Royal Dublin Society facts for kids
 |
|
| Abbreviation | RDS |
|---|---|
| Formation | 25 June 1731 |
| Type | Charitable |
| Focus | Nostri plena laboris (Our work bears fruit) |
| Headquarters | Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland |
|
Region
|
Ireland |
|
President
|
Prof Owen Lewis |
|
Formerly called
|
The Dublin Society (1731–1820) |
The Royal Dublin Society (RDS) is an Irish group that helps Ireland grow in culture and economy. It started on June 25, 1731, as the 'Dublin Society'. It was very active in farming and helped create Ireland's national library and museums.
The RDS is well-known for its large campus in Ballsbridge, Dublin, Ireland. This area is about 160,000 square meters. It includes the RDS Arena, 'RDS Simmonscourt', and 'RDS Main Hall'. These places are used for many events. You can see exhibitions, concerts, and sports events there. Famous events include the Dublin Horse Show and Leinster Rugby games.
King George IV gave the RDS its "Royal" title in 1820. The RDS Members' Club is a special club for members. They get to go to sports events and enjoy weekly meals.
The RDS is one of nine groups that can suggest people for the Seanad Éireann. This is Ireland's upper house of parliament. They suggest people for the Agriculture panel.
Contents
What is the RDS and How Did it Start?
The RDS was started by members of the Dublin Philosophical Society. Thomas Prior was a key founder. Its first name was 'Dublin Society for improving Husbandry, Manufactures and other Useful Arts'. A few days later, 'and Sciences' was added to the name.
The main goal was to boost Ireland's economy. They wanted to create jobs. In its early years, the RDS focused on farming. This included new ways to grow crops and plant trees. They also worked on making dyes and growing flax.
In 1738, Samuel Madden started a "premium" scheme. This offered money prizes to people who made improvements. These improvements were in farming and arts. He put in £130 himself to start a fund of £500. By 1740, the fund grew to £900. Prizes were given for pottery, cotton, leatherwork, and art.
The Irish Parliament started giving money to the Dublin Society in 1761. This money helped promote farming, arts, and manufacturing. From 1784, they received £5,000 every year. This continued until 1800.
The "Royal" part of the name came in 1820. This was when King George IV became a supporter. Even after Ireland became independent in 1922, the RDS kept its royal title. In 2019, the RDS had about 3,500 members.
How the RDS Supports Arts
_Dublin_Society_and_the_Grand_Canal_Company,_Grafton_Street.jpg)
Because the art prizes were so popular, the RDS decided to open an art school. In 1746, they got £500 each year from the government. The drawing school opened in 1750. It taught drawing figures, landscapes, and architecture. Lessons were free, and many different people attended.
A famous student was James Hoban. He studied there in the 1780s. He later designed the White House in Washington D.C. Many other well-known artists also studied or won awards from the RDS.
In 1867, the government took over the RDS art school. It became the Dublin Metropolitan School of Art. Later, it became the National College of Art and Design.
Today, the RDS still supports art with its Visual Art Awards. The RDS Taylor Art Award has been given since 1878. It is now worth €10,000. The total prize money for the Visual Art Awards is €30,000. Many famous Irish artists have won this award.
RDS and Music
The RDS has been involved with classical music since 1886. They held concerts with music by famous composers like Haydn and Beethoven. These concerts were often recorded by RTÉ for radio.
The RDS continued to host concerts until 2002. Famous musicians like András Schiff and Jessye Norman performed there.
Since 1983, the RDS has been the main place for Feis Ceoil. This is a big music competition. In 2003, the RDS started offering a Music Bursary. This prize helps young musicians. Currently, it offers two prizes: €15,000 and the RDS Jago Award of €5,000. Winners also get chances to perform.
RDS and Farming
Farming has always been important to the RDS. From the very beginning, they shared new ideas about farming. They published books on how to grow crops and drain land. They also showed how to use new farm machines.
The RDS also encouraged planting trees. Between 1766 and 1806, over 55 million trees were planted in Ireland because of the RDS.
The National Botanic Gardens of Ireland in Dublin started with the Dublin Society. In 1790, with money from Parliament, the Society leased land in Glasnevin. They wanted to teach the public about plants. The Botanic Gardens opened in 1800. The RDS looked after them until 1877.
In 1845, the RDS found early signs of potato blight in the Botanic Gardens. This disease later caused the Great Famine in Ireland. The Society offered a prize for research on the disease. Their scientists tried to find a cure, but they could not.
The first Spring Show was held in 1831. It took place at Leinster House. Its goal was to show the best farm animals and encourage good breeding. By 1848, Irish cattle were so good that English breeders wanted to buy them. The Spring Show moved to Ballsbridge in 1881 and ran until 1992.
Today, the RDS still supports farming. The RDS Forestry and Woodland Awards have been given since 1988. They also give awards for the best cattle in Ireland. In 2021, the RDS hosted talks about Ireland's food system for the United Nations.
RDS and Science
In the early days, science was linked to farming and industry. For example, the Botanic Gardens helped both science and farming. But science also grew into its own field. In the 1790s, the RDS funded professors in chemistry and physics. They also bought a large collection of minerals.
