74-514: Douglas Ross Hyde MRIA ( Irish : Dubhghlas de hÍde ; 17 January 1860 – 12 July 1949), known as An Craoibhín Aoibhinn ( lit. transl. the pleasant little branch ), was an Irish academic, linguist, scholar of the Irish language, politician, and diplomat who served as the first President of Ireland from June 1938 to June 1945. He was a leading figure in the Gaelic revival , and
148-575: A Teachta Dála (TD) from 1918 to 1927. He was a Member of Parliament (MP) for Londonderry City from 1918 to 1922 and a Member of the Northern Ireland Parliament (MP) for Londonderry from 1921 to 1925. A key figure of the Gaelic revival , MacNeill was a co-founder of the Gaelic League , to preserve Irish language and culture. He has been described as "the father of the modern study of early Irish medieval history". He established
222-548: A Catholic. He was raised in Glenarm , County Antrim , an area which "still retained some Irish-language traditions". His niece was nationalist and teacher, Máirín Beaumont . MacNeill was educated at St Malachy's College (Belfast) and Queen's College, Belfast . He had an interest in Irish history and immersed himself in its study. He achieved a BA degree in economics, jurisprudence and constitutional history in 1888, and then worked in
296-602: A candidate has to be proposed and recommended by five Members, and selection is made by a rotating committee of existing Members, their names not made known outside the Academy. Presently, up to 24 Members are elected each year, equally divided between the sciences and humanities. Regular membership is open only to those resident in Ireland. Honorary membership can be awarded to persons who have made an outstanding contribution to their academic discipline, but who are normally resident outside
370-567: A crisis. He is a weak man, but I know every effort will be made to whitewash him." MacNeill was released from prison in 1917 and was elected MP for the National University and Londonderry City constituencies for Sinn Féin in the 1918 general election . In line with abstentionist Sinn Féin policy, he refused to take his seat in the British House of Commons in London and sat instead in
444-613: A general election on the advice of a Taoiseach who had ceased to retain the support of a majority in Dáil Éireann". Hyde had that option but, after considering it with his senior advisor Michael McDunphy, he granted the dissolution. Hyde twice used his prerogative under Article 26 of the Constitution, having consulted the Council of State , to refer a Bill or part of a Bill to the Supreme Court, for
518-681: A letter, allegedly stolen from high-ranking British staff in Dublin Castle , indicating that the British were going to arrest him and all the other nationalist leaders. Unbeknownst to MacNeill, the letter—called the Castle Document—was a forgery. When MacNeill learned about the IRB's plans, and when he was informed that Roger Casement was about to land in County Kerry with a shipment of German arms, he
592-618: A manifesto called The necessity for de-anglicising the Irish nation , arguing that Ireland should follow its own traditions in language, literature, and dress. In 1893, he helped found Conradh na Gaeilge (the Gaelic League) to encourage the preservation of Irish culture, music, dance and language. A new generation of Irish republicans (including Pádraig Pearse , Éamon de Valera , Michael Collins and Ernest Blythe ), became politicised through their involvement in Conradh na Gaeilge. Hyde filled out
666-491: A moderator in modern literature. A medallist of the College Historical Society , he was elected its president in 1931. His passion for the language revival of Irish, which was already in severe decline, led him to help found the Gaelic League , or in Irish, Conradh na Gaeilge , in 1893. Hyde married German-born but British-raised Lucy Kurtz in 1893. The couple had two daughters, Nuala and Úna. Hyde joined
740-590: A number of prizes including the annual Hamilton Prize for Mathematics which it awards to the best mathematic students as nominated by academic institutions, the Kathleen Lonsdale Prize for Chemistry which is awarded to the most outstanding Irish Ph.D. thesis in the general area of the chemical sciences, and the biennial RIA Michel Deon Prize for Non-Fiction which honours the life of Michel Déon (1919–2016) by continuing his work in supporting and championing writing talent and sustains his legacy in celebrating
814-473: A piece called "The North Began", encouraging formation of a nationalist volunteer force committed to Irish Home Rule , much as the unionists had done earlier that year with the Ulster Volunteers to thwart Home Rule in Ireland. Bulmer Hobson , a member of the IRB, approached MacNeill about bringing the idea to fruition, and, through a series of meetings, MacNeill became chair of the council that formed
