RCSI Heritage Collections

Accompanying the College's commemoration exhibition Surgeons & Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising was a lively, informative and free public lecture series. All nine lectures were booked out which meant that some visitors were disappointed in not being able to hear such learned speakers discuss topics such as Michael Mallin, military tactics used by the British army and the rebels and what life was like in Dublin, the second city of the British Empire, before the Rising. Never fear! These lectures are now available to view on the RCSI YouTube Channel. Click on the lecture you wish to watch below and enjoy! 'Surgeons & Insurgents: RCSI and the Easter Rising' - Dr Mary McAuliffe 'The Easter Rising: Fighting for the Crown or Half Crown?' - Padraig Yeates 'Blood and Bandages: Medicine of the Easter Rising' - Anthony Kinsella 'Stuff Matters: The material cul;ture of 1916' - Lisa Godson and Dr Joanna Bruck 'Th...

Having entered the poignant week of the executions of the leaders of the 1916 Easter Rising, RCSI Heritage Collections wanted to look at an item that illustrates the emotions of one rebel who had fought in the Rising. A colleague in Royal College of Physicians of Ireland contacted recently with the image below. This was found by a man in a corporation flat that was being emptied out. The author had given this, amongst other things to the owner who was now passing them on. Poem written by Little Tommy Keenan So who was Thomas P. Keenan, the 12 year old, who took part in the Rising and left such a beautiful poem encapsulating that historic week? There is reference to Tommy in Michael Foy and Brian Barton's book The Easter Rising and it is as follows Whilst 12-year-old Tommy Keenan fetched food and medicine for Mallin's garrison in the College of Surgeons, his tiny size deceiving British Soldiers who never suspected that the smiling schoolboy was wearing a green Fia...

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...

RCSI Heritage Collections are delighted to take part in Explore Your Archives 2015. This campaign strives to highlight the intriguing and magical nuggets of history waiting to be found and studied in archives throughout the country.   Explore Your Archives 2015 As we are heading into 2016 and a year of fabulous exhibitions, lectures, events commemorating the 1916 Easter Rising, our story box focuses on a unique item that directly relates to that time. Visit the Learn About Archives website to find out more about these story boxes and wondrous collections.   Plus check out the Explore Your Archive events page to see what is happening this week and over the coming months. Go forth and explore! The beautiful Vatican Archives - Researched and written by Meadhbh Murphy