The Dublin Society started holding science lectures in 1797. Public lectures on physics and chemistry began in 1824. Large labs and lecture rooms were built. This allowed public science talks to continue. In 1903, the RDS brought radium to Ireland for the first time. Scientists John Joly and Walter Stevenson created an early cancer treatment. It became known as the 'Dublin method'.
The RDS held exhibitions on atomic energy in the 1960s. Over 30,000 people attended. The Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition started at this time. It has been held at the RDS since 1966.
Today, the RDS still promotes science. They award the Boyle Medal every two years. This is Ireland's most important science award. It is worth €20,000.
The RDS Primary Science Fair helps primary school classes explore science. In 2017, over 7,000 children took part. In 2019, the RDS launched Science Blast. This program helps primary school students learn about STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math). Over 10,000 students joined in its first year. The RDS also offers training for primary school teachers to help them teach science better.
Where is the RDS Located?
The RDS has had several homes over the years.
Early Homes
The society built its first headquarters on Grafton Street around 1766-67. The drawing schools were at the back of this building. The RDS moved from Grafton Street in 1796.
A new, larger headquarters was built on Hawkins Street in 1796. This building was later taken down in 1820.
In 1815, the society bought Leinster House. This was the home of the Duke of Leinster. They opened a natural history museum there.
Ballsbridge Campus
The RDS bought its current home in Ballsbridge in 1879. It has grown from 15 acres to 40 acres (about 160,000 square meters). The campus has many exhibition halls, a sports stadium (the "RDS Arena"), meeting rooms, and restaurants. It also has a large indoor venue called "RDS Simmonscourt Pavilion".
RDS Main Hall
The RDS Main Hall is a big place for exhibitions and concerts. The Young Scientist and Technology Exhibition is held here every January.
RDS Simmonscourt
The RDS Simmonscourt is a large hall that can hold about 7,000 people. It has hosted music awards, ice shows like Disney on Ice, and many concerts. Bands like Queen and AC/DC have played here. It also hosted the Eurovision Song Contest in 1981 and 1988. During the Dublin Horse Show, the show jumping horses stay here.
| Preceded by Centenary Palace Brussels |
Eurovision Song Contest Venue 1988 |
Succeeded by Palais de Beaulieu Lausanne |
| Preceded by Nederlands Congresgebouw The Hague |
Eurovision Song Contest Venue 1981 |
Succeeded by Harrogate International Centre Harrogate |
RDS Arena
The RDS Arena was built for horse events, like the annual Dublin Horse Show. It is also used for other sports, especially football and rugby. From 1990 to 1996, Shamrock Rovers football club played their home games here. The Republic of Ireland national football team also played a game against Wales here in 1992.
In 2007 and 2008, the arena was made bigger to hold 18,250 people. The Leinster Rugby team now uses it for their home games. The arena has different stands for spectators. The Anglesea Stand is the oldest. The Grandstand has the TV cameras. The North and South stands are removed for showjumping events.
You can get to the RDS by DART train. The closest stops are Lansdowne and Sandymount. Several bus routes also stop outside the RDS Main Hall.
Events at the RDS
Dublin Horse Show
The first Dublin Horse Show was in 1864. The RDS started running it alone in 1868. It was one of the first "leaping" competitions. Over time, it became a major international show jumping event. It also features national showing competitions and entertainment. In 1982, the RDS hosted the Show Jumping World Championships. The show has over 130 classes for different horse competitions.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Dublin Horse Show was cancelled in 2020. This was the first time since 1940.
Concerts
The RDS has become a popular place for music concerts. Many rock, heavy metal, and pop artists have played there.
Bruce Springsteen has performed at the RDS eleven times since 1988. He has played for huge crowds, sometimes over 100,000 people. Other famous performers include Iron Maiden, Bon Jovi, Kanye West, Michael Jackson, Tina Turner, Kylie Minogue, and Metallica. U2 also played two concerts there in 1993.
The Eurovision Song Contest was held in the Simmonscourt Main Hall in 1981 and 1988. Celine Dion won in 1988, and Bucks Fizz won in 1981.
Sports Events
The RDS hosts many sports events.
- Professional Wrestling: In 2005, the RDS hosted a WWE SmackDown event. Wrestlers like John Cena and Rey Mysterio were there.
- Rugby Union: The RDS is the home of Leinster Rugby. They play their home games here. In 2009, the Irish national team played a game against Fiji here.
- Association Football: Shamrock Rovers F.C. played home matches at the RDS from 1990 to 1996. The Irish national team played a game against Wales here in 1992. The FAI Cup Final was held here in 2007 and 2008.
- Other Sports: In 1983, the Irish Davis Cup team played a tennis match against the United States. This was to fit a large crowd. In 1986, the Bolshoi Ballet performed here for three days. In 2023, the Irish Poker Open was held at the RDS.
Exams
The RDS also hosts exams for University College Dublin and Trinity College Dublin.
Awards from the RDS
Boyle Medal for Scientific Excellence
The Boyle Medal is named after Robert Boyle, a famous scientist. It started in 1899. The RDS and the Irish Times give this award for excellent scientific research in Ireland. It is given every two years and is Ireland's most important science award.
Some past winners include:
- 2014 Seamus J. Martin
- 2011 Margaret Murnane
- 2009 Luke O'Neill
- 1911 John Joly
- 1899 Thomas Preston
- 1899 George Johnstone Stoney
|
See also
In Spanish: Royal Dublin Society para niños
