RCSI Heritage Collections

Today, 23 February, in 1685 George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Germany. Handel was a composer who became known for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. He is linked to Dublin because it was in the Musick Hall on Fishamble Street that Handel first performed his oratorio Messiah   on 23 December 1741 .   George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) by Balthasar Denner Handel arrived in Dublin in November 1741 and, luckily for him, it was only a month or so later that the Musick Hall opened. In John Thomas Gilbert's A History of the City of Dublin he recalls that Handel advertised his up and coming oratorio as follows ' At the new Musick Hall in Fishamble-street, on Wednesday next, being the 23rd day of Dec., (1741). Mr. Handel’s Musical Entertainments will be opened, in which will be performed L’Allegro il Penseroso, il Moderato, with two Concertos for several instruments, and a Concerto on the Organ.  To begin at 7 o’Clock.  Tickets for that n...

The RCSI Heritage Collections are delighted to announce the arrival of its latest collection that of the Charitable Infirmary (Jervis Street Hospital) received from the Charitable infirmary Charitable Trust (CICT). The full and colourful history of the CICT can be found on their website http://www.cict.ie/history/  Mr. Peter McLean (1934-2010)  The Charitable Infirmary Collection made its way to the   Royal College of Surgeons through the foresight of one of   our past Presidents and member of the CICT Trust   Committee Mr. Peter McLean.   Mr. McLean studied at the RCSI, became a Fellow of the   College in 1962, a Council Member in 1984 and President   from 1996 to 1998. He interned in the Charitable Infirmary   in Jervis Street, worked as a consultant in there and in  Beaumont Hospital and sat on the CICT Trust Committee.  He had a passion f...