to re-open for Christmas; repairs to dry rot damage in Strokestown, Co. Roscommon, were made possible; essential repair works to decorative plasterwork attributed to the Lafranchini brothers at Curraghmore House were supported; and grants were provided for roof and rain water repairs in Beaulieu House, Co. Louth, at Bridge House, Co. Mayo, and Milford House, Co. Galway. The recipients of the 2015 grants scheme are reported on in full on pages 06-10. The Society’s work in restoring the City Assembly House continues apace. Through the support of the Ireland Funds

and the Jerome L. Greene Foundation, Georgian-type windows will be reinstated to the building along with the repair of iron railings, and the cleaning and repointing of brick and stonework. Meanwhile, we have been busy hosting a series of successful small exhibitions, concerts and other events that have brought new audiences to the City Assembly House and to the Irish Georgian Society. In 2016, a major works programme will be undertaken which will see the reopening of the Exhibition Room as an important venue for the celebration of the arts in Ireland. Members will be kept abreast of this exciting initiative over the course of the coming months. Over the last year, our Conservation Education Programme saw the delivery of two groups of lectures by experts in a range of conservation fields: the first held in association with Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council in late 2014 and the second with Dublin City Council in the Spring of 2015. These well-attended courses are an established part of our education programme and position the Society to the fore in the promotion on good conservation practice in Ireland. Along with this year’s Heritage Buildings Show, a report on page 19 provides further details on the activities of this vibrant part of the Society’s educational programme. Every year the Society’s membership events programme delivers outstanding trips, tours and parties which provide opportunities not just to learn about our heritage buildings, gardens and landscapes but also to meet like-minded people and, most importantly, to have a good time. Reports on the activities of the varied geographic branches of the Society are featured elsewhere in this edition and, if you did not have an opportunity to participate, you can find out what you missed out on and plan to attend next time around!

Conservation Grant Scheme Ashleigh Murray

The Irish Georgian Society is delighted to announce the second successful year of the Conservation Grants Scheme. The London Chapter has made this scheme possible through funds raised from their activities and membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; generous bequests. The scheme helps owners of historic Irish structures to fund necessary works which may not otherwise be possible without the support of the IGS.

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This year we received over seventy applications from across the country, a higher number than last year, thus highlighting the great need for this type of funding. The Society valued all applicants but, ultimately, it was in a better position to help with certain projects. It was very challenging to determine how this year’s limited budget should be spent as it was clear that several projects would really benefit from the Society’s help. The London Chapter have, therefore, gone beyond the normal agreed limit of €50,000 and have generously offered €57,000. Furthermore, each year a core grant is offered for one larger project, considered to be of particular importance and which would especially benefit from the support of the IGS. This year, as several applications were particularly worthy of this support, a core grant of €10,000 has been offered to three structures: the Lion’s Gate, Co. Roscommon; Collon Parish Church, Co. Louth; and Donnybrook House, Cork.

The Lion’s Gate, attributed to James Gandon (1743–1823), is a 1787 gateway in the Mote Park Estate. The last house on the estate was demolished in 1963, leaving behind several important but vulnerable landscape structures. This arched gateway, flanked by walls and gate lodges, is surmounted by a Coade stone lion, a rare feature to Ireland. Coade stone is an artificial stone that was perfected by Eleanor Coade (1733– 1821) in London during the late-18th century. We are working closely with the Roscommon Heritage Group who are taking on the challenge of conserving this important but dilapidated landscape feature. The first priority is to undertake a specialist site inspection of the lion in order to devise a considered conservation methodology. Undertaking a careful inspection before engaging in repair and conservation works is the very sensible approach also being adopted at Collon Parish. The 1811–1815 church was designed by Rev. Daniel Augustus

Main Image Donnybrook House, Cork, A c.1750 country house showing later additions

CONSERVATION GRANTS SCHEME

01 Collon Parish Church, Co. Louth. The 1811-1815 church was designed by Rev. Daniel Augustus Beaufort 02 Ashleigh Murray, London chapter, Michael McMahon, Collon church restoration group and Primrose Wilson, chair conservation grants committee 03 The Lion’s Gate, Co. Roscommon. A c.1787 gateway in the Mote Park Estate

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Beaufort (1739–1821), an amateur architect and rector. The roof is in poor condition and water leakage is beginning to impact on the striking internal fanvaulted ceiling). A detailed study of the roof space above the plaster ceiling is required to guide the necessary repair and stabilisation works. Water ingress can have a detrimental effect on historic fabric and Donnybrook House is a c.1750 country house that also faces this challenge. This singlestorey house, with its unusual flanking two-storey end towers, has been in the Crichton family for three generations. Essential roof repairs are required to protect this important structure. Two other structures also face water ingress problems. Coolattin House, Co. Wicklow, a large c.1800 country residence, now a golf club, was originally designed by John Carr of York (1723– 1807). Golf clubs are, unfortunately, still struggling to recover from the economic downturn. Necessary repairs to the roof are required to protect the stairwell’s decorative plasterwork, already damaged from water penetration. Similarly, roof repairs are required to the portico and the lantern rooflights at St. Paul’s Church (c.1837), Dublin, designed by Patrick Byrne (1783–1864). The Presbyterian Church Dún Laoghaire (c.1861), Co. Dublin, contains a beautiful stained-glass rose window that is in danger of collapse. The stone mullions’ iron pins are rusting and expanding, causing pieces of stone to crack and break away. The works include replacing the stone mullions with new Portland stone, introducing steel pins and re-leading the glass. We were delighted to receive applications for two thatched cottages as these structures are becoming

increasingly rare in Ireland. The Thatched Cottage (c.1780-1800), Co. Donegal, has belonged to the same family since its construction. Now left empty, a condition report is required to help guide the next generation with the necessary works. The Mall, Co. Cork, is an early19th-century dwelling belonging to the Irish Landmark Trust. This charity saves small historic buildings by converting them into self-catering holiday homes. We are pleased to help this charity with the re-thatching of this important vernacular house. An Taisce, who work to preserve and protect Ireland’s natural and built heritage, is another charity we are proud to support. Their headquarters are located in Tailors’ Hall (1706), the oldest surviving guildhall in Dublin. The southern wall has to be pinned back to prevent collapse and the cracked granite door surround and pediment require restoration. There is a wide variety of historic structures that require maintenance and conservation which puts a financial burden on owners. The IGS’s Conservation Grants Scheme helps to fund essential works for the continued protection of these historic assets.

Living City Initiative More than an Economic Asset Amy Hastings In 1958, at a time of widespread destruction and demolition of historic buildings, Desmond and Mariga Guinness established the Irish Georgian Society to fight for the preservation of what was left of Georgian architecture in Ireland. After more than half a century, attitudes to the preservation of our architectural heritage have changed dramatically. In recent times, we have become increasingly aware of the value of our historic environment as an economic asset. A 2011 report published by the Heritage Council revealed that heritage and Ireland’s historic environment is estimated to account for €1.5 billion or 1% of the state’s gross value added (GVA) and approximately 65,000 employment positions. Research undertaken by Peter Bacon & Associates Economic Consultants and published in January 2014 highlighted the cost savings that can be achieved by refurbishing a heritage building rather than demolishing it. This brings the importance of protecting Ireland’s historic environment sharply into focus. However, the true value of our historic environment and the benefits of its conservation and protection can never be fully quantified in economic terms. Ireland has a very rich, complex and layered cultural heritage, a heritage that is unique to Ireland and defines our national identity. This cultural heritage encompasses legend, landscape, language, literature, music, art, theatre and sport and Ireland is internationally renowned in each and every one of these areas. Ireland has a remarkable density of historic buildings and sites, each phase in our cultural history adding a layer to what was

there before. Early Christian sites layered on places of ancient Celtic ceremony and significance. Later Norman and monastic sites adding a further layer, all these layers then taken into the creation of 18th and 19th-century designed landscapes and urban form; and all of this set in the beautiful and varied Irish landscape. For some 300 years in the early Christian period, Ireland was the centre of learning in the western world. Few countries in the world can claim such cultural richness; and there is no country of comparative size that comes anywhere close to Ireland in the impact its distinctive culture has made on the world. Ireland’s historic environment is an intrinsic part of who we are as

individuals, as communities and as a people – it is our home. The economic value of our historic environment should not provide the sole reason and rationale for its conservation. Encouraging the protection and conservation of heritage buildings can result in major, but intangible, benefits for the people living in heritage towns. The large majority of our historic building stock has remained in active use since its original construction. That a building can be in continuous occupation for centuries is testament to the quality of its construction and its adaptability to the changing needs of a modern society. However, the movement of people into the suburbs has wreaked havoc on many

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of our historic towns and cities. Vacancy, and the dereliction that follows it over time, can spread like cancer through our historic towns. As buildings fall into disrepair, the area becomes less attractive to families and businesses and, in turn, the rate of vacancy and dereliction can grow. Communities become fragmented and, with fewer eyes on the street, anti-social and criminal behavior can escalate. The reverse is also true. Often, all it needs is for one ordinary person to lead the way and bring a building back to what it once was to trigger a forgotten pride in a historic town and bring about meaningful urban regeneration. Regeneration of the historic environment can rebuild communities and make a town a vibrant place where people want to live, work and do business. The sterling work of Cork County Council and many dedicated homeowners in reviving Georgian Clonakilty is an example of one such project. For this reason, the Irish Georgian Society strongly supports the government in the Living City Initiative, which was recently launched in Dublin, Cork, Limerick, Galway, Waterford and Kilkenny. ‘Encouraging people back to the centre of Irish cities to live in historic buildings’ through a tax relief incentive is a worthy and inspired approach to heritage conservation. Proposals to expand the initiative to include buildings constructed before 1915 in each of Ireland’s cities are greatly welcomed. However, given the difference that an

initiative of this nature could make to historic towns, like Clonakilty, and the communities that live there, the Irish Georgian Society echoes calls by the Heritage Council to extend the initiative into Irish towns. There is no single measure, regulation or incentive that can ensure the protection of Ireland’s historic environment. Stronger and clearer guidance, regulation and enforcement will play a significant role in conservation and protection of architectural heritage. A comprehensive package of financial incentives will offset concerns about the cost of refurbishing heritage buildings and will facilitate people wishing to move into our historic towns and cities. At the same time, the benefits that conserving our historic environment can have on the vitality of our cities, our towns and our local communities should be a central driver for valuing our architectural heritage into the future.

The Chapel Royal Dr Myles Campbell

â&#x20AC;&#x153;The Castle Chapel, when completed, will unquestionably present one of the finest examples of the Gothic style of Architecture extant in Europe. Such was the expectation of one enthusiastic newspaper correspondent as he watched the Chapel Royal take shape within the walls of Dublin Castle in 1810. The Chapel Royal was designed by the prolific Irish architect Francis Johnston in 1807â&#x20AC;?

