We were delighted to welcome a large crowd of attendees for the launch of our new summer exhibition The Patrick Earley Collection: Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Views of Dublin and Wicklow on the afternoon of Thursday the 10th of July.

Guests gathered in the Daniel O'Connell and Knight of Glin rooms in the City Assembly for an introductory speech by Michael Wall, followed by a speech by Mary Heffernan of the OPW to formally launch the exhibition. Attendees on the day included collector Patrick Earley and his family.

The exhibition is open 10am to 5pm Tuesday-Friday, and 12pm-5pm Saturday until the 27th of September in the Daniel O'Connell room. Admission is Free. For more information on the exhibition click here.

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Last Saturday afternoon, the 28th of June, IGS members and friends enjoyed our annual Summer party. This year's event took place at Killua Castle in Westmeath. The castle has connections to both Sir Walter Raleigh and Lawrence of Arabia and has been completely restored by the Krause family after lying in ruin for almost one hundred years.

Despite the overcast weather, guests enjoyed drinks & canapes on the lawn followed by the ever popular annual summer party raffle. The highlight of the afternoon was a tour of the castle's magnificent interior.

We would like to thank the IGS Events Committee, all who attended, and owners Allen and Lorena Sangines-Krause for being such accommodating and gracious hosts.

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The Patrick Earley Collection: Eighteenth and Nineteenth-Century Views of Dublin and Wicklow
11th July - 27th August, The Daniel O'Connell room, City Assembly House, Dublin 2

Over the course of fifty years Patrick Earley assembled an outstanding collection of Irish topographical art, focusing on portrayals of Dublin and Wicklow over the period 1770 to 1870. The collection has recently been acquired by the State and a selection will be exhibited in the historic Daniel O'Connell room at the City Assembly House. The exhibition will feature early nineteenth-century views of Powerscourt Waterfall and Grafton Street, of Georgian College Green and Victorian Bray. Among the artists represented will be William Sadler, John Henry Campbell and Patrick Vincent Duffy.

This Irish Georgian Society exhibition is delivered in partnership with the Office of Public Works and with the support of Northern Trust, the National Built Heritage Service, and the Heritage Council.

Opening Hours: Tuesdays-Fridays 10am to 5pm, and Saturdays 12pm to 5pm
Admission is FREE

*Please note the Daniel O'Connell room is only accessible by stairs*

Image: Sackville Street and Carlisle Bridge, 1813, by William Sadler (c. 1782-1839). Photo courtesy OPW.

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Earlier this month IGS members enjoyed a memorable trip to Romania.

This was the second IGS trip to Romania, following a very successful and popular trip last April.

On May 8th twenty of our members arrived in Bucharest for a 6-day trip to tour some of the architectural and heritage highlights of the country. This year's trip was enhanced and featured a more in depth visit of the fascinating towns of Cluj and Targu Mures.

Members saw a great variety of architectural styles during the trip - from Neo-Wallachian & Bavarian palaces to Saxon & Hungarian manor houses - reflecting the many minorities in a country influenced by the former Ottoman, Russian and Habsburg empires.

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DUBLIN 2025: A CITY IN CRISIS... OR A GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY?

On Wednesday 7th May a hundred architects, planners, city thinkers and engaged Dublin citizens gathered in the City Assembly House for the Irish Georgian Society and Dublin Civic Trust’s DUBLIN 2025: a city in crisis or a golden opportunity? conference.

The conference focused on the historic city of Dublin, its potential and its current challenges. Pressing themes including recognition and presentation of the built heritage, a shared vision for the future, housing and quality of life, public realm and citizen engagement were addressed. The expert speakers discussed the legacy of built heritage the city has inherited and the challenges facing the city such as a lack of affordable and quality housing, civil unrest, pollution and litter etc. The conference also examined new building developments, the reuse and repurposing of built heritage, and new local and national government initiatives. The presentations recorded by videographer Conor Waters are now available to watch on the Irish Georgian Society’s YouTube channel (click on the live links to watch each of the four individual sessions).

The Irish Georgian Society wishes to take this opportunity to thank our partners, Dublin Civic Trust, and our expert speakers and chairs. This conference forms an action of the IGS’s Conservation Education Programme, which is overseen by Emmeline Henderson, IGS Assistant Director & Conservation Manager, and is in receipt of key funding from the Department of Housing, Local Government and Heritage.

The programming of the conference was supported by the Irish Georgian Society's Architectural Conservation and Planning Committee, in particular Susan Roundtree and Dublin Civic Trust's CEO, Graham Hickey.

Additionally, the Society wishes to thank The Heritage Council for providing the Irish Georgian Society with its Heritage Organization Support Fund 2025. Lastly, the IGS wishes to acknowledge the support of the Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland and the Irish Planning Institute for recognising the Dublin 2025 conference as CPD for their members.

Session 1: Dublin Past & Present: Where We Were, Why We Are (Chair: Donough Cahill, Executive Director, Irish Georgian Society)

• The Future of the Past - a project of recovery? Niall McCullough’s ‘Dublin An Urban History’ and ‘Dublin - Creation, Occupation, Destruction’ by Valerie Mulvin (Keynote Speaker) RIAI Grade 1 Conservation Architect, and a Director at McCullough Mulvin Architects.
• Working in, with and for the Historic City by Owen O'Doherty, Acting City Architect, Dublin City Council
• Irish Cities in Crisis; prime issues; Galway 2070 study; some thoughts about Dublin crisis by David Browne, RIAI, Chairman of RKD Architects and Jim Coady, FRIAI, Consultant to COADY Architects, co-editors of Irish Cities in Crisis (RIAI, 2024).