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#1733093192082888-619: A small number of members are elected in recognition of non-academic contributions to society. Until the late 19th century the Royal Irish Academy was the owner of the main national collection of Irish antiquities. It presented its collection of archaeological artefacts and similar items, which included such famous pieces as the Tara Brooch , the Cross of Cong and the Ardagh Chalice to what
962-709: A solemn Votive Mass in the Pro-Cathedral, and there were services in the principal Presbyterian and Methodist churches, as well as in the synagogue. Dr. Hyde was installed formally in Dublin Castle, where the seals of office were handed over by the Chief Justice. Some 200 persons were present, including the heads of the Judiciary and the chief dignitaries of the Churches. After the ceremony, President Hyde drove in procession through
1036-522: A vote on the Transport Bill. De Valera asked Hyde for a dissolution of the Dáil. If a dissolution is granted, a general election is proclaimed to fill the seats thereby vacated. This means that for four to six weeks until the new Dáil assembled, there is no Dáil. Fearing this gap might facilitate an invasion during World War II , during which no parliament could be called upon to act, the Oireachtas enacted
1110-554: A while. However, he visited Dublin several times and realised that there were groups of people, just like him, interested in Irish, a language looked down on at the time by many and seen as backward and old-fashioned. Rejecting family pressure that, like past generations of Hydes, he would follow a career as an Anglican clergyman , Hyde instead became an academic. He entered Trinity College Dublin , where he became fluent in French, Latin , German, Greek , and Hebrew , graduating in 1884 as
1184-783: Is now the National Museum of Ireland , but retains its very significant collection of manuscripts including the famous Cathach of Colmcille , the Lebor na hUidre ( c. 1100 ), the later medieval Leabhar Breac , the Book of Ballymote , and the Annals of the Four Masters . The RIA is an independent forum of peer-elected experts, operating on an all-Ireland basis, which draws on Members' expertise to contribute to public debate and policy formation on issues in science, technology and culture. It works across
1258-584: Is one of a few recordings of a dialect of which Hyde was one of the last speakers. Upon inauguration, he moved into the long-vacant Viceregal Lodge in Phoenix Park , since known as Áras an Uachtaráin . Hyde's selection and inauguration received worldwide media attention and was covered by newspapers in Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, Argentina, and even Egypt. Hitler "ordered" the Berlin newspapers "to splash" on
1332-583: The 1925 Seanad election , Hyde placed 28th of the 78 candidates, with 19 seats available. The Catholic Truth Society opposed him for his Protestantism and publicised his supposed support for divorce. Historians have suggested that the CTS campaign was ineffective, and that Irish-language advocates performed poorly, with all those endorsed by the Gaelic League losing. He returned to academia as Professor of Irish at University College Dublin , where one of his students
1406-648: The Irish Historic Towns Atlas series, the Documents on Irish Foreign Policy , Foclóir na nua-Ghaeilge , the Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources , and the New Survey of Clare Island . In 2014 the Academy published (in association with Yale University Press ) the five-volume Art and Architecture of Ireland . The Academy is committed to publishing work which not only influences scholarship, but also
1480-709: The Irish Volunteers in 1913 and served as Chief-of-Staff of the minority faction after its split in 1914 at the start of the World War. He held that position at the outbreak of the Easter Rising in 1916, but had no role in the Rising or its planning, which was carried out by his nominal subordinates, including Patrick Pearse , who were members of the secret society, the Irish Republican Brotherhood . On learning of
1554-587: The Irish Volunteers , later becoming its chief of staff. Unlike the IRB, MacNeill was opposed to the idea of an armed rebellion, except in resisting any suppression of the Volunteers, seeing little hope of success in open battle against the British army . The Irish Volunteers had been infiltrated by the Irish Republican Brotherhood, which planned on using the organisation to stage an armed rebellion, with
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#17330931920821628-568: The Roman Catholic Church in Ireland prohibited its members from attending services in non-Catholic churches. As a result, all but one member of the Catholic cabinet, Noël Browne , remained outside the cathedral grounds while the funeral service took place. They then joined the cortège when his coffin left the cathedral. Éamon de Valera, by now Leader of the Opposition , also did not attend. He