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THE CHAPEL ROYAL

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Previous Page Nave 1807-14, showing upper galleries 01 Attributed to Francis Johnston, Elevation for Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle, c.1807, watercolour on paper 02 North elevation, Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle

THE CHAPEL ROYAL

It was not the first chapel building at the Castle but, architecturally, it was undoubtedly the foremost. It was built as a lavish replacement for the comparatively lacklustre chapel that occupied the same site next to the Record Tower in the Lower Yard. A captivating confection of Gothic fan vaulting, virtuoso plaster ornament and heraldic stained glass, the Chapel Royal crystallized the pretentions and confidence of the British administration in Ireland in the wake of the Act of Union of 1801. From its opening on Christmas Day 1814, the new chapel served as a central focus of the spiritual and social life of successive lords lieutenant, or viceroys, who continued to represent the interests of British monarchs in Ireland until 1922. Its primary function was as a setting for regular Anglican worship each Sunday, with dedicated pews reserved for the lord lieutenant and his household. On more prestigious occasions, it played witness to all the protocol and pageantry of royal visits, such as that of King George IV, who attended divine service in September 1821. Far from being solely a place of religious ceremony, it gradually developed as an extension of the social life of the State Apartments: an arena in which piety and pomp went hand in hand. One hundred years later, political expediency had necessitated the appointment of a Roman Catholic viceroy, as a token of Britain’s conciliatory attitude to the ever-louder cries for Irish independence. The selection of Viscount FitzAlan of Derwent as viceroy swiftly prompted criticism of the ‘anomalous position’ of the Chapel Royal, as an Anglican chapel that could not be attended by the new Catholic viceroy but that still remained ‘a charge on the taxpayers’. But it mattered little. The first Catholic viceroy for centuries soon became the last ever viceroy of Ireland. Following the foundation of the Irish Free State in 1922, the Chapel Royal’s future looked uncertain. In 1943, it was re-dedicated as a Roman Catholic church for use by the Irish Defence Forces. Its eventual closure for major renovations in 1983 signalled a renewed period of dormancy from which it has once again begun to emerge. Two centuries after its completion, a new project has sought, for the first time, to comprehensively examine and

document the history of this landmark Gothic Revival building. This project was conceived by the general manager of Dublin Castle, Mary Heffernan, in conjunction with architectural historians Dr Myles Campbell and William Derham, and has led to two tangible outcomes. An exhibition of artefacts relating to the chapel, many of which have remained in obscurity for several decades, will be on display in the State Apartments at Dublin Castle. Pinnacles, Pomp & Piety: 200 Years of the Chapel Royal at Dublin Castle runs from 24 September 2015 to 6 March 2016. In addition, a lavishly illustrated book of essays, The Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle: An Architectural History, edited by Campbell and Derham, has been produced by the Office of Public Works. Drawing on an abundance of new archival material, the bicentennial project has attempted to foster a meaningful understanding and interpretation of the position of the Chapel Royal in the artistic, social, political, economic and spiritual life of Ireland. It considers a range of themes from the music of the viceregal court to the significance of the building as the first Gothic Revival church in Dublin. Central to this is the notion of the chapel and its architectural development as a barometer of the changing position of religion in Irish life. There have been some illuminating finds. New light has been shed on topics such as the involvement of forgotten local and international craftsmen; the vitriolic criticisms of Roman Catholic influences on changes made to the chapel by Lord Carlisle, during his tenure as viceroy in the 1850s; and a surprising intervention made by former Taoiseach Charles Haughey, in 1990. Chief among the objects on display in the exhibition will be a magnificent chalice and alms dish that form part of the original collection of Chapel Royal plate; a gift from William III in 1698. This will be the first time the plate has returned to Dublin Castle in almost a century. It comes as a result of the generosity of Christ Church Cathedral, in whose care the collection now rests. Additional items will include the original Dublin-made Arts and Crafts altar chairs; historic drawings; and a collection of embossed Chapel Royal prayer and

music books. All of these efforts coincide with a vibrant new chapter in the Chapel Royal’s history. The recent completion of conservation works by the Office of Public Works has inspired a new interest in the building and has made it suitable once again for public assembly. It now features on the Dublin Castle guided tour. In addition to its enhanced role as an integral part of the Dublin Castle visitor experience, it will also be made available for events in the future. Throughout the year, a series of public concerts is offering a flavour of the music that would once have been heard within its walls. Several of these are being recorded and broadcast by RTÉ Lyric FM. This series of concerts will culminate in a Christmas celebration to bring the chapel’s 200th year of use to a fitting close. And as a new year opens, it is anticipated that the chapel will once more be at the heart of life in Dublin Castle, and that the expectations of the optimistic newspaper correspondent of 1810, will now be more fully appreciated. Dr Myles Campbell Office of Public Works, Dublin Castle

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01-02 Detail of decoration in the Nave, Chapel Royal 03 Viceregal throne, 1864-66, Chapel Royal, Dublin Castle 04 Collection of Williamite plate, c.1694-99, formerly in the Chapel Royal, now in Christ Church Cathedral

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Conservation & Outreach Programme Emmeline Henderson

The Conservation Education Programme has provided some interesting events over the last year, ranging from an important and timely conference on country house collections and their fate, our annual traditional building skills exhibition and two courses aimed at the period homeowner. DÚN LAOGHAIRE RATHDOWN’S HISTORIC HOUSES CONSERVATION COURSE Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown’s Historic Houses: Appreciating and Caring for your Period House, was presented in Autumn 2014 in partnership with Dún LaoghaireRathdown County Council, a grant from their Heritage Officer, Tim Carey, and support from their Architectural Conservation Officer, Julie Craig. Held in the historic and convivial surrounding of the Royal St. George Yacht Club, which was designed by celebrated architect John Skipton Mulvany (1843), the course was overseen by Deirdre McDermott, Acting IGS Conservation Manager. Peter Pearson, conservationist, artist and author of Between the Mountains and the Sea: Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County, gave an overview of the county’s rich historic domestic architecture. Then Jacqui Donnelly, Architectural Conservation Advisor with the Architectural Heritage Advisory Unit of the Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht, outlined the legal and policy implications of owning a protected structure. The following week focused on energy upgrading historic houses without compromising their architectural integrity with Paul Arnold, Grade I RIAI Conservation Architect. Historic building surveyor and author, Frank Keohane, concluded the evening with a salutary talk on the importance of preventative maintenance. On the third evening, Nicola Matthews, Conservation Officer with Dublin City Council, reflected on how to sensitively extend a period house. Her talk included illuminating examples of

recent extensions to Dún LaoghaireRathdown and Dublin’s historic building stock, and considered the recent ‘silent re-building of our city’ with reference to this trend to extend and reconfigure period homes so that they better relate to gardens. Structural engineer, Lisa Edden, concluded the evening with a highly practical talk on keeping the water out. Evening four commenced with Gráinne Shaffrey, Principal of Shaffrey Associates Architects, explaining the practical and aesthetic virtues of using lime in traditional buildings. Ali Davey, Trustee of the Scottish Ironwork Foundation, gave an overview of the history, significance and conservation of Dún Laoaghaire’s historic ironwork. The penultimate evening comprised Laura Bowen, Grade II RIAI conservation accredited architect, delivering a talk on the characteristics and care of Dun Laoghaire’s historic houses’ roofs. Susan Roundtree, Senior Architect with Dublin City Council examined the use of brick in Dún Laoghaire’s period properties and gave advice for its care and conservation. The final evening of talks was delivered by the historic decorative plasterwork conservator Andrew Smith, who was recently responsible for the conservation of the City Assembly House’s rococo plasterwork, and Dr Nessa Roche, Architectural Conservation Advisor, Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht, spoke on the history, significance and conservation of decorative plasterwork and windows respectively. Complementing and concluding the talks programme was a walking tour of Dún Laoghaire’s domestic architecture delivered by historic building consultant, planner, author and local historian, Rob Goodbody. Over forty of Dún Laoghaire’s historic building owners attended the course and hopefully will apply the knowledge they acquired on the course to day-to-day care and conservation of their period homes.

CONSERVING YOUR DUBLIN PERIOD HOUSE The popular Conserving your Dublin Period House course began in March, as the fifth successful collaboration of the Irish Georgian Society and Dublin City Council’s Heritage and Conservation Offices. Providing an A to Z on the history, significance and conservation of Dublin’s historic building stock, this course is delivered by the leading authorities in the field of conservation. The Society is hugely indebted to all the speakers who year-on-year generously share their knowledge to deliver papers on their respective areas of expertise: Charles Duggan, heritage officer, Dublin City Council; Frank Keohane, chartered building surveyor; Dr Nessa Roche and Jacqui Donnelly, who are architectural conservation advisors, DoAHG; Carl Raftery and Sarah Halpin, both of whom are conservation research officers, Dublin City Council; Peter Clarke, former lecturer DIT; Karl Rapple, blacksmith; Susan Roundtree, former senior architect, Dublin City Council; Grainne Shaffrey, principal Shaffrey Associates Architects; Nicola Matthew, architectural conservation officer, Dublin City Council; Andrew Smith, historic plasterwork conservator; Lisa Edden, consultant structural engineer; and Dr Susan Galavan, architect and architectural historian. Attendance on the course comprised protected structure owners, but also a number of builders and craftspeople on account of the course being recognised as structured continuing professional development by the Register of Heritage Contractors. As with the previous courses, architects and engineers attended due to the course being recognised for CPD by their respective professional bodies, the Royal Institute of Architects of Ireland and Engineers Ireland. A number of planners also attended as the course was recognised for CPD for the first time by the Irish Planning Institute. This is a welcome development. The varied make up of the

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audience is a testament to the lecturers’ ability to convey their subject matter in an accessible manner which also fully communicates their academic and technical expertise. ART IN THE COUNTRY HOUSE CONFERENCE To coincide with the Art Insitute of Chicago’s exhibition, Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 which included many paintings and objects from Irish country houses (OPW), the Irish Georgian Society and the Office of Public Works partnered to deliver this. Held on Thursday 23rd April in Dublin Castle, George’s Hall was at full capacity with an audience of 150 art historians, architects, auctioneers, conservators, country house owners and Society members. (For a review of the conference content see IGS Chairman, David Fleming’s précis on page 28.) The delivery of this day-long conference of international calibre was a substantial achievement and the Society wishes to thank all the speakers and chairs who generously shared their research and invested time in preparing and delivering their papers. In addition, particular thanks goes to William Laffan, IGF Board Member, for overseeing the conference content and co-convening the conference. The Society is also most grateful to Mary Heffernan, General Manager in OPW Historic Properties for enabling the OPW to partner on the delivery of the conference. Amy Hasting, ACPC Chair, generously volunteered to undertake the graphic design of the programme. As with all the actions of the Conservation Education Programme, the Society wishes to express our appreciation to the Apollo Foundation and the Merrion Property Group for their continued support. Further thanks are due to the Merrion Hotel for hosting our conference keynote speaker and Feast Catering for kindly sponsoring the morning coffee break. The conference concluded with speakers and audience enjoying a wine

reception hosted by Yale University Press where the exhibition catalogue for Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840 was given its official Irish launch by IGF President, Patrick Guinness. Fittingly, volume XVII of Irish Architectural and Decorative Studies: TheJournal of the Irish Georgian Society, containing essays focusing on objects included in the Chicago exhibition and edited by Dr Conor Lucey, was also launched that evening. WICKLOW’S HERITAGE BUILDING SHOW 2015 This year’s Irish Georgian Society’s annual exhibition was presented in partnership with Wicklow County Council and the OPW. Entitled, Wicklow’s Heritage Buildings Show 2015, the exhibition took place on Saturday 19th and Sunday 20th September in the spectacular grounds of the OPW’s Glendalough Visitor Centre, with the accompanying talks taking place in the adjacent Glendalough Hotel. The event was a joint venture of the Irish Georgian Society, Wicklow County Council and the OPW. The Society worked in partnership with Deirdre Burns, Wicklow County Council’s Heritage Officer, who secured part funding for the event, which was an action of the County Wicklow Heritage Plan, through the Heritage Council. Matching funding was provided by the OPW, who also generously hosted the event in the grounds of the OPW Glendalough monastic site. Additional funding was secured from the Ireland Funds, CRH and George O’Malley Plastering, to whom the Society is most grateful. For the weekend Glendalough became a one-stop destination for anyone wanting to know anything about the care and conservation of their traditional building. Over two dozen craftspeople demonstrated the key traditional skills needed for the conservation of old buildings. Exhibitors included Alan Jackson of Woodfield

Joinery and Francis Tutty of Tutty Sash Windows, both from Wicklow,who demonstrated traditional timber sash window repairs; Anthony Murray of Custom Crew demonstrating traditional slate roofing and showcasing traditional ironwork rain water goods, which were kindly supplied by Ray Rennick of Proflow; Kyran O’Grady of Wicklow Thatching Services demonstrating traditional thatching; Andrew Smith of Smith and Henderson Stuccodores and Stephen Kelly of George O’Malley Plastering demonstrating decorative plasterwork conservation; Dermot Collier of ACOL demonstrating both wig and tuck pointing of bricks; brothers Liam and John McCorkell of Glasshaus Studios showcased the traditional making and conservation of fanlights and stained glass; Philip Quinn of Stonemad demonstrated traditional stone carving; Edward Byrne and Paddy McCutcheon of the Traditional Lime Company demonstrated the use of traditional lime mortars and paints; Ruth Bothwell of Decowell demonstrated gilding, marbling and historic paint effects; Austin Jordan of Clock Jordan demonstrated antique clock repairs and co-hosted his stand with Nigel Barnes, who was promoting the Irish Horological Craft Forum, which has now been established for four years; Grant Hutchinson of the Old Builders Company demonstrated the benefits of using traditional materials such as lime and hemp in construction, conservation and enegy upgrading works to old buildings; Féile Butler of Mud and Wood demonstrated traditional mud and earthen construction; Julie Fallon of Opus Mosaics demonstrated the making of traditional mosaics; Paul Gaffney of the Stripy Paint Company presented ethically salvaged and repurposed architectural artefacts; brothers Des, John and Dave McEvoy of C. McEvoy and Sons Wicklow Granite, who are fifth generation stone masons, demonstrated the traditional

