The Irish Georgian Society is an architectural heritage and preservation organisation which promotes and aims to encourage an interest in the conservation of distinguished examples of architecture and the allied arts of all periods in Ireland. These aims are achieved by education and grants, planning participation, lobbying, membership and fundraising.
History
The society was founded in 1958 by the Hon. Desmond Guinness and his late wife Mariga and since that time many buildings of significant architectural merit have been saved through their work and the work of members and supporters. The next President of the society was Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin, who died in 2011, followed by Patrick Guinness. Among the founding members was Percy Le Clerc, the inspector of Irish National Monuments. In 2006 the Hon. Desmond Guinness was awarded a Europa Nostra prize for the society's preservation activities.
50th anniversary
A fully illustrated book by Robert O'Byrne on the society's first 50 years was published in 2008.
Notable achievements of the Irish Georgian Society include the saving of threatened great buildings such as Castletown House, County Kildare; Damer House, County Tipperary; Doneraile Court, County Cork; Roundwood, Co. Laois; Tailors’ Hall, Dublin and 13 Henrietta Street, Dublin. Other projects include the restoration of mid-eighteenth-century panelled rooms at Ledwithstown, County Longford; the repair of the early nineteenth-century south tower roof at Barmeath Castle, Co. Louth; the restoration of the pavilion cupolas of Kilshannig, Co. Cork, built in the 1760s to the designs of the Italian architect Davis Ducart; and, in association with the Department of the Environment, Heritage & Local Government, the World Monuments Fund and the Headfort Trust, the restoration of the superb Robert Adam decorative schemes at Headfort, County Meath. Another major project was the restoration of Dublin's 1760s City Assembly House in South William Street, the first purpose-built public exhibition gallery in Britain or Ireland. From 1809 it was the debating chamber of Dublin Corporation for nearly a century, and was the scene of many famous speeches by Daniel O'Connell.
Membership
The society is a membership organisation whose purpose is to promote awareness and the protection of Ireland's architectural heritage and decorative arts.
Funding
The conservation efforts are funded by the members' participation in the society's events programme, the fundraising of its chapters, by donations and bequests and by sales from the society's online book and gift shop.
Much of the society's income comes from supporters outside Ireland. In the US they are registered since 1968 as the Irish Georgian Society Inc., and in the UK as the "Irish Georgian Trust". The society's work within the Republic of Ireland is managed by the Irish-registered Irish Georgian Foundation, registered in 1970.
Events
The society runs a wide range of events, educational, exploratory, instructional, some for members, some open.
