RCSI Heritage Collections

On Sunday 17th April the exhibition Surgeons & Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising closed after a triumphant, yet short, run of just over three weeks. But the closing of the College's front door does not mean the end of the exhibition. We are delighted to announce that it will be travelling to the Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown Lexicon Library situated on Haigh Terrace in Dún Laoghaire. RCSI exhibition Surgeons & Insurgents heads out to Dun Laoghaire next month The entwined lives of the nine surgeons and nine insurgents featured in the exhibition will continue to enthral and intrigue audiences from 2nd May until 3rd June 2016.   Visitors will also be able to attend two talks that relate to these surgeons and the ambulance staff that risked their lives to save soldier, rebel and civilians alike during that historic week. These talks will be delivered by Meadhbh Murphy, RCSI Archivist, and Padraig Allen, archivist in St John Ambulance. Dates and times for these talks c...

Well the Easter weekend is over and what a weekend! Numerous exhibitions, events, talks, re-enactments etc took place all over Dublin city. Below are just a few photos to show what was happening in RCSI. Detail of the full scale model of St Stephens Green and surrounding buildings in 1916 which greets visitors to the Surgeons & Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising exhibition on in the College Capt. Christopher Poole stands to attention at the bottom of the stairs in RCSI Surgeons & Insurgents exhibition in College Hall, the same room the insurgents slept in in 1916 Dublin Brigade Irish Volunteers Commemorative Organisation pay the College a visit Two visitors to the exhibition engrossed in completing their activity sheets oblivious to who is watching! The lads take up position behind the barricades in Front Hall ready for a rising! RCSI President Declan Magee addressing the relatives at the wreath laying ceremony,...

Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland c.1900 As this year draws to a close, Ireland is about to embark on a year of commemorations and celebrations in 2016 as it will be 100 years since the Easter Rising took place in Dublin and around the country. Every day, thousands of commuting Dubliners pass by RCSI's iconic building on the western side of St. Stephen's Green in the heart of the city, with its impressive 19th century stone-column façade. Even regular passers-by may not have noticed the subtle reminders of our history which are scattered across the columns - now gently smoothed by 100 years of weathering, are bullet holes from the 1916 Easter Rising. The centrepiece of RCSI's 2016 Commemorative Programme, which will coincide with the official state commemorations, is a special exhibition Surgeons and Insurgents - RCSI and the Easter Rising   and accompanying public lecture series.  The exhibition will tell the story of the events surrounding the bat...

Courtesy of David Carus It's tomorrow! RCSI will celebrate the culture of Dublin and Ireland as well as the cultures of a number of other countries. Culture Night will kick off with a series of special performances at the St Stephen's Green entrance to the College, where you can see a variety of musical and dancing performances that showcase the cultures of just some of the 60+ countries where our students come from. These will take place from 5.30pm until 6pm.  Inside the College, you can take a self-guided tour or talk to a member of the RCSI Culture Night team to learn about the rich heritage and history of RCSI and the part it has played in shaping both local and national history, including when the building was seized by rebels led by Michael Mallin and Countess Markievicz during the 1916 Easter Rising. We look forward to seeing you all tomorrow night. - Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy

Photograph of Queen Victoria portrait slashed by rebels in 1916. During Heritage Week the College had large numbers of people walk through it's buildings hearing of the history contained within. A photograph featured in the Heritage Collections display caught the attention of Michael Parsons, author of the Fine Arts and Antiques column in the Irish Times. The photograph in question showed a life-size portrait of Queen Victoria after it had been slashed by the rebels to make puttees. The reason it caught Michael's eye was because a piece of this portrait was up for auction in Whyte's auctioneers on Saturday 14th September http://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/homes-and-property/fine-art-antiques/who-knifed-queen-victoria-s-portrait-in-dublin-in-1916-1.1518465 Countess Markievicz, Commander Mallin and over one hundred men, women and children took control of the College during the rising in Easter Week of 1916. One of these women was Margaret Skinnider a native of...

Heritage Week has just come to an end in the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland. The College opened it's doors to the public on Tuesday 20th August with guided tours twice a day finishing late yesterday afternoon. Frank Donegan, Head Porter of the College, gave these guided tours which lasted up to one and half hours. The tours which originally were to accommodate 30 people took at least 60 each time as the demand was so great. Frank talked about the history of the College and it's unique place in the development of medicine in Ireland and Europe. But he also talked of the buildings and the numerous historic events they have been witness to, especially 123 Stephens Green. A small taster of the unique material the Heritage Collections holds was put out on display in the Board Room during Heritage Week. Here are some of the pieces featured. This first item belonged to none other than Abraham Colles, a medical man much revered and respected by his peers. Colles was President...