CONSERVATION & OUTREACH PROGRAMME

stonecutting of Ballyknockan granite; while Terry O’Flaherty of Stonework by Design, demonstrated traditional dry stone wall construction. Eoin Donnelly, the bodger, enthralled all with his pole lathe demonstrating. These superb demonstrations were augmented by conservation information stands where accurate, impartial and free advice on planning law, conservation policy, insurance and finance was provided by the Irish Georgian Society, Wicklow County Council’s Heritage Office, the Heritage Council, the Building Limes Forum Ireland and the Register of Heritage Contractors. In tandem with the exhibition there were free interactive talks on the history, maintenance and repair of Wicklow’s historic, period and traditional buildings delivered by leading authorities. Speakers and topics addressed included: Chris Corlett, National Monuments Service, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Wicklow’s Traditional Farmhouses); Patricia Butler, member of Wicklow Heritage Forum (County Wicklow’s Historic Demesnes and Gardens), Colm Murray, the Heritage Council (Conservation of Traditional Farm Buildings); Una Ni Mhearáin, Building Limes Forum Ireland (The Importance of Using Lime); Dr Martin Critchley, Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland (the Historic Buildings Associated with Mining in County Wicklow); Dr Fidelma Mullane, the Heritage Council (Wicklow’s Thatched Buildings); Seamus O’Maitiú (Wicklow’s Stone Cutting Tradition: the Ballyknockan story); Deirdre McDermott, ICOMOS Ireland (Energy Efficiency in Traditional Buildings); Willie Cumming, NIAH, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (the National Inventory of Architectural Heritage and the Wicklow County and Town Survey); Robert Shaw and Keith Smith, the Discovery Programme (3D-ICONS and Monastic Ireland: Discovering Glendalough); Dr Nessa Roche, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (Historic Windows: their history, significance and conservation); Jacqui Donnelly, Department of Arts, Heritage and the Gaeltacht (My House is a Protected Structure: what does this

mean?); Laura Bowen, RIAI Conservation Architect (Conservation and Restoration of Old Slate and Tile Roofs). The Irish Georgian Society is very grateful to all these speakers and skilled craftspeople for generously sharing their knowledge and expertise and ensuring that the 2015 traditional skills in action exhibition proved a success. Lastly, the Society wished to note our appreciation of Simon Harris, TD, Minister of State with responsibility for the OPW for officially launching the exhibition. In particular we wish to thank Minister Harris for taking the time, in the company of John Cahill, OPW Assistant Principal Architect with responsibility for Conservation and Project Management of Cultural Institutions and National Historic Properties Capital Projects, to meet each craftsperson individually and spend time understanding their particular discipline and how it plays one part of a concerted effort to ensure the future conservation of our built heritage.

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

Clockwise from top left 01 Minister Simon Harris with Una Ni Mhearain at the BLFI stand 02 Féile Butler of Mud and Wood demonstrating traditional mud construction with the assistance of Minister Harris 03 Eoin Donnelly turning wood on a traditional lathe 04 Terry O’Flaherty of Stonework by Design explaining dry stone wall construction (supervised by Nidge!) 05 TBS team – Roisin Lambe, Zoë Coleman, Georgia Corcoran and John Geraghty 06 John Cahill, OPW APA and Minister Harris talking roofs with Anthony Murray of Custom Crew

Beit Paintings A Perfect Marriage Dr John Loughman In April 2015 the Alfred Beit Foundation (ABF) announced that it was to sell nine works of art that had formerly been displayed at Russborough House. According to the ABF, an endowment fund of up to â&#x201A;Ź15 million was needed to ensure the long-term viability of Russborough. The six most important paintings were to form the core of Christie's major Old Masters sale on 9th July, while two 19th-century views of Yorkshire by John Atkinson Grimshaw and a drawing by FranĂ§ois Boucher were to go under the hammer at other auctions organised by the same London firm.

Produced in 17th-century Flanders and Holland, and 18th-century Venice, Netherlandish and Italian paintings have been collected in this country for centuries and have had an enormous impact on the development of native Irish art.

In late June, the ABF decided to postpone the sale of the remaining seven works (the two paintings by Grimshaw had already been sold) and to enter into negotiations with a private individual for the possible purchase and donation to the National Gallery of Ireland (NGI) of one or more of the paintings. The undisputed star of the major July auction, and the painting that became the most recognisable image of the campaign to halt the sales, was Peter Paul Rubens' Head of a Bearded Man. This is a strikingly vivid depiction of a figure responding with a degree of trepidation to something taking place outside the picture space to the right. Rubens is one of the giants of the European Baroque and this vigorously executed head, a sublime study in character and expression, may have been used as a model for one of the figures in his larger multi-figural compositions, or it may even have been intended as a particularly animated portrait. It was lent in 1977 by Sir Alfred Beit (1903-1994) to an exhibition in Rubens' home town of Antwerp of around one hundred paintings, specially chosen to celebrate the 400th anniversary of the artist's birth.

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BEIT PAINTINGS

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

BEIT PAINTINGS

The ABF also consigned for sale a second, more summarily executed oil sketch by Rubens. This was his Venus Supplicating Jupiter, which seems to represent his preliminary ideas for a commission that was never in fact completed.Rubens’ oil studies have always been valued for the spontaneity of their brushwork and for the insight they provide into his working process. He had this facility to be able to draw with his paint brush, to capture his initial thoughts for a composition with a few fluent lines. Not surprisingly many artists collected these brisk, fluid oil sketches and the Beit painting once belonged to the English painter, Sir Joshua Reynolds. While the NGI has some large religious works by Rubens, it has no oil sketches by him, or indeed mythological or portrait/head study paintings. Another Flemish artist whose work was offered for sale was David Teniers the Younger. He was the leading 17th-century painter of genre subjects in the Spanish Netherlands and his Village Kermesse near Antwerp, painted on copper, is one of his most celebrated works. It has a distinguished provenance and was owned by such luminaries as the Marquis de Brunoy, Lucien Bonaparte and the Comte de Pourtalès. Depictions of the ‘kermis’ or rural fair belong to an iconographic and compositional tradition which dates back to Pieter Bruegel the Elder in the mid 16th century. Another great potential loss was an extremely rare work by Adriaen van Ostade, described by the eminent art historian Wilhelm von Bode as the Haarlem artist’s ‘masterpiece’. Exquisitely painted and dated 1667, Ostade’s Adoration of the Shepherds is one of only a handful of biblical works that he painted. Ostade’s high reputation is based more on his lively representations of peasants and country life. The final two lots, which were to be disposed of by Christie's in July, were a pair of Venetian views by Francesco Guardi. Painted in the second half of the 18th century, these topographical paintings record popular sections of the city: the Piazzetta, flanked by the Doge’s Palace and the Libreria, and the Piazza San Marco looking towards the Basilica.

Guardi produced multiple versions of these views, largely as mementos for British and Irish Grand Tourists, and these two paintings from his late maturity are among the best examples. Guardi’s views are exactly the sort of images that one would have expected to find in a grand 18th-century Irish country house such as Russborough. Christie's had proposed selling the paintings separately, not as companion pieces, and the likelihood is that they would have been sold to different buyers. This would have been a grave pity since Guardi clearly intended them as a complementary pair - they show adjoining locations in Venice and have the same sultry sense of light, suggestive of late afternoon - and Sir Alfred always displayed them together. These paintings are part of Ireland's rich cultural patrimony. They are also part of the historic Beit Collection, formed largely by the brothers Alfred (1853-1906) and Otto Beit (18651930), and which consisted not just of paintings but also sculpture and ceramics. One of the most acclaimed private collections, it was inherited by Sir Alfred Beit and brought to Russborough in 1953. While Sir Alfred occasionally disposed of works of art, he did so largely to weed out works regarded as inferior or to raise funds in order to strengthen other parts of the collection. He took an active part in arranging and displaying the collection at Russborough, and published several short guides to the collection. Sir Alfred, and his wife Lady Clementine, were adamant that the house and its contents should remain intact and spoke about this ‘perfect marriage’ between the Palladian house and its furnishings, and between the mostly small-scale Dutch and Flemish paintings and the more intimate dimensions of some of the rooms at Russborough. Their generosity in leaving the house and its contents in trust for the Irish people, as well as his gift of seventeen paintings to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1986, is (together with the Chester Beatty bequest) the most important act of cultural benevolence in the history of the state.

Dr John Loughman is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Art History and Cultural Policy Department,UCD. He specialises in 17th-century Netherlandish Art

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Preceding Pages Sir Peter Paul Rubens’ Head of a Bearded Man 01 Sir Peter Paul Rubens’ Venus Supplicating Jupiter 02 Adriaen van Ostade’s Adoration of the Shepherds 03 David Teniers’ Village Kermesse near Antwerp

Art in the Country House Conference Dr David Fleming Few people realised on 23rd April this year, when the Irish Georgian Society and the Office of Public Works co-hosted a conference called Art in the Country House in Dublin Castle, that one of the great collections assembled in 20thcentury Ireland was about to be offered for sale. The Russborough collection of European masters, assembled by Sir Alfred and Lady Beit, is not the only one at risk of dispersal. Bantry House’s remaining collection was also offered for sale earlier this year, before being postponed in the hope that it too can be saved and remain in situ. The conference was therefore timely, and prompted a general discussion on the assemblage, evolution and preservation of collections in Irish country houses. Assembling collections was the subject of the first session. The fad for collecting classical sculpture flourished in the eighteenth century, as Dr Lynda Mulvin highlighted. Lords Charlemont, Hervey and Milltown all created collections, attempting to assemble emperors, philosophers, and the gods, whether originals or copies. In a telling account of the Getty Venus, she recounted how it had been acquired by Lord Milltown and brought to Russborough, but in the 1930s, its nudity was denounced by a priest which prompted its removal. It was subsequently rediscovered and purchased by the Getty Museum in the United States. Collections are transient by their nature and are formed and reformed. Dr Philip McEvansoneya discussed the popularity of Bartolomé Esteban

Murillo in nineteenth-century Ireland, claiming the artist was more popular than any other Spanish artists. In her discussion of the conservation of the 17th-century Decius Mus suite of tapestries that formed part of the Duke of Ormond’s collection at Kilkenny Castle, Dr Jane Fenlon highlighted how the Royal Tapestry Works at Madrid has over recent years painstakingly conserved these important hangings, and can now be seen again fully restored. Dr Aidan O’Boyle reflected on the hanging arrangements at Castletown, and how the OPW might go about re-hanging some of its collection there. Over time, most collections are broken up and dispersed. The circumstances which resulted in the sale of many Irish collections were outlined by Robert O’Byrne. In one example, he told of how one collection had to be sold at the end of the 19th century due to personal tragedies, bad management and ill-luck. St. Wolstan’s, Shelton Abbey and Dunsandle and Ballynaguard suffered similar destructive episodes. As Robert outlined, these sales often heralded the demise of the house itself, as the income generated by them only lasted a short time. But it is a mistake to think that the days of dispersal are over. Peter Murray of the Crawford Gallery, spoke about the potential loss of the remaining collection at Bantry House, which has attracted visitors since it opened its doors to the public in 1946. Its collection of tapestries and paintings, he said, was evidence

that Ireland was outward looking and embraced the world. Murray’s report on the collection and the campaign to save it can be found on the Society’s website. Along the same theme, Kevin Mulligan lamented the loss and disappearance of ten classical busts that once occupied the oculi at Bellamont, Co. Cavan. The busts were removed when the house was put up for sale a number of years ago, despite being protected under Irish planning legislation. Their loss, he said, undermines the integrity of one of Ireland’s finest Palladian houses. This conference was prompted by the exhilarating Ireland: 1690-1840: Crossroads of Art and Design exhibition staged at the Art Institute of Chicago this year, and it was a delight to listen to Dr Christopher Monkhouse, its curator, provide a virtual tour of its treasures. Later, the catalogue of the exhibition was launched in Dublin Castle by Patrick Guinness. The final session was devoted to surviving collections in today’s country houses. Alec Cobbe gave an account of how his family collection had been acquired and how some had been sold to build 19th-century estate cottages. James Fennell introduced Burtown, Co. Kildare, where he and his family have established an art collection, including the botanical prints and drawings of Wendy Walsh. In a passionate address, Susan Kellett of Enniscoe House, spoke of the challenges of keeping collections in country houses today. Many collections were accumulated over time, and composed of valuable items as well

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

as small trinkets and mementoes. These collections, she said, told the story of the individuals and families who collected and preserved them, and their relationship with the world beyond. She gave the example of visitors being enthralled when they see a doll’s house made by an estate gardener. She called for an accreditation system for houses who keep these collections, similar to that provided to museums, which would provide access to conservation advice and funds to maintain collections. The curator and writer, Giles Waterfield, considered the relationship between the country house and the ‘period room’ in museums and galleries which recreates the appearance of the country house, and concluded that visitors craved authenticity, signs of aging, and idiosyncrasy. Mary Heffernan of the OPW echoed the sentiments of many of those present when she said that collections were intrinsically important to great houses, and especially those open to the public. She said that the OPW would continue to work with other cultural institutions in bringing items back to properties in which they were once located. In his opening remarks, Patrick Guinness stated that the Irish Georgian Society had always been a champion of ‘preserving beauty’, though he also reflected on the balance between an owner’s wish to sell items and the desire to keep great collections together. Since the conference, the Society has adopted a pragmatic policy - for the protection, promotion and preservation of collections and objects - that it believes enhances the cultural, historical or architectural value of the building or structure in which they exist (for more visit www.igs.ie). The interest in this conference suggests that there is greater awareness and appreciation of this valuable part of the country’s cultural heritage.