1702-678: The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language around 1880, and between 1879 and 1884, he published more than a hundred pieces of Irish verse under the pen name An Craoibhín Aoibhinn ( lit. transl. the pleasant little branch ). Initially derided, the Irish language movement gained a mass following. Hyde helped establish the Gaelic Journal in 1892; in November, he wrote
1776-427: The 1911 census entry for Mac Neill noted 11 children, seven of whom were still alive). The Gaelic League was from the start strictly non-political, but in 1915, a proposal was put forward to abandon that policy and become a semi-political organisation. MacNeill strongly supported that and rallied to his side a majority of delegates at the 1915 Oireachtas . Douglas Hyde, a non-political Protestant, who had co-founded
1850-606: The 1911 census form in Irish. Uncomfortable with the growing politicisation of the movement, Hyde resigned the presidency in 1915. He was succeeded by the League's co-founder Eoin MacNeill . Hyde had no association with Sinn Féin and the independence movement. He was elected to Seanad Éireann , the upper house of the Irish Free State 's Oireachtas (parliament), at a by-election on 4 February 1925, replacing Sir Hutcheson Poë . In
1924-475: The 1920 boundary would remain as it was, overriding the Commission. That angered many nationalists and MacNeill was the subject of much criticism, but in reality, he and the Commission had been sidestepped by the intergovernmental debt renegotiation. In any case, despite his resignations, the intergovernmental boundary deal was approved by a Dáil vote of 71–20 on 10 December 1925, and MacNeill is listed as voting with
1998-571: The Academy's general government and regulation. They are elected annually at the Stated Meeting on 16 March. The President normally serves a three-year term of office. The membership of the Council is drawn from the Sciences and Humanities sections. The Council formulates policies and recommends candidates for membership. The Executive Committee supports the Council in supervising the day-to-day business of
2072-569: The Academy. The members of the Executive Committee are the President, Senior Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Secretaries of Science and PL&A (Polite Literature & Antiquities, i.e. Humanities), Executive Secretary, Secretary for International Relations, and a staff representative. The Royal Irish Academy became a prescribed body under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and
2146-597: The British Civil Service . He co-founded the Gaelic League in 1893, along with Douglas Hyde ; MacNeill was unpaid secretary from 1893 to 1897, and then became the initial editor of the League's official newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis (1899–1901). He was also editor of the Gaelic Journal from 1894 to 1899. In 1908, he was appointed professor of early Irish history at University College Dublin . He married Agnes Moore on 19 April 1898. The couple had eight children, four sons and four daughters (though
2220-544: The Commissioners was selected out of political expediency rather than for any established competence or insight into boundary making. On 7 November 1925, a conservative British newspaper, The Morning Post , published a leaked map showing a part of eastern County Donegal (mainly The Laggan district) that was to be transferred to Northern Ireland; the opposite of the main aims of the Commission. Perhaps embarrassed by that, especially since he said that it had declined to respect
2294-876: The Dail and Senate with their ladies, members of the Judiciary and the chiefs of the Civil Service, Dr. Paschal Robinson , the Papal Nuncio at the head of the Diplomatic Corps, several Roman Catholic Bishops, the Primate of All Ireland , the Archbishop of Dublin, the Bishop of Killaloe , the heads of the Presbyterian and Methodist congregations, the Provost and Vice Provost of Trinity College, and
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2368-732: The Freedom of Information Act (Amendment) 2003, on 31 May 2006. The premier award of the Royal Irish Academy is the Cunningham Medal , which it awards every three years in recognition of "outstanding contributions to scholarship and the objectives of the Academy." Other awards include the Gold Medals which are awarded to two people each year who "made a demonstrable and internationally recognised outstanding scholarly contribution in their fields," and US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards which are awarded annually in three categories HEIs, Multinationals and SMEs. The Royal Irish Academy also operates
