Breaking News

Here is the Spring Newsletter 2012. Click here to download a Word file. Alternately read the Newsletter online here.

See the garden and library in High Definition TV on T na G Mar 1st at 10 pm and the repeat on Sunday March 4th, same channel at 9 pm. Full details of the program are here. The program is "who lived in my house?" and features Howth Castle using the RSAI library for an interview and discussion of a story in the Book of Howth.

Outgoing Director Colette Ellison's retirement party was on December 13th in Society House after the monthly council meeting. Thank you to all who donated in order to purchase a retirement gift and to all those who sent their well wishes. Thank you to all who attended the occasion.

Welcome to Niamh McCabe, the new Director of the RSAI, who commenced work in the office on December 5th 2011.


Please take a look at the new brochure advertising the facilities for hire at Society House. Click Brochure.

Merrion Square Innovation Network

The RSAI is currently participating in an exciting series of innovation workshops that have been organized by Fáilte Ireland and the Temple Bar Cultural Trust. By bringing together representatives from most of the organizations and many of the businesses on Merrion Square, the workshops will yield ideas and strategies that will help to make the square more accessible to people from Dublin, Ireland and abroad. The process is still ongoing and a summary of the process and outcomes will be submitted to Council after the final workshop.

Visit of First Year Architecture students, UCD, to Society House

On Tuesday 11 and Wednesday 12 October, 55 first year architectural students from the School of Architecture, Landscape and Civil Engineering, UCD, together with their design tutors, visited No. 63 at the invitation of the RSAI. Over the course of the two afternoons, the students took photos, measurements and notes and got a feel for the house, with the aim of producing measured and watercolour-rendered drawings of particular rooms and features.

In practice, this meant that, during their visits, groups of students armed with measuring-tapes and notebooks were dotted about all of RSAI-occupied parts of the house and also the garden. Through the Irish Landmark Trust, they also gained access to the mews house and yard, and both the Discovery Programme and the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland (IAI) facilitated access to their headquarters within the building. As a result, the students were able to explore a Georgian Dublin townhouse from top to bottom and from the sunken area at the front to the mews lane to the rear. When completed, copies of the drawings generated by the visit will be kept by the School of Architecture and reproductions will also be made available to the RSAI as a record of what proved to be two interesting and lively days. Thanks are due to Gráinne and Dónal, to Christine Baker of the IAI, and to all of the staff of the Discovery Programme who accommodated the students within their busy schedules.

Click the link in blue to see the RSAI culturenight web entry.http://www.culturenight.ie/category/explore-the-night/south-georgian-quarter/page/5/
Culture Night was on Friday September 23rd 2011. There were c.300 visitors on the evening. Thank you to Brendan Twomey, Kelly Fitzgerald and all the volunteers on the evening.

The autumn excursion to Longford went ahead with a full coach and on a pleasant September day. The excursion met Paddy Egan and Kieran O'Conor for tours of Corlea excavation and Lissardowlan motte and bailey. The Corlea visit was partly meant as a tribute to Dr. Barry Raftery who passed away recently and who had been a part of the excavation at Corlea as well as a member of the RSAI.

See some sample images from the photographic collection dating back more than 100 years. see link opposite bottom of list.

The painting seminar and workshop on exploring Georgian architecture through printmaking took place between June 27th and July 1st. click here for a pdf file of a report, photographs and news of this unique event at Society house. This event was funded by the Arts Council and Department of Environment, Heritage and Local Government under the Engaging with Architecture Scheme 2010

The summer excursion to sites in and around County Meath was a great success. To follow some of the information from the summer excursion follow this link http://bective.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/466/


The book edited by Society President Charles Doherty and members Linda Doran and Mary Kelly, "Glendalough. City of God" was launched at Society House on June 9th. Minister for Education Ruairi Quinn officiated at the launch. Photographs of the book launch

Click on this link to read our latest book review, Martin G. Comey , Coopers and Coopering in Viking Age Dublin, reviewed by Ellen O'Carroll.

mp3 podcast of Monday talk September 14th 2009 now available. Click Past Monday talks