In a passionate address, Susan Kellett of Enniscoe House, spoke of the challenges of keeping collections in country houses today. Many collections were accumulated over time, and composed of valuable items as well as small trinkets and mementoes. These collections, she said, told the story of the individuals and families who collected and preserved them, and their relationship with the world beyond.

Cobbe Cabinet of Curiosities: An Anglo-Irish Country House Museum William Laffan, World of Interiors

This lavishly produced volume presents a survey and analysis of a fascinating cabinet of curiosities established around 1750 by the Cobbe family in Ireland and added to over a period of 100 years. Although such collections were common in British country houses during the 18th and 19th centuries, the Cobbe museum, still largely intact and housed in its original cabinets, now forms a unique survivor of this type of private collection from the Age of Enlightenment. A detailed catalogue of the objects and specimens is accompanied by beautiful, specially commissioned photographs that showcase the cabinet's component elements. A formidable battalion of scholars has been unleashed on the collection cataloguing with style and gusto while remaining alive to the element of humour and hint of the absurd inevitable in such collections. However, the very special atmosphere of the museum is best captured in a preface by Alec Cobbe, artist, decorator and (this must be atavistic) serial collector, who recalls his childhood dismay on returning home from school in the late 1950s to discover his mother had sold

the fine Chinese wallpaper that covered the museum’s walls and was in the process of dismantling its contents in her quest for a comfortable sitting room. Cobbe single-handedly rescued the museum (buying back objects that had been sold and ultimately relocating it to Hatchlands Park in Surrey) and he is clearly the driving force behind this invaluable contribution to the history of country house collecting, taste and display. In its capacious presentation and microscopic scholarship applied without distinction to works of art, ephemera and, on occasion, junk, it echoes the intellectual curiosity about the world, and simple delight in the unusual, which led to the museum’s creation. Ed. Arthur MacGregor Published by Yale University Press Available from IGS bookshop priced at €100

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COBBE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

Intriquing items in the Cobbe collection include a standing figure of a beggar or thief, unfired clay, Canton, late 18th century; medallion wafers representing Roman emperors, British, early to mid-18th century; ostrich egg goblet, inscribed â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Laid in Dundalk 1756â&#x20AC;&#x2122;; 19th century hookah, alabaster bell and metal and silk thread; hindu God, mid-19th century; ivory model of 19th century royal barge, with peacock prow ; and a stuffed specimen of crocodile.

COBBE CABINET OF CURIOSITIES

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Wondrous items including a display of stuffed birds, two of which are from North America; Society Islands wooden head rest, perhaps collected on Cookâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s second or third voyage; an algal specimen from small seaweed collection and a bottle containing specimens of sucker fish, flying fish, sea snakes and a squid!

Events Round-Up Doreen McNamara

It was an extremely busy year for membersâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; events in the IGS with extensive use of the City Assembly House and many tours, walks and parties taking place over the year. During the long summer months, day-long trips were organised bringing people further afield to discover and explore some wonderful houses and other buildings. Membership and Events Administrator Doreen McNamara, here brings a flavour of the various outings since midsummer 2014. Those of you who were with us will revisit the houses and gardens, and perhaps those reading about them for the first time will endeavour to join us over the coming months.

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16 August 2014 Blackrock tour

26 August 2014 Lambay tour

John Holohan led a group of twenty-five IGS members on a bright morning through the historic roads and streets of Blackrock, Co. Dublin, first visiting the Gothic Revival Church of St. Phillip and St. James on Cross Avenue began in 1824 by John Bowden. The group also saw Glenvar, a villa by John Skipton Mulvany and passed along Waltham Terrace, a unique villa style street of single-and two-storey houses. At the junction of Mount Merrion Avenue with Rock Road, they visited the grounds of 18th-century Lios An Uisce, once the home of Lady Arabella Denny. In the orchard, McCullagh Mulvin Architects have designed a modernist house. In the village the former post office building by Howard Pentland still stands, as does the façade of Blackrock Senior College and Library. The group visited St. John the Baptist Church, which stands on a site provided by Lord Cloncurry who lived in the now demolished Maretimo House. The walk concluded along the Idrone Terrace overlooking the bay.

A planned morning tour to Lambay was postponed until 9th September due to high winds. The rescheduled tour was enjoyed by twelve IGS members. Greeted and guided by Lord Revelstoke, Alex Baring, and his cousin, Alice Liddell, the group thoroughly enjoyed their visit to the Lutyens designed house and demesne and gardens originally laid out by Gertrude Jekyll.

19 August 2014 Killruddery tour An evening visit to Killruddery started out in bright sunshine and the attendees were divided into two with each group visiting the house and the garden alternately before supper in the Tea Rooms. One tour was conducted by Lord Meath’s sister, Bindy, who referred to the previous and present incumbents of the title by number as in ‘that tree was planted by No 11 and that alteration was effected by No 7’. The 17th-century formal layout of the garden is, almost uniquely, still maintained and we visited the Sylvan Theatre, the Long Ponds and the Beech Hedge Walk on our tour of the garden with a brief dash to the Wilderness to escape a rain shower. The house was reconstructed by Sir Richard Morrison and his son William Vitruvius Morrison between 1820 and 1830 and the house still contains chimney pieces by Micali, silk damask from Spitalfields, stained glass by John Milner, the magnificent Chippendale bookcases and a clock tower in the forecourt with an ingenious water clock designed by Reginald Brabazon, 13th Earl of Meath. The evening finished with a delicious supper in the Tea Rooms, cooked by Seamus Hogan, which was enjoyed by the group even though the weather turned unseasonably cool and damp.

06 September 2014 Dún Laoghaire day walking tour On Saturday afternoon John Holohan led a walking tour of Dún Laoghaire. The group met at the Dart railway station designed by John Skipton Mulvany and set off to view many of the fine buildings, squares and streets for which the town is noted. Among the buildings viewed were the Town Hall designed by John L. Robinson in the style of a Romanesque Palazzo, the Yacht Clubs designed by John Skipton Mulvany and William Sterling along the harbourside and the seafront terraces. They then went up Marine Road passing by the early 19th-century Dún Laoghaire Club and the Royal Marine Hotel by McCurdy & Mitchell who also designed the façade of the Shelbourne Hotel. By contrast, the new and rather controversial LexIcon Library is the newest building on the seafront. Nearby we saw the former 19th-century Gothic Revival Mariners School on Argyll Street and carried on to Clarinda Park with, at its centre, the granite faced Stoneview House, now Clarinda Park House. The tour concluded at Crosthwaite House, beautifully restored home of the Barton family, who kindly provided refreshments and Emily Barton conducted a guided tour of the house. 09 September 2014 Annual Meeting of the Irish Georgian Society The Annual Members’ Meeting took place in the Octagonal Room in the City Assembly House, chaired by IGS President, Patrick Guinness, with an illustrated review of the activities of the Society during 2013 prepared by IGS Executive Director, Donough Cahill. Members present were invited to the O’Connell Room after the meeting to partake of a glass of wine and canapés, which were prepared by Seamus Hogan.

01 October 2014 A special evening with Dan Cruickshank at the National Concert Hall The RDS joined with the IGS to invite members of both Societies to a talk by renowned author, Dan Cruickshank, entitled The Irishness of 18th-and early 19th-century Georgian Architecture in Dublin and Limerick. The large audience almost filled the Concert Hall to listen to this most erudite speaker knowledgeably point out the unique Irish architectural features compared with the same buildings of the period in the UK. The talk was followed by tea and biscuits in the Library, where attendees were delighted to browse a sale of a large number of selected titles from the Library. 12 October 2014 Meath and Westmeath tour Pat and Edwina Murray organised a day tour to Meath and Westmeath leaving with fifty-five IGS members and guests on a coach from Dublin, arriving first at Balrath House, near Slane. Ray and Frances O’Brien and their children welcomed us to the old mill owner’s house and the gardens, beautifully designed and maintained by landscape gardener, Ray. The tour continued to Ballinlough Castle, Co. Meath, home of Sir Nick and Lady Alice Nugent where we had a lovely lunch followed by a marvellous tour by Nick of the historic castle which has been in the family for centuries. Highlights of the tour included the family portrait collection and the walled garden. Then on to Killua Castle, Co. Westmeath, courtesy of Alan and Lorena Krause. This magnificent castle had been a ruin for seventy years until the Krause family took on the restoration work. The IGS issued a grant towards conservation work on the project several years ago. After tea and buns, the final visit was to the 1740s house, Higginsbrook, near Trim in Co. Meath where ancestor of the original family, Christopher Gray, and his wife Hanna, greeted the group with afternoon tea and finished with a lovely gesture by Christopher who presented long serving IGS member, Will Blanchard from Louisiana, with a silver spoon. Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Dublin City A Painter’s view Our first lecture of the 2014/2015 season was given by Peter Pearson in the City Assembly House on 22nd October. Entitled Dublin the Changing City – a Painter’s View, the talk was lavishly illustrated by photographs from

REGULAR – EVENTS ROUND-UP

01 Balrath House, Co Meath 02 Kildrought House, Celbridge 03 Ivor Fitzpatrick with a group of members on our tour of Co Wicklow, explains the evolution of Castle Howard with its battlemented library, a later extension

Peter’s recently published book about his paintings which record the changing Dublin landscape, demolished houses and landmarks. Peter signed copies of his book afterwards for the appreciative audience. Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Landlord Supported Education in County Wicklow On 4th November Wicklow-based historian Michael Seery delivered a fascinating lecture entitled Landlord Supported Education in County Wicklow, based on his own research published in his 2014 book Education in Wicklow: From Parish Schools to National Schools. The talk pointed out the very significant involvement of Wicklow’s landed gentry in education in the county prior to the National Education Act of 1831. School architecture, religious divisions and female education in Wicklow were all extensively covered by the talk and a lively discussion ensued with the attendance afterwards.

09 December 2014 IGS Christmas party in St. Patrick’s Deanery 02

Our 2014 events programme finished with our Christmas party in St. Patrick’s Deanery in Kevin Street, courtesy of the Very Rev. Dean Victor Stacey, who very kindly welcomed one hundred IGS members and guests to party in this perfectly sized and located 18th-century building. The present building was rebuilt in 1783 on the original Deanery site after a major fire and is currently undergoing significant restoration work aided by Dublin City Council. We partook of drinks and canapés and attendees bought generously from the popup shop and raffle tickets. A very enjoyable evening.