2442-530: The General Elections (Emergency Powers) Act 1943 , legislation under the emergency provisions of Article 28.3.3°), which allowed an election to be called separate from a dissolution, with the Dáil only being dissolved just before new Dáil would assemble. This ensured the gap between Dála (plural of Dáil) would be too short to cause a vacuum in major decision-making. Under the Act, the President could "refuse to proclaim
2516-1350: The Irish Constitution (OIC) , and the Dictionary of Irish Biography (DIB). Other projects include: During the 1950s the Academy began forming national committees, each relating to a specific discipline. Today these act as strategic national fora, providing input into policy, research priorities and issues of public concern, such as climate change . They also organise public outreach activities, such as lectures and public interviews, and award grants for research and travel. The Academy committees are made up of both Members and non-Members, including representatives from universities, research institutions, government agencies and, where appropriate, industry. They include: Life and Medical Sciences; Physical, Chemical and Mathematical Sciences; Climate Change and Environmental Sciences; Engineering and Computer Sciences; Geosciences and Geographical Sciences; Ethical, Political, Legal and Philosophical Studies; Historical Studies; Social Sciences; Study of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication; and Coiste Léann na Gaeilge, Litríocht na Gaeilge agus na gCultúr Ceilteach. There are also Standing Committees for Archaeology, International Affairs and North - South matters. The first meeting of
2590-922: The Irish presidential installation ceremony. However, the British government ignored the event. The Northern Ireland Finance Minister, J. M. Andrews , described Hyde's inauguration as a "slight on the King" and "a deplorable tragedy". Despite being placed in a position to shape the office of the presidency via precedent, Hyde by and large opted for a quiet, conservative interpretation of the office. His age and health obligated him to schedule periods of rest throughout his days, and his lack of political experience caused him to defer to his advisers on questions of policy and discretionary powers, especially to his Secretary, Michael McDunphy. On 13 November 1938, just months after Hyde's inauguration, Hyde attended an international soccer match between Ireland and Poland at Dalymount Park in Dublin. This
2664-508: The League and been its president for 22 years, resigned immediately afterward. Through the Gaelic League, MacNeill met members of Sinn Féin , the Irish Republican Brotherhood (IRB), and other nationalists and republicans. One such colleague, The O'Rahilly , ran the league's newspaper An Claidheamh Soluis , and in October 1913 they asked MacNeill to write an editorial for it on a subject more broad than Irish language issues. MacNeill submitted
2738-566: The League of Nations. MacNeill's family was split on the treaty issue. One son, Brian, took the anti-Treaty side and was killed in disputed circumstances near Sligo by Free State troops during the Irish Civil War in September 1922. Two other sons, Niall and Turloch, as well as nephew Hugo MacNeill, served as officers in the Free State Army. One of Eoin's brothers, James McNeill , was
2812-449: The Normans , generated controversy. He was President of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland from 1937 to 1940 and President of the Royal Irish Academy from 1940 to 1943. He retired from politics completely and became Chair of the Irish Manuscripts Commission . In his later years he devoted his life to scholarship, he published a number of books on Irish history. MacNeill died in Dublin of natural causes, aged 78 in 1945. He
2886-443: The President of the National University. It was the most colourful event that has been held in Dublin since the inauguration of the new order in Ireland, and the gathering, representing as it did every shade of political, religious, and social opinion in Eire [Ireland], might be regarded as a microcosm of the new Ireland. Hyde set a precedent by reciting the Presidential Declaration of Office in Irish. His recitation, in Roscommon Irish,
2960-450: The Rising lasted less than a week. After the surrender of the rebels, MacNeill was arrested although he had taken no part in the insurrection. The rebel leader Tom Clarke , according to his wife Kathleen, warned her on the day before his execution, "I want you to see to it that our people know of his treachery to us. He must never be allowed back into the National life of this country, for so sure as he is, so sure will he act treacherously in
3034-571: The Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy ( RIA ; Irish : Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann ), based in Dublin , is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one of its leading cultural institutions . The Academy was established in 1785 and granted a royal charter in 1786. As of 2019, the RIA has around 600 members, regular members being Irish residents elected in recognition of their academic achievements, and Honorary Members similarly qualified but based abroad;
