The RDS Podcast
Now home to Ireland’s best known venue, the RDS mission has been turning ideas into action for nearly 295 years. Since 1731 we have worked to see Ireland thrive culturally & economically. We believe that for Ireland to thrive it needs its people to apply their experience, ideas and energy. Today our mission finds voice in our Foundation; harking back to our founding vision. RDS Members are people who share our vision and are vital to our success.
Episodes
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Episode 4: Telling Tales: Revealing the History of the RDS Library & Archives
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
Thursday Nov 07, 2024
The RDS Library & Archives is one of the oldest and largest independent Libraries in Ireland and has been a part of the Society from its Foundation in 1731. Its remit is to collect material related to the RDS Foundation areas of areas of art, science, agriculture, enterprise and equestrianism, and to maintain its archives which offer a rich and unique resource for researchers and students of the social, economic and cultural history of Ireland.
The Library was housed in several locations across Dublin from its beginnings in 1731 until the Society purchased Leinster House in 1815. There the Library occupied the first floor of the building sharing space with the RDS museum collections until the opening of the Natural History Museum building in 1856.
In 1877, under the auspices of the Dublin Art and Museum Act the RDS Library collections were transferred to the State to form the foundation collections of the National Library of Ireland.
The RDS moved from Leinster House to Ballsbridge in 1924 and the new Library was opened in what is now the RDS Concert Hall. The current Library building was designed by the architect Louis Giron and was opened by Eamon De Valera in 1965.
The RDS Library & Archives collections are available for consultation by the public by appointment. Parts of the collections are also to view on the RDS digital archive platform.
Join RDS Foundation Director Niamh De Loughry and Head of Library & Archives Natasha Serne as they explore the fascinating history of the RDS Library & Archives from its beginnings in the 18th century to the present day.
Wednesday Oct 09, 2024
Episode 3: RDS 1924-2024: 100 Years at Ballsbridge
Wednesday Oct 09, 2024
Wednesday Oct 09, 2024
In 2024 the RDS celebrate the centenary of the transfer of their headquarters from Leinster House to Ballsbridge.
Founded as the Dublin Society in 1731 to promote agriculture, industry, art and science in Ireland the RDS had a presence in the centre of Dublin for almost 200 years.
In 1879, the Society leased a parcel of 15 acres of land from the Earl of Pembroke at Ballsbridge to hold their Spring Show and Horse Show. In 1923/24 the Society sold Leinster House to the Irish government for Dáil Éireann, moving their operations out of the city to this leafy South Dublin suburb on the banks of the River Dodder.
Join RDS Foundation Director Niamh De Loughry and Head of Library & Archives Natasha Serne as they take a trip around Dublin to explore the various homes and haunts of the RDS from its earliest days at Trinity College Dublin up to its development as Ireland’s premier events venue at Ballsbridge.
Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
Episode 2: From Electricity to Education: Three Centuries of Science and the RDS
Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
Wednesday Sep 11, 2024
From the foundation of the National Botanic Gardens in 1795 to the introduction of ESB Science Blast in 2019, the RDS has a long and illustrious history in engagement with science in Ireland.
During the 18th and 19th centuries the RDS disseminated new scientific ideas through public lectures and journal publications, introduced professorships in chemistry and physics and established a laboratory at its premises on Hawkins Street that moved with the Society on its transfer to Leinster House in 1815.
In 1899 the Society introduced the Boyle Medal to award excellence in scientific research and in 1914 it founded the Irish Radium Institute that pioneered one of the earliest treatments for cancer in the world.
Today we continue its commitment to STEM education in Ireland through ESB Science Blast, which is designed and delivered by the RDS, to inspire primary school children and is one of the largest science education programmes for primary schools of its kind anywhere.
Join RDS Foundation Niamh de Loughry in conversation with our Head of Library & Archives Natasha Serne as they explore the rich and fascinating story of the RDS and science in Ireland across three centuries.
Thursday Aug 08, 2024
Episode 1: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: A Short History of the Dublin Horse Show
Thursday Aug 08, 2024
Thursday Aug 08, 2024
First held in 1864, the Dublin Horse Show is a celebration of Ireland's affinity with the horse. From the best show horses to the best international show jumpers, it is one of Ireland's largest events, welcoming tens of thousands of people each year from Ireland and across the globe.
In Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: A Short History of the Dublin Horse Show, join RDS Foundation Director Niamh De Loughry and RDS Head of Library & Archives as they explore the rich history of this unique Dublin institution.
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
In the Service of the State
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Episode from the Library Speaker Series
Lieutenant General Seán Clancy, Chief of Staff of the Irish Defence Forces, presents a history of Óglaigh na hÉireann to commemorate and reflect on their one hundred years of service to the Irish State since the foundation of the National Army in 1922. He tells the fascinating story of their evolving role - from key safeguard of early Irish democracy following the Irish Civil War, to their renewed purpose as peacekeepers with the United Nations beginning in Lebanon in 1958, through the violent years of the Troubles in Northern Ireland and the shifting national and international dynamics of the late 20th century. Looking forward, he describes the challenges of a changing and uncertain geopolitical landscape: war in Europe, concerns over energy and food security as well as new threats from disinformation, cyber-crime, state-sponsored terrorism and the subversion of democracy. He concludes by introducing a new documentary on the Defence Forces: In the Service of the State, Óglaigh na hÉireann 1922-2022.
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
The Irish Civil War in Colour
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Wednesday Apr 12, 2023
Episode from the Library Speaker Series
Recorded in the RDS Library as part of The Dublin Book Festival 2022, journalist, author, and broadcaster David McCullough interviews historian Michael B. Barry and photographer and colourist John O’Byrne, authors of The Irish Civil War in Colour. Barry and O’Byrne’s book brings one of the most defining events in Irish history to life for the first time in painstakingly hand-coloured photographs, many of which originated in private collections and archives and as such have never been available in the public sphere. McCullough investigates how Barry and O’Byrne conceived the book, with Barry explaining his criteria for selecting and captioning photographs so as to form a cohesive narrative of the conflict, while O’Byrne demonstrates his fascinating method for colourising black and white photographs, which he developed over a period of ten years, as well as arguing against criticisms that his work is a form of, as McCullough puts it, ‘historical vandalism’.
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
The Military Archives: A History
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Tuesday Apr 11, 2023
Episode from the Library Speaker Series
Recorded in the RDS Library as part of The Dublin Book Festival 2022, History Ireland editor Tommy Graham interviews Commandant Daniel Ayiotis, director of the Military Archives in Cathal Brugha Barracks, and Zoe Reid, keeper of public services and collections at the National Archives. In this interview, Graham asks Reid about her book concerning her curation of an exhibition about the Anglo-Irish Treaty negotiations in 1921, before Ayiotis explains about his book The Military Archives: A History which examines the National Army from its foundation in 1922 up until the present day.
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Displaying Art & Industry - 1860s’ RDS Exhibitions
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Thursday Apr 06, 2023
Episode from the Library Speaker Series
Dr Orla Fitzpatrick is the winner of the Royal Dublin Society Library & Archives Research Bursary 2021. Dr Orla Fitzpatrick is an academic, educator, researcher and writer who has published and presented internationally in the area of photographic history, design and material culture. She is also a museum professional and a librarian.
In this recording Dr Fitzpatrick presents her research about the relationship between the Royal Dublin Society and the National Museum of Ireland through the selection, display and reception of manufactured items for the Society’s exhibitions of the 19th century and their subsequent entry into the collections of the National Museum of Ireland.
The findings of the research add to understanding of the history of collections in Ireland and contribute to knowledge of Irish consumer behaviour, art education and exhibition culture and display during an exciting period of modernisation.
RDS Vision 2030 Series Episodes
This series aims to harness the insight and expertise of thought leaders, influencers and innovators to identify the challenges and opportunities facing Ireland over the next decade. The focus is firmly on the future and what Ireland can do to ensure economic, environmental and social sustainable development.
RDS Library Speaker Series Episodes
This series promotes the sharing of knowledge by hosting speakers whose presentations are reflective of the Foundation work of the Society, featuring a range of topics which include Irish culture and heritage.
About us
Now home to Ireland’s best known venue, the RDS mission has been turning ideas into action for nearly 290 years. Since 1731 we have worked to see Ireland thrive culturally & economically. We believe that for Ireland to thrive it needs its people to apply their experience, ideas and energy. Today our mission finds voice in our Foundation; harking back to our founding vision. RDS Members are people who share our vision and are vital to our success.
To learn more about our society, read About Us.