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 300 years of the Mansion House On 20th January Nicola Matthews, Conservation Officer from Dublin City Council, gave a talk entitled 300 Years of the Mansion House. Nicola charted the architectural development of the house which was built in 1710 by Joshua Dawson and bought by the Council in 1715 as a home for the Lord Mayor of Dublin and has remained so ever since. Joshua Dawson built on the Oak Room for official receptions before handing over the Queen Anne-style building to the Council. The Round Room was added in the 1820s and continual alterations and improvements have been carried out over the centuries. In 2009, Dublin City Architects published a continuing development and maintenance plan for the Mansion House which can be executed piecemeal according to need and funding available at the time. Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Wallpaper in Ireland 1700-1900 On 3rd February David Skinner, Ireland’s leading wallpaper historian and conservator/ recreator of old wallpaper, gave a lecture in the City Assembly House entitled Wallpaper in Ireland 1700-1900. David’s talk traced the development of Irish wallpaper from the early 18th century until the demise of the Irish ’paper-staining’ trade at the end of the 19th century. David showed some samples of early wallpaper including some exciting new discoveries in houses, such as Townley Hall. He also showed images of the conservation of the Chinese wallpaper in Westport House. After the talk he signed copies of his definitive book on Irish wallpaper.

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Patina or novelty?

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 A special evening with Dame Rosalind Savill at the Powerscourt Theatre

On 13th January Dr Alison FitzGerald, lecturer from Maynooth University and universally acknowledged expert on the decorative arts and crafts in Ireland, gave a thoroughly researched talk entitled Patina or Novelty? Buying Luxury Goods in Georgian Dublin. It appears that Dublin Georgians enjoyed the finer aspects of life and used silver, porcelain and other precious commodities to show off their wealth. This was a time when Dublin was the second city of the United Kingdom and society eagerly followed fashionable trends from Europe.

On 17th February, the Society was very pleased to host Dame Rosalind Savill, Curator Emeritus of the Wallace Collection in London, as our 2015 biannual Standish Barry guest lecturer. Her talk, Madame de Pompadour: A Chronology of her Life as a Patron of the Sèvres Factory, proved so popular with members that 120 of them packed out the Powerscourt Theatre for the lecture. Dame Rosalind followed the career of Jeanne Antoinette Poisson, the famous mistress of King Louis XV and especially their patronage of the porcelain factory at Sèvres. Under that

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

patronage, the design, the colours and range of porcelain expanded and Sèvres became essential possessions of the wealthy and noble families of Europe. A spectacular pink colour was developed at the factory named ‘Rose Pompadour’ in tribute to Madame de Pompadour. Elaborate pieces, incorporating the distinctive Sèvres colours of cobalt blue, apple green and canary yellow, many with elaborate gilding, were turned out at the factory. Dame Rosalind’s rich illustrations complemented this fascinating talk. Afterwards, the attendees were invited to a wine reception in our headquarters, the City Assembly House next door to Powerscourt House.

by Lord Mayors since Daniel O’Connell in 1841, bringing a splash of colour to the oak panelling. A posthumous portrait of Charles Stewart Parnell adorns the wall over the fireplace. The reception rooms include the Lady Mayoress’s Parlour decorated in light blue with an everchanging collection of paintings chosen by the current Lord Mayor every year. The Lady Mayoress (and this title includes husbands of female Lord Mayors) used this room to entertain small groups of worthy citizens in the past. We passed from parlour through the magnificent drawing room, the dining room and the back to the entrance hall with its brass plaques commemorating donors to famine relief during the 19th century.

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Sir John Keane and the Rebuilding of Cappoquin House (1923-1930)

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 Re-inventing Waterford for its 1100th birthday

On Wednesday 4th March, in the CAH, IGS member Glascott Symes spoke about the restoration by Sir John Keane of Cappoquin House from 1923-30 at the time of the establishment of the Free State in his lecture entitled Sir John Keane and the Rebuilding of Cappoquin House (1923-1930). Sir John was nominated by W.T. Cosgrave to the Free State Senate and was appointed President of the Executive Council and, most likely, as a consequence, his house, Cappoquin House, was destroyed in the Civil War. However, he received some compensation from the Irish State which was used to restore the house – one of the few restorations of great houses destroyed during the time. He reinstated a design drawn up in 1913 by the architect, Dickinson, for a columned portico and painstakingly worked over six years to reinstate the interiors as near as possible to the original. The present owner, Sir Richard Keane, attended and gave some valuable insights into the ongoing conservation work in the house. 07 March 2015 Mansion House tour In addition to the lecture by Nicola Matthews on the architectural development of the Mansion House during 300 years as the Dublin Lord Mayor’s home, the Society had the opportunity to avail of two tours by Dublin City Archivist, Mary Clarke, of the Mansion House itself. Mary took both groups through the 18th, century house, visiting the Oak Room with all the plaster coats of arms personally designed

Eamonn McEneaney gave a lively and interesting lecture entitled Re-inventing Waterford for its 1100th Birthday in the CAH on 18th March. Eamonn is Director of Waterford Museum of Treasures and the Bishop’s Palace Museum, Curator of Reginald’s Tower Museum and is responsible for the Viking Triangle project which revitalised the site of the original Viking settlement. All of these projects were spearheaded by him along with a band of dedicated enthusiasts including John Maiben Gilmartin who introduced the talk. To have secured the level of funding required for these projects requires vision and tenacity and Waterford has gained enormously in terms of the conservation work and the upsurge in visitors during the past few years. Eamonn is already looking forward to the restoration of a row of 17th-century buildings with a view to creating yet another museum depicting the life of the ordinary people of Waterford. 21 March 2015 Longford Cathedral A group of IGS members left Dublin by coach travelling to Longford Cathedral to view the restored building and hear from master plasterworker, George O’Malley’s chief assistant, Stephen Kelly, about the massive scale of the reconstruction of the building, which was gutted by fire on Christmas Eve, 2009. The project employed many local people under Irish contractors and architects and Irish artists and craftspeople designed and worked on the beautiful tabernacle, altar screen and baptismal font to name but a few of the installations. The wonderful organ

came from Italy and the tuning took several weeks to complete in silence while other work somehow went on. George O’Malley and his crew recreated all the plaster angels adorning the top of the reinstated limestone columns and produced miles of handcrafted plasterwork for the barrel-vaulted ceiling. It is a truly monumental undertaking which is almost complete and the Cathedral reopened for midnight mass Christmas 2014, exactly five years after the fire. We then had lunch in Viewmount House, a beautiful 17th-century manor house just outside Longford. Finally, we went to Ledwithstown House in Ballymahon, home of the Feeney family. The IGS links to Ledwithstown go back to the 1980s when Laurence Feeney took over the house which his grandfather bought in 1911 but which had fallen into dereliction by the middle of the century. The restoration of this important example of middle-sized Irish house was grant aided by the Society over the years and is now a wonderful family home. Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 The Jewel in the Crown of Aungier Street: The Past, Present and Future On 1st April, Sunni Goodson, Architectural Conservation Specialist from MESH architects, gave a fascinating talk, entitled The Jewel in the Crown of Aungier Street: The Past, Present and Future in the octagonal room of the CAH, on the restoration and conservation work of No 9/9a Aungier Street which is celebrating its 350th anniversary. This house is believed to be one of the oldest domestic structures in Dublin city and combined medieval timberframing practices with the newer brick construction methods of the mid 17th century. Sunni described the scale of the work needed to ensure the stability of the building which included innovative engineering work to lift the important, original 1664 staircase. The IGS grant aided the repairs of the stair treads, as well as the balusters, newels and handrails. A truly fascinating lecture and a labour of love for Sunni and Tom McGimsey, Principle of MESH Architects.

REGULAR – EVENTS ROUND-UP

April 2015 IGS tour of great London houses by Dermot Scott Irish Georgians descended on London in bright, changeable April weather to tour the grandest London residences. Most of our group stayed in the Lansdowne Club, the huge, if truncated, palazzo just off Berkeley Square built by Adam for the Earl of Bute. We were to see a lot more of Adam and a little more of Bute. On arrival we set off directly for Chiswick House, Lord Burlington’s white Palladian villa, owing something to Burlington’s interpretation of the Villa Capra ‘La Rotonda’ and a lot to William Kent, assisted, we were pleased to note, by Henry Flitcroft, descendants of whom were members of our group. The 18th-century villa stood near an earlier, Jacobean house and was at one stage linked to it. The earlier mansion was later demolished, and a wing added to balance the linking building. Finally when, the estate passed to the Ministry of Works, after World War II it was decided to restore the near-derelict villa and, of the remainder, to retain the linking building only. Many of us felt that this solution, though well-intentioned, was unsatisfactory: the villa should have stood alone. The furnishings are largely in Chatsworth. The villa, however, is charming and retains enough land to give it a sense of space and grandeur. Kenwood House was next. It too belonged to Lord Bute before being remodelled by Adam for the Earl of Mansfield, a Lord Chief Justice with progressive ideas on the question of slavery; it was bought in the 1920s by Lord Iveagh whose collection of paintings is housed here. Kenwood has a magnificent location looking south over Hampstead Heath to the city beyond. Recent restoration has given the building a rather severe, hard-edged appearance but the interiors are suitably magnificent and the pictures wonderful: Rembrandt, Vermeer to mention just two. The following morning we set out early for Strawberry Hill, Horace Walpole’s trend-setting neo-Gothic extravaganza at Twickenham, now part of a large conglomeration of buildings belonging to a religious order; the original house, however, is owned by a trust and is distinct from the rest. We were shown the ways in which Walpole had gradually extended

the initial cottages, moving from small spaces to large, and from darkness to light, using top light, stained glass and other features to give life and dynamism to the ensemble. A most influential building, if not to everyone’s taste. Marble Hill at Richmond appealed to many as being liveable: compact, beautifully designed and laid out, a little gem in comparison to most of the other houses we saw. The villa was designed by Colen Campbell and Lord Herbert for Henrietta Howard, mistress of George II, and the gardens laid out by Alexander Pope (who lived nearby) and the landscape architect Charles Bridgeman. It is said to be the last survivor of the villas that bordered the Thames between Richmond and Hampton Court in the 18th century. Thence it was a short walk to the river and a suitably rustic ferry to Ham House, the wonderful Jacobean mansion of the Vavasours and later of the Lauderdales, much of whose furnishings remain in situ. A galleried hall leads to a splendid staircase and on to state rooms, a long gallery, library and bedrooms. The National Trust has restored much of the original garden design. An amazing survival. We were revived by a dinner at the Lansdowne where we were joined by a goodly number of members of the London Chapter of the IGS. Sunday morning saw us on the go again, starting with Spencer House, one of the last great Georgian mansions in central London, next door to St James’s Palace and overlooking St. James’s Park. Designed for Lord Spencer by Vardy, whose Romaninspired ground floor gives way to James ‘Athenian’ Stuart’s piano nobile of the purest Greek inspiration, Spencer House is one of the pioneers of neo-classical architecture and the interiors are indeed splendid. Restored by the Rothschild Trust after years as offices. You can rent it for parties. Lunch was taken in the Syon House café to fortify us for a tour of the house. Syon is a magnificent, fort-like structure with Adam interiors, the property still of the Duke of Northumberland. It faces south across water meadows towards the Thames, which borders the property, and on to Kew Gardens. Finally, Osterley Park, another Adam palace, this time created from a Tudor

mansion for the wealthy banking Child brothers. Like Syon, it is built in a square around a courtyard, but at Osterley, Adam broke one façade to insert a pillared portico with a splendid pediment, raising the courtyard by several metres to be level with the entrance. Adam worked on the house from 1761 to 1779, and his papers can still be seen at the Soane Museum. From Osterley it was but a short skip to Heathrow and the flight home after yet another excellent IGS tour. We were amazed at the scale of the buildings, and pleasantly surprised at their continued survival and at the extent of their remaining parkland. The guides were expert, attentive and helpful, and the IGS team was as charming and professional as ever.

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01 Borris House, Co Carlow, one of the interesting houses on Pat Murray’s excellent tour 02 During the inaugural IGS and Ulster Architectural Heritage Society Summer School, attendees had the opportunity to visit the Dartrey Mausoleum with this beautifully restored Dawson memorial 03 A quiet corner of the stairway at Killadoon

14 April 2015 St. Mels Cathedral: Rising from the Ashes

25 April 2015 IGS and the Kildare Street & University Club Lunch

Winter/Spring talks 2014/15 All that glitters: jewellers and gems in Georgian Ireland

To broaden our knowledge, after our March visit to St. Mel’s Cathedral, on 14th April, Ann Cuffe Fitzgerald from Grade 1 FKP Architects, architects for the restoration of St. Mel’s, gave a presentation on their work on the project. Entitled St. Mel’s Cathedral: Rising from the Ashes. Ann’s talk explained the conservation approach taken to reinstatement of the Cathedral. As the largest project of its type in Europe in 2014, the finished building has garnered several awards including The Irish Building & Design Awards 2015 (Building Project of the Year and Interior Architectural Project of the Year) and RIAI Architecture Awards 2015 (Winner of Public Choice Award). Hardly surprising, considering the scale of the rebuilding and the sympathetic replacement of the main features of the cathedral including stone columns and barrel-vaulted ceilings to name but two.

