Open Day at the College
On Tuesday 24th of August from 12:00pm to 8:00pm, the Royal College of Physicians of Ireland invites members of the public to visit the College’s historic home and view heritage and archive items from their collections. The open day is part of
Heritage Week 2010.
Founded in 1654, the Royal College of Physicians is Ireland’s oldest surviving medical institution and its building is one of Dublin’s great secrets. The College building, No. 6 Kildare Street, will be open to visitors free of charge. Visitors will have the opportunity to discover Ireland’s medical history and heritage.
On display will be items relating to the history of medicine in Ireland including medical equipment, items from the College’s silverware collection, including the spectacular silver mace, and many fine works of art commemorating the College’s past presidents. Visitors will also have the chance to visit Dun’s Library, named for the renowned physician Sir Patrick Dun one of the College’s early presidents. The Library is one of the most important historical medical libraries in the country, and contains over 30,000 books with items dating back to the sixteenth century.
This year to tie in with the theme of Archives Awareness 2010, discovering science, technology and medicine, the College will also be hosting an exhibition of material from the archives relating to Dr Kathleen Lynn and Saint Ultan’s Hospital for Infants. The exhibition will cover Lynn’s involvement in the 1916 Rising and the foundation of the State, and her unparalleled contribution to paediatric medicine.
• Building will be open to all visitors between 12:00pm and 8:00pm on 24th August
• Guided tours of the building will be given at 12:30pm, 2:00pm, 3:00pm, 4:00pm, 5:00pm and 7:00pm
• Presentation/talk on Kathleen Lynn and Saint Ultan’s Hospital will be given at 1:15pm and 6:15pm
In order to ensure all visitors have a positive experience, large groups are asked to notify the College in advance on 01 6698806
Directions to the College can be found here.