1894- ADDRESS TO THE MUSEUMS' ASSOCIATION. 33 



Assistants, Messrs. A. G. More and W. F. Kirby, both of whom, as 

 is well known — especially the former — did much good work for the 

 Museum. Mr. Kirby subsequently received an appointment in the 

 British Museum. 



Towards the end of 1867 considerable progress had at last been 

 made in the arrangement of the collections, and numerous valuable 

 donations were received. In the following year, 1868, the first steps 

 were taken towards opening the Museum in the evenings — one 

 evening, Wednesday, being selected as an experiment — otherwise the 

 Museum was only open for four days in the week. 



It may be of interest to record here, in connection with the 

 project of establishing a Department of Science and Art in Ireland, 

 that " A Memorial from 245 Students of the School of Art, was 

 addressed to the Lords of the Treasury, praying that, in the event of 

 a Science and Art Department being established in Ireland, the 

 present right of Irish Students to compete with those of England 

 should be preserved." 



In September the Council was informed that a Commission had 

 been appointed " to consider the establishment of a Science and Art 

 Department for Ireland." The report of this Commission contains much 

 interesting information. It decided against the formation of a local 

 Department, and sketched out a plan for the establishment of a State 

 Museum. 



In 1869 the question of opening the Museum on Sundays was 

 under consideration, but action was deferred, and in fact the 

 proposition was not carried out till the year 1884, or 15 years 

 afterwards. 



In 1870 the Department of Science and Art, pending negotia- 

 tions which were in progress, declined to recommend Parliament to 

 vote a sum for the erection of a Museum of Ornamental Art. 



The acquisitions of the Museum in this year were again very 

 considerable. 



It was resolved to open the Museum on two evenings in the 

 week (Mondays and Thursdays) and to close it altogether on 

 Tuesdays and Fridays. Afterwards these days were altered. 



The evening attendances far exceeded those in the day, having 

 been 89,338 and 13,899 respectively, or an annual total of 103,237. 

 On one evening upwards of 3,000 persons attended, and some confusion 

 was caused by the consequent overcrowding. 



From a report by the Committee of Natural History, it would 

 seem that there was much dissatisfaction with the Natural History 

 building. It was stated to be in several respects unfitted for the use 

 to which it was applied, and was not on a scale worthy of being 

 called national. The Committee also claimed that the officers should 

 be put on the same footing, as regards salaries, as the corresponding 

 officers in the British Museum. 



In 1872 the Proceedings of the Society contained a report by 



D 