On Saturday 25th April Victoria Browne arranged that the young(er) members of the IGS and the Kildare Street & University Club join for a visit to Henrietta Street and a late lunch in the Club. The wet and chilly weather was fitting for the tour of atmospheric Henrietta Street. First visit was to No 14, where in the stripped drawing room, Charles Duggan, Heritage Officer with Dublin City Council, gave a presentation on the street and its past inhabitants. Bolstered by this knowledge, the group went on to visit neighbouring 11 and 10 led by street inhabitant, Ian Lumley, Built Environment and Heritage Office with An Taisce. The group then zipped down to the Kildare Street & the University Club for a hot lunch and a few speeches. Such a successful tour has led to calls for a second session on Henrietta Street, getting to know Kings Inns and the ‘other side’ of the single digit door-knockers.

The last lecture in our Winter/Spring series took place in the CAH on 28th April 2015 when Zara Power, 2014 Desmond Guinness Scholarship winner, gave a presentation based on her research work on the history of jewellers and their businesses in 18thcentury Ireland. Zara, a PhD student at the time in the Department of History in the University of Limerick, used the scholarship award to further her studies in this subject. While there are several studies into early Irish personal adornment, little investigation has been carried out on 18th -century jewellery or jewellers. Zara discovered that Dublin Georgians were indeed very interested in jewellery and she illustrated some very fine examples of jewellery and other material goods. Bill heads, trade cards and advertisements from the era also shed more light on the subject.

REGULAR â&#x20AC;&#x201C; EVENTS ROUND-UP

01 After 27 years of dedication to the Irish Georgian Society, our Membership and Events Administrator, Doreen McNamara has retired. One of the last events Doreen worked on was the annual Summer Party at Helen and Val Dillonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s home in Dublin. Board member Rose Mary Craig thanked Doreen, on behalf of those present, for all her work and wisdom over the years! 02-03 Members who visited Chicago in May were welcomed and hosted by local chapter members and had the opportunity to see Adler houses at close quarters 04 One of the many highlights of our Chicago trip was a visit to Crab Tree Farm, with its incredible collection of chairs on display in one of its barns

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09 May 2015 Wicklow tour On Saturday 9th May, sixty Georgians departed from Dublin for a day tour to Wicklow, arranged by Pat Murray in two small buses. First stop was Castle Howard, near Avoca. Ivor and Susan Fitzpatrick and their friend Willie Flynn conducted tours of this romantic castle impressing us all with their fabulous restoration work and furnishings. The group enjoyed the gardens and, particularly, the recently created laburnum walk that ends in a wisteria temple. After a brief stop at the Meeting of the Waters at Avoca to consider poet Thomas Moore and his famous poem, we continued to the historic Hunter’s Hotel for lunch and a stroll in the gardens. We then made a short journey to Clermont House where local historian and IGS member, John O’Brien, showed us around this very well preserved early 18th-century house. After this visit, we drove to Kilpedder where the Emmet family received us with great kindness at their home, Altidore Castle, a romantic castle overlooking a beautiful valley with views across the Irish Sea. Philip Emmet emulated his patriotic forebearer with a fine speech from the half landing in the hall (as opposed to the dock). Of particular interest were the magnificent tapestries and the Robert Emmet Museum Room. Our last call of the day was to IGS board member Rose Mary Craig’s village house in Enniskerry where she and her friends treated us to tea and cake in her lovely home and garden.

06 June 2015 No 9/9a Aungier Street vist Sunni Goodson, Architectural Conservation Specialist with MESH Architects, gave IGS members an inside look at No 9/9a Aungier Street, built in 1664. Members climbed four flights of the original 17th-century staircase to begin their tour in the attic, where they viewed the finest example of a domestic timber-framed roof in the city. Sunni provided an overview of the earliest known occupants of the house and contextualized the building with the Aungier Estate, Dublin’s first planned development which was laid out in 1661. Members were particularly delighted to view the building’s exposed, medieval-style timber and lath partitions and to hear how the large bressummers were the subject of the first successful pine dendrochronology in Ireland. The tour was complete with a view of several of the artefacts which were found during building works, and an overview of

the Conservation Plan that is currently being produced to secure the building’s future. 01 / 02 July 2015 Lambay tour Our 2015 Summer events began with two tours to Lambay Island on 1st and 2nd July. Alice Liddel guided the first group of twelve with Alex Baring, Lord Revelstoke, guiding the group on 2nd July. As always, IGS members thoroughly appreciated the opportunity to visit this private intact Lutyens-designed demenese. July / August 2015 Dublin walking tours The IGS offered several walking tours in Dublin in July and August 2015; two tours of the north Dublin Core with OPW guide, Joseph Lynch, and two of Dublin city east with Dublin Decoded guide, Arran Henderson. Peter Clarke, author of the extremely popular Walking the Royal Canal: History and Local History, conducted a fascinating tour along the Royal Canal from Binns Bridge to the delightful Blessington Basin on 11th July. We were privileged to listen to Peter’s vast knowledge of the history and development of the Royal Canal. Rose Mary Craig conducted a morning tour of Dun Laoghaire East Pier in early August which included a visit to the new DLR LexIcon Library and morning coffee in the Royal St. George Yacht Club, a successful mix of the old and new. Joseph Lynch’s evening tours charted the Georgian northside core from the arrival of the Duke of Ormonde to the development of the Gardiner Estate, setting off from Capel Street Bridge and ending at Mountjoy Square, where Desmond and Mariga Guinness were instrumental in saving a large part from the wrecking ball in the early days of the Society. An interesting and historically rooted tour. Arran Henderson’s knowledgeable afternoon east city tour met in the City Assembly House on South William Street, calling into Powerscourt House, The Old Parliament, including the Old House of Lords, the buildings of Trinity College and finishing at the Royal College of Surgeons. All these tours attracted a mixture of IGS members and interested members of the public

18 July 2015 Summer Drinks Summer Drinks 2015 took place in Helen and Val Dillon’s house and garden in Sandford Terrace. When the anxious weather watch

turned in our favour, over 120 IGS members and guests explored the every changing delights of Helen’s garden with its hidden nooks, aviary and vast array of plants. Some guests were delighted to leave with plants from the Dillons’ on-site nursery shop. Seamus and his chosen team of Letitia and Audrey in the kitchen sent out trays of delicious bites during the afternoon and Glascott, Charlie and Johnnie manned the bar serving Pimms and Prosecco, while Rose Mary organised a posse of raffle sellers. Guests included the new US Ambassador Kevin O’Malley and his wife, Dena, and we were delighted to introduce them to fellow Chicagoan, Rosie O’Neill, doyenne of IGS Inc. activities for many years. A really enjoyable afternoon enhanced by the presence of Rosie and Ruby, the Dillon dachshunds, who charmed and expertly avoided the feet of the huge gathering of guests.

Chapter Reports Kevin Hurley, Dr Ursula Callaghan, John Joyce, Ashleigh Murray & Michael G. Kerrigan

With Chapters in Birr, Cork and Limerick in Ireland, and overseas in London, New York, Chicago, Boston and Austin, members can enjoy talks and events in Ireland and abroad as the various reports for happenings over the last twelve months show.

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Cork Chapter Kevin Hurley Our arrival in Oysterhaven on Saturday 4th October was heralded by five little egrets. Onwards to Nohoval Church of Ireland where Eileen Gaugh outlined the history of this much rebuilt church. Soon we departed for Kinure Church and graveyard where Faith Buck, the sister of miniaturists Adam and Frederick Buck, is interred. We had a wonderful lunch in Walton Court, a handsome late 18thcentury gable-ended house overlooking the creek. Newborough was our next port of call where the house had been derelict for over half a century and now is undergoing an extensive restoration courtesy of Mrs. Heide Roche. A brief history of the house was outlined by Ferghal Browne. Our day continued with a visit to partially collapsed remains of Mount Long a semi-fortified 17thcentury house where Orla Busteed shed light on the origins of this venerable ruin. Linda White and Mary O’Brien hosted a reception at the conclusion of the event which was much appreciated by the members. Our thanks to Edmund Corrigan for a wonderful day. On a cold and dry November Sunday afternoon, members assembled in Sunday’s Well Boating and Tennis Club for a talk on the Cork International Exhibition by Dan Breen and Tom Spalding, authors of a new book on the subject, published by the Irish Academic Press. Following a short walking tour of Fitzgerald’s Park we were entertained by the authors with a lively talk on the exhibition and its effect on the life of the city. Thereafter we enjoyed refreshments and our deepest appreciation to Maura Currivan for organising and hosting the event. An unexpected New Year’s treat was in store for members in January when the Castlemartyr Resort hosted the Shannon collection of paintings which were hung in the former ballroom - a splendid double cube with Lafranchini plasterwork. The 10th Earl of Shannon, Harry Boyle, was the special guest and Robert O’Byrne discussed the family’s distinguished history in the presence of about a hundred guests.

April showers greeted members in Conna, Co. Cork when we visited on a Saturday afternoon. Sheltering from a shower in the Muintir na Tíre hall allowed members enjoy very welcome refreshments provided by committee members. As the shower cleared, members made their way to a prominently sited 16th-century tower house in good repair. Here local historian Tom Finn regaled us with the history of the tower house from earliest times to the present. We strolled to St. Catherine’s Catholic Church, a very attractive 19th-century church with Gothic detailing. A short drive led us to St. James’ Church of Ireland, a typical Board of First Fruits Gothic church now occasionally used. Nearby, Brideweir House, formerly a Church of Ireland rectory, was our final destination and we enjoyed a guided walk around the grounds and viewed the weir. Having worked up an appetite we enjoyed delightful refreshments to speed us on our homeward journey. Thanks again to Maura Currivan for an enjoyable day. In June we ventured to Cashel where we enjoyed a guided tour of the town, viewing Cashel Palace Hotel (now regrettably closed), the Cathedral of St. John the Baptist and the Bolton Library in the grounds of the cathedral. We then visited Castle Leake, courtesy of Kate Nagle, where we enjoyed refreshments and our host guided us around her home where, in the vaulted room with a blazing fire, she recounted a history of the house. Following a short journey to the Dundrum House Hotel, where we had lunch in the clubhouse restaurant and then stole a view of the house on the tails of a wedding group. Killenure Castle, formerly the seat of the antiquary Austin Cooper was our next stop. Yvonne Carmody, the current owner, has restored the house and established a sculpture trail around the grounds. Many thanks to Catherine FitzMaurice for organising this event. Killarney, Co. Kerry winner of the Best Day Out in Ireland 2015 hosted our July event. We visited Muckross House

where we were expertly guided by Dr. Niall Mulchinock of UCC. We then made a short trip to Aghadoe, House now an An Óige Hostel, for a tour of the main reception rooms of the house. A most enjoyable lunch was had at Heather Restaurant at Moriarty’s Gap of Dunloe before we visited Dunloe Castle and Gardens in the grounds of the Dunloe Hotel. Our final visit was to Flesk Castle, a ruin for many years and now in the process of being restored. We were expertly guided around the castle by Karol O’Mahony, the architect in charge of the restoration who was expertly assisted by Dr John Knightly who has undertaken much historical research. Another splendid day organised by Edmund Corrigan. On behalf of the Cork Chapter, we would like to acknowledge the great contribution made by Maura Currivan who has recently retired from the board of the Irish Georgian Foundation. We wish her well in her new life and suffice to say we shall all miss her greatly. For full reports and more photographs see our blog : igscork.blogspot.com

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Limerick Chapter Dr Ursula Callaghan After the rather frenetic and successful year of 2014 with our landmark Georgian Pop Up Museum project, the Limerick Chapter focused in 2015 on more local events and on conservation and preservation issues. It was encouraging to see new attendees at our monthly lectures and to welcome full houses for all our Autumn and Spring season’s guest speakers Robert O’Byrne, Vice President of the IGS, gave the first talk in October and spoke passionately about The Future of the Irish Country House in the 21st Century. This was our annual memorial lecture for the Knight of Glin, and we were delighted that Madam Olda Fitzgerald honoured us with her presence for afternoon tea before the event. Our November speaker Dr. Ursula Callaghan introduced us to some of the quirkier property advertisements in Limericks’ 18th-century newspapers. In December we held our annual review and Christmas party, which afforded us an opportunity to look back and to pay tribute to the volunteers who run and organise our numerous events throughout the year. Funding for the Pop Up Museum required reporting responsibilities when it closed at the end of August, and we faced another three months of final reports to Limerick City of Culture. A Safety File accompanied the handing back of the building to Limerick City and County Council. Our Chairperson Dr. Ursula Callaghan acknowledged Cáit Ní Cheallacháin, our planning advisor, who has taken on the task of researching the Public Participation Network, (PPN) on behalf of the Limerick Chapter. Our submission to Limerick Authority on their 2030 discussion document/plan has also finally been acknowledged. Special tributes were also paid to Liam Irwin Sgt. Michael Deegan, Dr. Helene Bradley Davies and others for their collaboration with our exhibitions throughout the year of culture.