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3108-405: The School Attendance Bill 1942 – was repugnant to the Constitution. Because of Article 34.3.3° of the Constitution, the constitutional validity of the Offences Against the State (Amendment) Act, 1940 cannot be challenged in any court, since the Bill which became that Act was found by the Supreme Court not to be repugnant in the context of an Article 26 reference. One of Hyde's last presidential acts
3182-464: The academic world, and with government and business, and it leads national research projects, particularly in areas relating to Ireland and its heritage. The RIA also represents Irish learning internationally, operates a major research library, and is an academic publisher. Election to Membership of the Academy is a public recognition of academic excellence and is sometimes held to be the highest academic honour in Ireland. Those elected are entitled to use
3256-438: The academy were held at the Earl of Charlemont's personal residence Charlemont House . On application to the Commissioners of Inland Navigation , the academy was then granted the use of a building at 114 Grafton Street named Navigation House around 1787, previously used by the Grand Canal Company. The building had originally been constructed in 1766 as the dedicated offices of the Commissioners of Inland Navigation alongside
3330-402: The authority under the Constitution of Ireland to refuse to grant a dissolution of the Dáil where the Taoiseach has ceased to retain the support of a majority of the Dáil. The president is also the guardian of the constitution and may refer legislation to the Supreme Court before signing it into law. Hyde was confronted with a crisis in 1944 when de Valera's government unexpectedly collapsed in
3404-400: The beflagged streets. The procession halted for two minutes outside the General Post Office to pay homage to the memory of the men who fell in the Easter Week rebellion of 1916. Large crowds lined the streets from the Castle to the Vice-Regal Lodge and the President was welcomed with bursts of cheering. He wore morning dress, but Mr. de Valera and Mr. Sean T. O'Kelly , who followed Dr. Hyde in
3478-435: The country, and placing a notice in the Sunday Independent cancelling the planned "manoeuvres". That greatly reduced the number of volunteers who reported for duty on the day of the Easter Rising. Pearse, Connolly and the others agreed that the uprising would go ahead anyway, but it began one day later than originally intended to ensure that the authorities were taken by surprise. Beginning on Easter Monday, 24 April 1916,
3552-413: The court's decision on whether the Bill or part referred is repugnant to the Constitution (so that the Bill in question cannot be signed into law). On the first occasion, the court held that the Bill referred – Offences Against the State (Amendment) Bill 1940 – was not repugnant to the Constitution. In response to the second reference, the Court decided that the particular provision referred to – section 4 of
3626-476: The designation "MRIA" after their name. The criterion for election to membership is a significant contribution to scholarly research as shown in the candidate's published academic work. However some of those elected to membership are not academics at all but receive the accolade in recognition of other contributions to society: these include former public servants, philanthropists, leaders in political and business life, and others. To be elected to regular membership,
3700-407: The establishment of the Irish Free State , he became Minister for Education in its second (provisional) government, the third Dáil . He strongly supported the execution of Richard Barrett , Liam Mellows , Joe McKelvey and Rory O'Connor during the Irish civil war . In 1923, MacNeill, a committed internationalist, was also a key member of the diplomatic team that oversaw Ireland's entry to
3774-420: The first President of Ireland, to which office he was elected unopposed. He was selected for a number of reasons: Hyde was inaugurated as the first President of Ireland, on 26 June 1938. The Irish Times reported it as follows: In the morning [Dr Hyde] attended a service in St. Patrick's Cathedral presided over by the Archbishop of Dublin , Dr. Gregg . Mr. de Valera and his Ministerial colleagues attended
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#17330931920823848-463: The first President of the Gaelic League , one of the most influential cultural organisations in Ireland at the time. Hyde was born at Longford House in Castlerea , County Roscommon , while his mother, Elizabeth Hyde (née Oldfield; 1834–1886), was on a short visit. His father, Arthur Hyde, whose family was originally from Castlehyde near Fermoy , County Cork , was Church of Ireland rector of Kilmactranny, County Sligo , from 1852 to 1867, and it
