THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY. 175 



THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY. 



The Royal Dublin Society owes its origin to some fourteen citizens of 

 Dublin, who met in the rooms of the Philosophical Society of Trinity Col- 

 lege on June 25th, 1731, for the purpose of considering how they could best 

 " promote improvements of all kinds." The outcome of their deliberations 

 was the estabUshment of " The Dublin Society for improving Husbandry, 

 Manufactures, and other Useful Arts and Sciences." The original founders 

 of the Society, if we are to judge by the titles of the papers read before its 

 Science Section in the early days, had a just idea of the importance ol 

 developing the scientific side of practical industries. The first paper read 

 was one by Thomas Prior upon " A New Method of Draining Marshy and 

 Boggy Lands." Then there was a paper by the same author on the culti- 

 vation and management of hops, and one by Dr. Steevens (the founder of 

 Steevens' Hospital), entitled " A Dissertation on Dyeing, and the several 

 materials made use of in Dyeing, and particularly Woad." Other papers on 

 various scientific subjects occupied the attention of the Society in the first 

 few months of its existence. 



The Society, at an early stage in its history, became the medium for the 

 administration of funds for the encouragement of Science, Art, and Industry. 

 These funds were originally provided by the members themselves, but m 

 1 76 1 the Irish Parliament voted the Society a sum of ;£'2,ooo. This grant 

 was gradually increased until 1800, when it amounted to ;£" 15,500. The 

 Imperial Parliament varied the grant considerably, which in 1832 only 

 amounted to ^^3,000 ; but it was subsequently increased to a little over 

 ^^"6,000. Originally, most of the money available was spent on premiums, 

 which were awarded for a variety of subjects. Thus, in the year 1765, a 

 Fum of i^ 1,2 1 5 was devoted to Agriculture and planting. This included 

 premiums for the reclamation of bog and mountain land, the growth of 

 cereals and root crops, the planting of fruit and forest trees, the fencing and 

 irrigation of land, the improvement of bee-keeping and the growth of dye- 

 stuffs. 



In 1 77 1 a committee was appointed " to consider in what manner it might 

 be expedient to give encouragement for the establishment of good public 

 breweries in different parts of the kingdom." They reported shortly after- 

 wards that, in their opinion, " the discouragement of the consumption of 

 low-priced spirituous liquors in the country is an object of the utmost con- 

 sequence to the health and morals of the people, as well as to the police and 

 manufacturers of this kingdom, and of course highly deserving of the atten- 

 tion of the Dublin Society." Also " that the erection of new breweries, for 

 a good kind of malt liquor, in the several provinces of this kingdom would 

 be the most likely means to promote this desirable end." The Report was 

 adopted, and a premium of 4^". per barrel was offered for the first 1,000 

 barrels brewed in a new brewery and sold at 30^". a barrel. The Society 

 continued its efforts in this direction for some time, i"ill the brewing industry 

 became firmly established in the city. 