Emma Gilleece inaugurated the Spring lectures and spoke on ‘the modern movement in Limerick’, looking specifically at the work of Andy Devane. Her talk was most interesting and informative. We had a great reaction from the audience on the night, some of whom had travelled from Waterford and Dublin. In March, Ailish Drake (of Drake Hourigan Architects and our current committee secretary), gave an interesting lecture entitled A Landscape of the Senses. This highlighted the 18thcentury picturesque landscape of Castle Connell, much of which is still intact today, thankfully. The first summer Chapter outing was to Gloster House in Offaly and the beautifully restored Damer House. Our hosts at Gloster house, Tom and Mary Alexander, spent the morning showing us around their beautiful home, highlighting all the architectural features currently undergoing restoration and preservation, before concluding with coffee and homemade blueberry scones. We had a chance also to roam through their amazing gardens, which have three lakes, a fine example of a folly poised on a hill and an 18th-century water feature. As we said goodbye we resolved to return again when their work is completed. We then drove to Roscrea to visit one of the earliest IGS flagship restoration projects, Damer House and garden, which was developed in partnership with the Old Roscrea Society, now managed by Irish Heritage. What a treat it was and of course the highlight was its unique 18thcentury staircase. In June, Michelle O’Donnell organised a tour to Castlegarde. Our hosts, the Thompson family, gave us a tour of this eclectic tower house and castle and entertained us to tea and scones. The interior woodwork by the Pain brothers was stunning. We then moved on to meet with the Knockainey History Society who brought us on a tour of the newly restored former Church of Ireland

church (now a venue for local events and concerts) and its associated historic graveyard, which is a model for a cross community development. In the modern local Catholic Church, we enjoyed a talk on the wonderful stained-glass windows made by the Harry Clarke Stained Glass Studio of Dublin, which had been made for an original medieval structure and saved for use in the later 20th-century rebuilding of the church. We are grateful to everyone who supports our adventures and continues to further the cause of the Irish Georgian Society.

01 On the steps of Gloster House, Co Offaly, hosted by Tom and Mary Alexander 02 Castlegarde tour organised by Michelle O’Donnell 01

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Birr Chapter John Joyce At the end of 2014 the IGF board members held their AGM in Birr Castle prior to which a representative group arrived in the forenoon to visit the Manor Court at Newtown near Kinnitty, just outside Birr. There they met with the Offaly Heritage Officer Amanda Pedlow, Lord Rosse and members of the Birr Chapter to see it for themselves and discuss the pros and cons of its restoration. Lord Rosse expressed his delight in having the IGF’s support and interest in the development of the Manor Court. In the afternoon the IGF held their meeting with the Chapter’s Head, Chairman and Hon. Secretary in attendance. Our annual Christmas party was held later that evening at Birr Castle and the many guests expressed their enjoyment and appreciation. The President of the Birr Chamber of Commerce sought the support of the Chapter in facilitating them to renegotiate the plan for the redevelopment of Emmet Square which was being undertaken. We replied in a letter that whilst we would fully support the visual enhancement of Emmet Square, with its potential to attract tourists and visitors alike, it is the Chapter’s opinion that the problem has been provoked by the delay in building the bypass to take both national roads (N52) and (N62) in the care of the NRA. This should be of the utmost priority to the people of Birr. The Birr Chapter Irish Georgian Society is seeking permission from the Irish Georgian Society to change its title to Birr & Midlands Chapter Irish Georgian Society to help broaden its base.

01-03 Entrance front, Parkstown House, Ballivor, where Birr Chapter (and others) enjoyed tea and scones before visiting Hamwood House in nearby Dunboyne

A work currently in progress is the erection of commemorative plaques on the houses of former notable famous people and events in Birr. During July a group of IGS members and friends had a very enjoyable tour of Louth/Meath calling on Collon House, in Louth and Parkstown, Ballivor and Hamwood House, Dunboyne in Meath. We resume monthly meetings on the second Monday in September 2015.

London Chapter

London Chapter Ashleigh Murray The London Chapter has had a busy year, enjoying a wide range of trips and events. Earlier this year we also welcomed committee member Eddie Walshe as our new Treasurer and also a trustee of the London Chapter Committee and we all look forward to his generous help and assistance. Our Autumn/Winter programme began with a fantastic visit to Elveden Hall, Suffolk, on Saturday 11th October. In 1893 the estate was purchased by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, and our members had the unique opportunity to be guided by the current Earl. In 1863 the Maharajah Duleep Singh, ruler of the Sikh Empire, purchased the Estate and set about rebuilding the country house, including redesigning the interior to resemble the Mughal palaces. Afterwards, we visited Island Hall, an elegant riverside 1740s mansion in Godmanchester, Cambridgeshire. On Sunday 19th October, our London YIG organiser, Ashleigh Murray, arranged an exclusive tour of two private early18th-century brick terraced houses in Spitalfields, London. Later that month, our Autumn lecture was provided by Frank Keohane, Chartered Building Surveyor, on the Society’s long held ambition of compiling a Buildings at Risk Register for Ireland. The Turf Club at Carlton House Terrace was the setting for the Annual pre-Christmas Dinner, kindly organised by Tim and Marylyn Bacon. The Club was founded in 1864 and, after selling its Piccadilly premises in 1965, moved to 5 Carlton House Terrace, an 1827-29 stuccoed terraced building designed by John Nash (1752-1835). We were delighted to have Simon Jenkins, newspaper editor, journalist and author, as our guest speaker who is particularly well known for his chairmanship of the National Trust (2008-14). The first outing in January was to the Brompton Square home of Lord

and Lady Farringdon of Buscot Park to view their extensive collection. Chapter member and fellow Brompton Square resident, Min Hogg, founder of The World of Interiors, kindly invited our members to her wonderful home for some delightful drinks afterwards. Our insightful Winter lecture focused on The Work of the Follies Trust, given by Primrose Wilson, Chairman of the Follies Trust and Vice Chairman of the Irish Georgian Foundation. The lecture was held at the National Liberal club, with many members remaining to dine at the Club afterwards. Our traditional St Patrick’s Day Party at Lettsom House took place on Thursday 19th March. Our evening began with an update on the successful projects from the first year’s relaunch of the Small Grants Scheme. Following this, Nick Sheaff, former Executive Director of the IGS in Dublin, provided a fun and informative review of the London Chapter’s events over the last year. Our May YIG visit was to the Soane Museum, 13 Lincoln’s Inn Fields. Dr Frances Sands, Catalogue Editor of the Adam Drawings Project, gave a fascinating tour of John Soane’s house, museum and library before providing us with a private viewing of a selection of original Robert Adam drawings. John Redmill expertly arranged the annual joint tour of the Irish Georgian Society and the 20-Ghost Club, who provided their magnificent pre-1939 Rolls-Royce motor cars for IGS members to travel in. Staying in Dungarvan, we toured the counties of Waterford and Cork, visiting country houses built along the River Blackwater. We visited many buildings not open to the public, including Lismore Castle and Michael Flatley’s Castlehyde. Other great houses included Curraghmore, Kilshanning, Tourin, Cappoquin, Riverstown, Castlemartyr and Fota. We were particularly lucky to have the weekend bookended by the generosity

of our patrons: Lord and Lady Magan of Castletown began the weekend by providing us with a highly enjoyable lunch, while Mrs Alen-Buckley of Strancally Castle provided a wonderful breakfast on our last day. In September, Rob van Mesdag, veteran trilingual member of our committee, lead a superb tour in Normandy, assisted by Serena Borges, London member, and a representative of Vieilles Maison Francais (VMF), the French historic houses association. We had thirty participants from the UK and Ireland and the group was welcomed by the owners of fourteen castles and (mainly fortified) manor houses. Most of the buildings have been restored and many are equipped to provide B&B or hotel accommodation. Châteaux visited included Fontaine-Henry, Vendeuvre, Balleroy, Canon, Pont-Rilly, Servigny, Colombières and d’Esquay and the manor houses Etienville, Crémel and du Parc. The chateaux dated from the medieval period to the 19th - century, the best being classical from the 17th and 18th - centuries.In best French and of course Irish Georgian – style we also enjoyed some good food and our farewell dinner was in La Rançonnière, a gourmetterie near château de Creully, H.Q. during the D-Day landings. These trips have been organised by our Committee members, particularly Colm Owens, to whom we are most grateful. The Committee is also very thankful to our chapter members who continue to support us through our events.

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

01 01

lockwise from top left 01 Lord C and Lady Magan’s Castletown Cox visited on the 20-Ghost Club tour 02 The YIG’s at Spitalfields 03 Min Hogg’s house after the Farringdon Collection 04 Instead of charging an entree fee, the comtesse de Pontac (centre) of château de Servigny invited her guests to donate an IGS Tree to an arboretum, thereby helping underprivileged Normandy youngsters. Serena Borges (left), Anne Verity (right)

USA

IGS Inc. Michael G. Kerrigan It has been a very active year for the American Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society with much of our attention focused on the marvelous exhibition held at the Art Institute of Chicago, Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690–1840, which opening on St. Patrick’s Day, 17th March, 2015. The Chicago and New York Galas held in the Fall of 2014 served as a prelude to the exhibition with presentations by two people very involved in the planning and launching of the event, Dr. Christopher Monkhouse and Mr. William Laffan. Christopher Monkhouse is the Curator of European Decorative Arts at The Art Institute of Chicago and the curator for the exhibition, ably assisted by Leslie Fitzpatrick. William Laffan, the Irish art historian and IGS Board member, served as an advisor to the exhibition and cowrote the catalogue, which serves as a brilliant record of the exhibition. These two evenings benefited from record breaking attendance and helped to raise needed funds for the completion of Phase Two of the renovation of the City Assembly House in Dublin, the new headquarters of the Society. The same week as the 2014 Galas, a lovely retirement party was held for Maribeth Welsh, the outgoing Executive Director of the Irish Georgian Society at the New York Historical Society, hosted by Mrs. Elizabeth Dater Jennings, the President of the Board of Directors in the United States. The New Year started with preparations for the exhibition in Chicago which was dedicated to the memory of the late Desmond FitzGerald, the Knight of Glin, who had planted the seeds for this exhibition years before and had worked tirelessly to ensure it came to fruition. The exhibition at the Art Institute of Chicago officially opened with a luncheon and viewing of the exhibit on Friday 13th March 2015, attended by 130 donors and lenders to the exhibit, including many Irish

Georgians whom had flown over for the opening weekend. Christopher Monkhouse and Leslie Fitzpatrick led the group around the exhibition, which contained over 3,000 objects set in magnificent exhibition rooms designed by John Vinci to resemble rooms in an Irish country house. Mr. Douglas Druick, the President of the Art Institute of Chicago, gave the opening remarks at the luncheon that followed and introduced Mr. Jimmy Deenihan, the Irish Minister for the Diaspora, who was on hand to help launch the exhibition. That evening, Mr. and Mrs. Fred Krehbiel hosted an elegant dinner at The Casino for over 200 lenders to the exhibition. Sir David Davies rose and gave a toast of thanks to our hosts for their wonderful hospitality and to recognize all the efforts on the part of everyone who contributed to making the exhibition possible. The following day there was an opening GALA Dinner at the Art Institute of Chicago attended by 575 people, making it the largest opening night for any exhibit ever held there. The guest of honor was Madam Olda FitzGerald, who was there as an emissary for her late husband and to be recognised as a tireless champion of the Irish Georgian Society in her own right. At the conclusion of the evening, Mr. and Mrs. John O’Brien, patrons of the exhibition, hosted an elegant party at their home for out of town guests, much appreciated by all. On Sunday, the Chicago Chapter of the Irish Georgian Society hosted an afternoon reception at the Langham Hotel to welcome out of town guests and to allow our visitors to meet representatives of the Chicago Chapter in a slightly more intimate setting. This was made possible by an American-Irish Georgian Society Board member, Mr. Tom Tormey, who with his family, has been a steadfast patron of the Society over the years.