3922-480: The former residence of the Secretary to the Lord Lieutenant, on the grounds of Áras an Uachtaráin, which he renamed Little Ratra , where he lived out the remaining four years of his life. He died at 10 pm on 12 July 1949, aged 89. As a former President of Ireland, Hyde was accorded a state funeral . As he was a member of the Church of Ireland , his funeral service took place in Dublin's Church of Ireland St. Patrick's Cathedral . However, contemporary rules of
3996-403: The goal of separating Ireland from the United Kingdom and establishing an Irish Republic. The entry of the UK into the First World War was, in their view, a perfect opportunity to do that. With the co-operation of James Connolly and the Irish Citizen Army , a secret council of IRB officials planned a general rising at Easter 1916 . On the Wednesday before Easter, they presented MacNeill with
4070-399: The island of Ireland. At least two existing Members must propose and recommend a candidate for Honorary Membership. Honorary members are entitled to use the designation "Hon. MRIA" after their name. The Academy is one of the longest-established publishers in Ireland, having commenced in 1787. The Academy currently publishes six journals: The Academy's research projects also regularly publish
4144-433: The majority in favour. He lost his Dáil seat at the June 1927 election . MacNeill was an important scholar of Irish history and among the first to study Early Irish law , offering both his own interpretations, which at times were coloured by his nationalism, and translations into English. He was also the first to uncover the nature of succession in Irish kingship , and his theories are the foundation for modern ideas on
4218-420: The newly convened Dáil Éireann in Dublin , where he was made Secretary for Industries in the second ministry of the First Dáil . He was a member of the Parliament of Northern Ireland for Londonderry between 1921 and 1925, although he never took his seat. In 1921, he supported the Anglo-Irish Treaty . In 1922, he was in a minority of pro-Treaty delegates at the Irish Race Convention in Paris. Following
4292-402: The next motor-car, wore black clothes with felt hats. In the evening there was a ceremony in Dublin Castle which was without precedent in Irish history. Mr. and Mrs. de Valera received about 1,500 guests at a reception in honour of the President. The reception was held in St. Patrick's Hall, where the banners of the Knights of St. Patrick are still hung. The attendance included all the members of
4366-486: The plans to launch an uprising on Easter Sunday, and after confronting Pearse about it, MacNeill issued a countermanding order, placing a last-minute newspaper advertisement instructing Volunteers not to take part. In 1918 he was elected to the First Dáil as a member of Sinn Féin . MacNeill was born John McNeill, one of five children born to Archibald McNeill, a Roman Catholic working-class baker, sailor and merchant, and his wife, Rosetta ( née McAuley) McNeill, also
4440-500: The richness and diversity of cultural experience in Europe. Eoin MacNeill Eoin MacNeill ( Irish : Eoin Mac Néill ; born John McNeill ; 15 May 1867 – 15 October 1945) was an Irish scholar, Irish language enthusiast, Gaelic revivalist, nationalist and politician who served as Minister for Education from 1922 to 1925, Ceann Comhairle of Dáil Éireann from 1921 to 1922, Minister for Industries 1919 to 1921 and Minister for Finance January 1919 to April 1919. He served as
4514-409: The second and penultimate Governor-General of the Irish Free State . In 1924 the three man Irish Boundary Commission was set up to settle the border between Northern Ireland and the Irish Free State; MacNeill represented the Irish Free State. MacNeill was the only member of the Commission without legal training and has been described as having been “pathetically out of his depth”. However, each of
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#17330931920824588-415: The subject. He was a contributor to the Royal Irish Academy's Clare Island Survey , recording the Irish place names of the island. On 25 February 1911, he delivered the inaugural address on "Academic Education and Practical Politics" to the Legal and Economic Society of University College Dublin. . His disagreements and disputes with Goddard Henry Orpen , particularly over the latter's book Ireland under
4662-425: The terms of the Treaty, MacNeill resigned from the Commission on 20 November. On 24 November 1925 he also resigned as Minister for Education , a position unrelated to his work on the Commission. On 3 December 1925, the Free State government agreed with the governments in London and Belfast to end its onerous treaty requirement to pay its share of the United Kingdom's "imperial debt" and, in exchange, agreed that
