RCSI Heritage Collections

Known and loved around the world for his commitment to peace, negotiation and reconciliation, Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela (b. 18th July 1918) was South Africa’s first democratically elected president (1994-1999). Mandela was an anti-apartheid revolutionary and political leader, as well as a philanthropist. To celebrate the centennial of Mandela's birth, we take a look back at when the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland awarded him an Honorary Fellowship at a ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa. ‘Education is the most powerful weapon you can use to change the world’ - Nelson Mandela Professor Thomas Hennessy, President of the College conferred the Honorary Fellowship of the College on H.E Nelson Mandela, President of the Republic of South Africa on Wednesday, March 27th 1996. Mr. Nelson Mandela receiving an Honorary Fellowship from Prof. Thomas Hennessy, PRCSI.  At a ceremony in Capetown a special bond between the College and South Africa was highlighted. In his citation hono...

RCSI Heritage Collections receives many visitors from all over the world, all with a varying array of backgrounds. However, one thing these visitors do have in common is a keen interest in medicine and more particularly, a keen interest in the history of medicine. So, with that in mind where else would ones first port of call when visiting Dublin be??? RCSI of course, due to its rich history and breadth of material relating to that very topic. One recent visitor, Dr Peter Mohr, FRCP, a retired neurologist from the Manchester area and honorary secretary of the Historical Medical Equipment Society (HMES), wrote to us enquiring about our Historical Instrument collection. He was particularly interested in seeing Cruise's endoscope and its original casing which are housed in the Pathology Lab in Beaumont Hospital. Peter & his wife came to see this particular instrument and on that day told us the story of a very interesting woman, Dr Edith Willcock McCrea, a Fellow of RCSI, whose ...

What has an RCSI President from 1797 and a character from Father Ted have in common??  A weird fondness for cats, it seems.    Here is a quote describing a trait of William Hartigan, President of RCSI in 1797... ' William Hartigan was noted for his fondness of cats. He frequently, on his professional rounds of visits, brought a pair of kittens with him, ensconced in the deep coat-pockets worn early in the last century '. - History of the  Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland by Sir Charles Cameron While below is Father Ted's description of Matty Hislop from the Lent episode of Father Ted called ' Cigarettes and Alcohol and Rollerblading '... Ted: 'God almighty, when I think of the sacrifices Matty Hislop made' Dougal: 'Who?' Ted: 'He was a notorious drunkard who found God and then decided to punish himself for his sins. Oh, he used to do all kinds of things. Like he had a terrible allergic reaction to cats. So instead of avoid...

With the arrival of the sunny weather, the growth in strawberry consumption and tennis racquets at the ready for Wimbledon next week, it is time to crack the Pimm's open. But how do all these elements relate to RCSI you ask? Through the man below, Dr. Joshua Pim. Dr. Joshua Pim with the Wimbledon Singles trophy Dr. Joshua Pim was not only a descendent of James Tee Pimm , the celebrated creator of the drink Pimm's , but also a holder of the Singles and Doubles Irish Championships and Wimbledon titles in 1893 and 1894. Pim burst onto the tennis scene with his first major win at the tender age of 21. Pim along with his partner Frank Stoker (a relative of the author Bram Stoker and the RCSI surgeon William Thornley Stoker ) won both the English and Irish doubles championship in 1890. But he had been playing since the age of eleven and was coached at the Lansdowne Lawn Tennis Club by the great Irish player Thomas Burke. At this time the Irish Championships was one of the mo...

Plaque at 1 Merrion Square (Photo by Paul Murphy, Deputy Librarian RCSI) Sir William Wilde LRCSI, FRCSI was born in Castlerea, County Roscommon towards the end of spring 1815. To mark this bicentenary the County Librarian organised an event in Castlerea over the weekend of April  16 th -18 th.  William's father Thomas was a physician and the Wilde family home fronted onto Barrack Street. There was a poignant visit to the nearby Church of Ireland cemetery to the grave of Dr Thomas Wilde which had been identified and its fractured gravestone recently restored. William accompanied his father visiting patients throughout the countryside. From this came many of his life-long interests: country lore , healing charms, social conditions and the circumstances of people's lives. William Wilde was destined for great things. His father had steered him towards Surgery and having obtained his medical education at RCSI he trained in Vienna under the leading eye and ear surgeons ...

Thomas Heazle Parke was the first Irishman to cross Africa. He accompanied the explorer Henry Morton Stanley in 1887 on his expedition to reach and free the besieged Emin Pasha. People in Dublin pass his statute everyday, which stands outside the Natural History Museum on Merrion Square and the majority would not know the achievements of this revered and extraordinary man from Leitrim. Statue of Thomas Heazle Parke outside the Natural History Museum, Dublin Parke was born in Clogher House, Kilmore, Co. Roscommon in 1857 and was the second son of William Parke and his wide Henrietta Holmes. He entered the RCSI in 1875 and took the LRCSI in 1878. He took the LKQCPI (Kings and Queen's College) the following year. He joined the Army Medical Department in 1881 when 23 years old and continued in service until the time of his death.  Parke was posted to Egypt in 1882 and served in all the Egyptian and Soudan campaigns; Tel-el-Kebir campaign 1882; Nile campaign 1884-1885; Metemnh; ...

It's fast approaching exactly 100 years since the start of the Great War. A war that saw numerous atrocities and millions die in battle. Large numbers of staff and students from the College went over to play their part in the effort to save some of these lives. One man, Professor of Surgery, at the time went and was lucky enough to return after the war in 1918. His name was George Jameson Johnston . George Jameson Johnston (1866 - 1926) Johnston was born in Dungannon, Co. Tyrone, in April 1866. He attended the Royal School in his town before entering Trinity College. Even though he took his courses in Trinity Johnston chose to take his medical degrees from the Royal University. He was First of First Honourmen and First-class Exhibitioner at his B.A examination. He was also First Honourman in Anatomy and Prizeman in Midwifery in Trinity. Johnston, before and after qualification, conducted large private classes or what we would know as 'grinds' now. He graduate M....

As it is the Day of Love the Heritage Collections felt it right to tell you the tale of Robert (Robin) Adair. Adair was made one of the first Honorary Fellows of this College on 11 December 1784. Adair is believed to have been a native of Ballymena, Co. Antrim, and was studying medicine in Dublin in the late 1700s. While studying he got into some sort of a scrape. But with very little money and few friends Adair decided that his only option was to flee Dublin and head towards London. Adair arrived in Holyhead with no money to pay for passage to London so he began to walk. Robert (Robin) Adair He had not walked far when he came across a carriage that had been overturned on the bad road. The owner and occupier of the carriage was a well known society lady who had been slightly injured in the accident. Adair offered to help the lady and soon had the carriage righted and road-worthy again. Adair explained that he was a surgeon and offered to inspect the lady's injuries whic...

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...