The following weekend a Symposium was held at the Art Institute in conjunction with the launching of the Irish Exhibition, with the Irish Georgian Society being one of the key underwriters, something made possible through the generosity of the American President of the Irish Georgian Society Board of Directors, Mrs. Elizabeth Dater Jennings. All the speakers were experts in their field and many had contributed articles for the 2015 Journal of the Irish Georgian Society, dedicated to the Chicago exhibition and underwritten in part by a Chicago-based American donor. The Society hosted a Symposium Dinner at The University Club of Chicago that evening, Saturday, 21st March, attended by over 150 people. The 2015 Journal was officially launched that same evening, which was a splendid occasion celebrating all the contributions made by patrons, donors, scholars and supporters of the Society over the years. Following on the heels of the Symposium weekend, a small band of Irish Georgians found themselves in Austin, Texas, on Monday, 23rd March, where Mr. Patrick Guinness, the President of The Irish Georgian Society, was made an honorary Texan at the State Capital. In addition to Louise Guinness, Patrick’s wife, among those in attendance were US Board member Steve Zick and Rachel Gaffney, who has done much to generate interest in the Irish Georgian Society in Dallas and Ft. Worth, Texas, to whom we are very grateful. In April, we found ourselves in Boston on Thursday, 30th April, where Mr. Robert O’Byrne was the speaker at two events. The first was a lecture and luncheon at the Chilton Club on Commonwealth Avenue in Boston’s Back Bay attended by over eighty people. We have a New England-based member of the Society to thank, Laurie Appel, for organizing and arranging this very elegant function. Robert’s talk, titled The Irish Country House Today, was received

IRISH GEORGIAN SOCIETY REVIEW 15

to critical acclaim. That evening he gave the same talk at the Country Club in Brookline, Massachusetts attended by over sixty Irish Georgians, followed by a small dinner. Boston-based Society member, Linda Fuller, was kind enough to sponsor this event for us there. Much to our delight, American-Irish Georgians were able to host thirtyseven Irish Georgians from Ireland who arrived in Chicago on Thursday, 21st May to see the Irish exhibition at the Art Institute and to tour Chicago over the long Memorial Day weekend. Through the generosity of Mr. Tom Tormey, the Chicago Chapter hosted a welcoming dinner at a lovely restaurant around the corner from the Drake Hotel where the group stayed. The weekend proceeded with a series of visits to the exhibition, tours of private collections and luncheons, receptions and dinners hosted by Chicago-based Irish Georgians, which made the group feel welcome and delighted to be in Chicago.

We are pleased to report that the exhibition, Ireland: Crossroads of Art and Design, 1690-1840, was attended by over 150,000 people and has done much to showcase the impact of Irish Georgian art and architecture and the role the Irish Georgian Society has played since its inception, in promoting awareness through scholarship, education and fund raising, in preserving and promoting Irelandâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s architectural heritage.

Georgian business thrives in the internet age

Appropriately for a firm established in the reign of George III, Whyte’s carries on the business of art and collectibles auctioneer and valuer behind one of the few remaining intact Georgian shop fronts in Dublin. Ian Whyte, whose great (to the power of 5) grandfather founded Whyte’s in 1783 and whose son Peter is the eighth generation of the famous Dublin business family to work in the firm, says “even some of the panes of glass are original”. Although steeped in history Whyte’s has totally embraced the age of information technology with live broadcasting of its auctions on the internet, publication of its auction catalogues on websites around the globe and active use of Twitter, Facebook and other social media. About 30% of lots are now sold to on-line bidders on five continents. In the last fifteen years Whyte’s has totally changed the way Irish art is marketed with more informative catalogues – both on-line and printed – including articles by leading art historians and critics, top class photography, and detailed well researched notes. The firm hosts auction exhibitions four times a year in a 10,000 square feet hall at Ireland’s leading venue, the Royal Dublin Society (RDS) in Ballsbridge, providing a friendly atmosphere, where collectors of all tastes and pockets can enjoy the 1,000+ works of art offered each year.

Whyte’s experts will gladly give, free of charge, to potential sellers, a verbal or e-mail estimate of an artwork’s likely realisation. All valuations and advice are given in the utmost confidentiality – Whyte’s are proud of their reputation for integrity. If the artwork is consigned for auction it will be carefully researched and catalogued in detail and then professionally photographed by Gillian Buckley, the renowned art photographer who provides most of the images in the Royal Hibernian Academy catalogues. The catalogue is published on five different websites around the globe and collectors can bid during the auction from anywhere in the world on their computers, tablets or smart phones. Although the sale of paintings, drawings, prints and sculpture provides most of Whyte’s turnover, the firm prides itself on its specialist History, Literature & Collectibles sales of historical artefacts and manuscripts, antiquarian books and maps, stamps, coins, medals, militaria, weapons, memorabilia, antique silver, and other small collectibles. Whyte’s have also pioneered Rock & Pop Memorabilia and Movie Poster sales which take place 4896 4896 IGS IGS AD:Layout AD:Layout 11 15/09/2014 15/09/2014 14:13 14:13 Page Page 1 1 annually. For further information on Whyte’s or for free valuations or advice please telephone 01 676 2888 or email info@whytes.ie

Above A fine portrait by Irish artist Charles Jervas (1685-1739) in Whyte’s September 2015 auction. Below Whyte’s Molesworth Street premises, built in 1830.

WHYTES NC CE E 11 77 88 33 SS II N

Exceptional results from an exceptional auction house

Exceptional results from an 1. Paul Paul Henry Henry THE THE LAKE, LAKE, €93,000 €93,000 1. exceptional auction house

4896 4896 IGS IGS AD:Layout AD:Layout 11 15/09/2014 15/09/2014 14:13 14:13 Page Page 1 1

WHYTES NC CE E 11 77 88 33 SS II N

Exceptional results from an exceptional auction house

Exceptional results from an 1. Paul Paul Henry Henry THE THE LAKE, LAKE, €93,000 €93,000 1. exceptional auction house

2. Sir Sir John John Lavery Lavery THE THE LADY LADY PARMOOR, PARMOOR, €50,000 €50,000 2. 1. Henry THE LAKE, €93,000 3. Paul Sir William William Orpen COLIN DAVID BRODIE, BRODIE, €34,000 €34,000 3. Sir Orpen COLIN DAVID 2.4. Sir John Lavery A BACCHANTE, €135,000 Roderic O’Conor NATURE MORTE, MORTE, €30,000 4. Roderic O’Conor NATURE €30,000 3. GLADYS COOPER, €175,000 5. Daniel Daniel O’Neill O’Neill TWO TWO WOMEN WOMEN BY BY THE THE SEA, SEA, €46,000 €46,000 5. 4. Gerard Dillon HOME WITH THE CATCH, €60,000 6. Mainie Mainie Jellett Jellett DEATH DEATH OF OF PROCRIS, PROCRIS, €32,000 €32,000 6. 5. Daniel O’Neill TWO WOMEN BY THE SEA, €46,000

1. 1. 1.

6. Mainie Jellett DEATH OF PROCRIS, €32,000 Above are are just just aa few few of of over over 800 800 exceptional exceptional prices prices Above paid for for works works of of art art at at Whyte’s Whyte’s in in 2013. 2013. paid Above are just a few of over 1,000 exceptional prices Below are are just just aa few few of of the the reasons reasons you you should should Below paid for works of artfor at Whyte’s in 2014-15. consider Whyte’s selling your treasures: consider Whyte’s for selling your treasures: Below are just a few of the reasons you should • A reputation for integrity since 1783, combined with consider Whyte’s for service selling your treasures: courteous discreet •• AWhyte’s reputation for integrity since 1783, combined discerning clientele – 10,000 art collectors in with discreet service overcourteous 100 countries 2. 2. 2.

3. 3. 3.

Superbly producedclientele catalogue compiled by qualified •• Whyte’s discerning – 10,000 art collectors art historians in over 100 countries Intensiveproduced marketingcatalogue in printedcompiled media, onbyradio and •• Superbly qualified via the Internet art historians • All sales broadcast with on-line bidding from • Intensive marketinglive in printed media, on radio around the globe and via the Internet

4. 4.

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• All sales broadcast live with on-line bidding from around the globe

We now seek exceptional works of art for our We now seek exceptional of art Important Irish Art Sale atworks the RDS onfor 24our November. Important Irish Art Sale at the RDS on 30 November. Entries for this prestigious event are strictly limited Entries for this prestigious event are strictly limited so contact us today to secure this exceptional so contact us today to secure this exceptional opportunity: for confidential advice and expert opportunity: for confidential advice and expert valuations telephone or email Ian Whyte or Sarah Gates valuations telephone or email Ian Whyte or Sarah Gates at 01 676 2888 or info@whytes.ie at 01 676 2888 or info@whytes.ie Whyte & Sons Auctioneers Ltd is licensed by the Property Services Regulatory Regulatory

Whyte & Sons Auctioneers Ltd is licensed by the Property Services Regulatory Authority of Ireland. Authority of Ireland. Licence No. 001759.

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38 Molesworth Street Dublin 2 01 676 2888 info@whytes.ie www.whytes.ie 38 Molesworth Street Dublin D02 KF80 01 676 2888 info@whytes.ie www.whytes.ie

Sotheby’S Ireland We Source locally, and Sell InternatIonally, SecurIng the beSt prIceS for your WorkS from our extenSIve global netWork of buyerS.

Sotheby’s Ireland are delighted to offer the following services: • Auction valuations and free confidential advice without obligation on all fine art and antiques including furniture, silver, ceramics and jewellery • Probate and insurance valuations • Private sales • Touring exhibition of our Irish Sale in Ireland • Regular valuation days Enquiries: +353 (0) 1 644 0200 dublinoffice@sothebys.com 29 Molesworth Street, Dublin 2. DO2 PF82 sothebys.com

(Clockwise from top left) Emerald and diamond ring Estimate £44,000–64,000/€42,338–61,583 Sold for 85,000 CHF/€81,790 A rare coral ground famille-verte bowl yongzheng mark and period Estimate £80,000–120,000/ €95,208–142,812 Sold for £104,500/€124,366 PAul HEnry, r.H.A., r.u.A. The Fishing Fleet, County Galway Estimate £80,000–120,000/ €101,296–151,944 Sold for £98,500/€124,721 A gilt-bronze-mounted ivory, polychrome stained horn and mother-of-pearl inlaid tortoiseshell and brass contre-partie boulle marquetry and ebony commode attributed to nicholas Sageot (1666-1731), stamped I. Dubois, louis XIV, circa 1710, probably restored by Jacques Dubois around 1750 Estimate £120,000–180,000 / €164,500–247,000 Sold for £161,000/€124,366

Period & Listed Property Insurance Your assets deserve the best protection available. Our specialist Private Client team deal exclusively in insurance for period and historic homes including castles. We work with you, whether you are the owner or manager of the property, to ensure you have the right cover at the most competitive price. We pride ourselves on combining expert knowledge with the highest levels of customer service. We work closely with a number of niche insurers and can provide solutions which are tailored to suit your individual needs, we can include art collections, antique furniture, jewellery, sculptures or period memorabilia. Benefits available to our Private Clients include: • Dedicated heritage expert to guide you through the process • Free buildings and contents valuations • On site pre-inception survey option available • Access to fine art and antique specialists • Worldwide All Risks cover available on Contents • Legal Expenses • Annual travel insurance • Payment by monthly instalments available As well as providing the right insurance policy for you, we hope to become one of your trusted professional advisers and as such, offer a free risk management service with each policy. Contact our Private Client consultant Gary Johnston today on 0818 31 30 30 or email gary.johnston@wexfordinsurance.com for a real alternative.

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Irish Georgian Society Review - 2015