4736-500: The then headquarters of the Dublin Society which they eventually sold on in 1796. The academy had already been using the building for meetings from 1785. In 1852 the Royal Irish Academy moved to its current premises at 19 Dawson Street , Dublin 2, known as Academy House. Built in c. 1750 , the building has fine decorative plasterwork and a meeting room designed in 1854 by Frederick Clarendon and now used for conferences, exhibitions and public talks. The Academy allows
4810-401: The use of these meeting rooms by external bodies when its own activities permit. Academy House was home to many of Ireland's finest national treasures, including the Ardagh Chalice and the Tara Brooch , until 1890 when the Academy transferred its collections to the newly established National Museum of Ireland . The Academy Library holds the largest collection of Old Irish manuscripts in
4884-429: The wider community, for example Flashes of Brilliance by Dick Ahlstrom, and Judging Dev by Diarmaid Ferriter . Both of these publications have been accompanied by either a television or a radio series. The Academy manages a number of high-profile research projects in the sciences and humanities. Past projects have included The Digital Humanities Observatory (DHO), New Survey of Clare Island (NSCI) , The Origins of
4958-497: The world, and is an important research centre for studies covering Irish history, language , archaeology and the history of Irish science. The Library is home to the sixth-century Latin psalter , the Cathach , reputedly copied by St Columcille . The Library also holds the personal library and a harp belonging to Thomas Moore and the philological collection of Osborn J. Bergin . See also Category:Royal Irish Academy Library The President and Council are responsible for
5032-399: Was a visit to the German Ambassador Eduard Hempel , on 3 May 1945, to offer his formal condolences on the death of Adolf Hitler . The visit remained a secret until 2005. Hyde left office on 25 June 1945, opting not to nominate himself for a second term. Owing to his ill-health he did not return to his Roscommon home, Ratra , empty since the death of his wife early in his term. He moved into
5106-465: Was future Attorney General of Ireland , Chief Justice of Ireland and President of Ireland , Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh . In April 1938, by now retired from academia, Hyde was plucked from retirement by Taoiseach Éamon de Valera and again appointed to Seanad Éireann . Again his tenure proved short, even shorter than before; however, this time it was because Hyde was chosen, after inter-party negotiations—following an initial suggestion by Fine Gael —to be
5180-408: Was here that Hyde spent his early years. Arthur Hyde and Elizabeth Oldfield married in County Roscommon , in 1852, and had three other children: Arthur Hyde (1853–79 in County Leitrim ), John Oldfield Hyde (1854–96 in County Dublin ), and Hugh Hyde (1856). In 1867, his father was appointed prebendary and rector of Tibohine, and the family moved to neighbouring Frenchpark , in County Roscommon. He
5254-455: Was home-schooled by his father and his aunt due to a childhood illness. While a young man, he became fascinated with hearing the old people in the locality speak the Irish language . He was influenced in particular by the gamekeeper Séamus Hart and his friend's wife, Mrs. Connolly. Aged 14, Hyde was devastated when Hart died, and his interest in the Irish language—the first language he began to study in any detail, as his own undertaking—flagged for
5328-538: Was reluctantly persuaded to go along with them, believing British action was now imminent and that mobilization of the Irish Volunteers would be justified as a defensive act. However, after learning that the German arms shipment had been intercepted and Casement arrested, and having confronted Patrick Pearse , who refused to relent, MacNeill countermanded the order for the Rising by sending written messages to leaders around
5402-507: Was represented instead by a senior Fianna Fáil figure who was a member of the Church of Ireland, Erskine H. Childers , a future President of Ireland himself. Hyde was buried in Frenchpark, County Roscommon at Portahard Church, (where he had spent most of his childhood life) beside his wife Lucy, his daughter Nuala, his sister Annette, his mother Elizabeth, and his father Arthur. Member of
5476-545: Was seen as breaching the GAA 's ban on 'foreign games' and he was subsequently removed as patron of the GAA, an honour he had held since 1902. After a massive stroke in April 1940, plans were made for his lying-in-state and a state funeral. However, Hyde survived, albeit paralysed and having to use a wheelchair. Although the role of the President of Ireland is largely ceremonial, the president has
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