Session 2: Dublin Today: The Challenges, The Opportunities (Chair: Alexander Downes, Chairperson, Dublin Civic Trust)

• The City which mistook its crisis for a plan by Gráinne Shaffrey, RIAI Grade 1 Conservation Architect, Urban Designer and a Director at Shaffrey Architects.
• Inner City or City Centre? We Need to Talk about the North Georgian Core by Graham Hickey, CEO, Dublin Civic Trust.
• Beautiful, Sustainable, Together - Reframing the Georgian legacy of Dublin to support its adaptation in a sustainable and inclusive way to benefit present and future generations by Nicola Matthews, Senior Architect, Dept. of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

Session 3: Dublin Housing: The Endless Pursuit of a Liveable City Centre (Chair: Charlotte Sheridan, IGS Architectural Conservation & Planning Committee)

• Mapping Urban Beauty - A Public Good by Dr Paul James Kearns, Urban Planner, Author, Researcher
• Dead or Alive? Dublin’s Struggle with Zombie Urbanism by Dr Gavin Daly, Urban Planner, European Spatial Planning Observatory Network.
• "Who is Dublin really for?" by Dr Lorcan Sirr, Senior Lecturer in housing at Technological University Dublin.

Session 4: Dublin’s Future: Visions for Change, Examples that Inspire (Chair: Michael Wall, Chairman, Irish Georgian Foundation)

• Thriving places – celebrating character and context through engagement-led planning in Ireland by Alistair MacDonald, Director of Allies and Morrison.
• The Laundry Penthouse: a recent cooperative housing development in Paris by Paul Arnold, Architect.
• 10 Big Moves: Taoiseach's task force for Dublin city centre by Máire Henry, VP RIAI, Director of dhb Architects.
• Concluding remarks/precis by Olivia Kelly, Dublin Editor of The Irish Times.

Session 1: Dublin Past & Present: Where We Were, Why We Are (Chair: Donough Cahill, Executive Director, Irish Georgian Society)

The Future of the Past - a project of recovery? Niall McCullough’s ‘Dublin An Urban History’ and ‘Dublin - Creation, Occupation, Destruction’ by Valerie Mulvin (Keynote Speaker) RIAI Grade 1 Conservation Architect, and a Director at McCullough Mulvin Architects.

Working in, with and for the Historic City by Owen O'Doherty, Acting City Architect, Dublin City Council.

Irish Cities in Crisis; prime issues; Galway 2070 study; some thoughts about Dublin crisis by David Browne, RIAI, Chairman of RKD Architects.

Irish Cities in Crisis; prime issues; Galway 2070 study; some thoughts about Dublin crisis by Jim Coady, FRIAI, Consultant to COADY Architects, co-editors of Irish Cities in Crisis (RIAI, 2024).

Session 2: Dublin Today: The Challenges, The Opportunities (Chair: Alexander Downes, Chairperson, Dublin Civic Trust).

The City which mistook its crisis for a plan by Gráinne Shaffrey, RIAI Grade 1 Conservation Architect, Urban Designer and a Director at Shaffrey Architects.

Inner City or City Centre? We Need to Talk about the North Georgian Core by Graham Hickey, CEO, Dublin Civic Trust.

Beautiful, Sustainable, Together - Reframing the Georgian legacy of Dublin to support its adaptation in a sustainable and inclusive way to benefit present and future generations by Nicola Matthews, Senior Architect, Dept. of Housing, Local Government & Heritage.

Session 3: Dublin Housing: The Endless Pursuit of a Liveable City Centre (Chair: Charlotte Sheridan, IGS Architectural Conservation & Planning Committee)

Mapping Urban Beauty - A Public Good by Dr Paul James Kearns, Urban Planner, Author, Researcher.

Dead or Alive? Dublin’s Struggle with Zombie Urbanism by Dr Gavin Daly, Urban Planner, European Spatial Planning Observatory Network.

"Who is Dublin really for?" by Dr Lorcan Sirr, Senior Lecturer in housing at Technological University Dublin.

Session 4: Dublin’s Future: Visions for Change, Examples that Inspire (Chair: Michael Wall, Chairman, Irish Georgian Foundation)

Thriving places – celebrating character and context through engagement-led planning in Ireland by Alistair MacDonald, Director of Allies and Morrison.

The Laundry Penthouse: a recent cooperative housing development in Paris by Paul Arnold, Architect.

10 Big Moves: Taoiseach's task force for Dublin city centre by Máire Henry, VP RIAI, Director of dhb Architects.

Concluding remarks by Olivia Kelly, Dublin Editor of The Irish Times.

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Photo: IGS members in front of the Parthenon former temple on the Athenian Acropolis with guide Marika Fotouchou.

On Sunday 23rd March twenty-six Irish Georgian Society members commenced a six-day tour of the city of Athens, celebrated as the cradle of western civilisation. Tour leader Dan Calley curated an exceptional programme. The tour encompassed both the major Greek archaeological sites, such as the Acropolis and the Eleusis, with the superb guides, archaeologists Marika Fotouchou and Popi Papangeli, respectively, to quintessentially IGS ‘not on the tourist trail/ behind the scenes’ visits, to the ruinous palace of the former Greek Royal Family with President of the Friends of Tatoi, Vassilis Koutsavlis and the millennials old historic home of Lydia Carras, who co-founded with her late husband Costa Greece’s most respected environmental and cultural heritage NGO, Elliniki Etairia (ELLET). Special thanks also to Lucie Willan for her extraordinary tour of the gardens of the Mediterranean Garden Society at Sparoza and Dr George Manginis for his tour of the superb Benaki Museum. Further augmenting our understanding of Athen's unique and ancient history was journalist and author of ‘Athens: city of wisdom’, Bruce Clark who accompanied us to many of the sites and provided in depth interpretation.

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