The RDS Podcast

Episode 2: From Electricity to Education: Three Centuries of Science and the RDS

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.

Episode 1: Straight from the Horse’s Mouth: A Short History of the Dublin Horse Show

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.

In the Service of the State

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.

The Irish Civil War in Colour

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’.

The Military Archives: A History

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.

Displaying Art & Industry - 1860s’ RDS Exhibitions

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.

The Future of Irish-International Trade

Episode from the Vision 2030 Series
Series host, Sean O’Rourke, is joined by Simon McKeever, Chief Executive, Irish Exporters Association, Anne Randles, Corporate Affairs Director, Ornua, and John McGrane, Director General, British-Irish Chamber of Commerce, as they discuss the sustainability of Irish-International trade given the current economic, and long-term environmental challenges, we face.
Apologies for the audio quality from 0.09 to 7.57 due to a technical problem during recording.
Episode recorded in the RDS with a live audience on Tuesday, January 17, 2023.

Powering the Green Economy

Episode from the Vision 2030 Series
Series host, Sean O’Rourke, is joined by Dr Val Cummins, Operations and Projects Director, Simply Blue Energy Ireland, Dr Paul Deane, senior research fellow in clean energy futures at MaREI, UCC, and Paul Saunders, Senior Investment Director and head of Climate at ISIF (Ireland Strategic Investment Fund) as they discuss how Ireland can deliver on its huge renewable energy potential.
 
Episode recorded in the RDS with a live audience on Wednesday, November 9, 2022.