THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY. 177 



these surveys were published by the Society. They are now important 

 works of reference, and interesting records of the industrial state of Ireland 

 nearly a century ago. Out of this work arose the Geological Survey of 

 Ireland. It began with the survey of the County Kilkenny, which was 

 entrusted by the Society to Mr., afterwards Sir, Richard Griffith, the 

 Society's Mining Engineer. The survey was extended to the rest of Ire- 

 land, and Griffith's Geological Map is still a standard work. -A difficulty 

 arose in this work through the lack of proper maps of the country. The 

 Society commenced a trigonometrical survey, and after considerable progress 

 had been made in the south of Ireland, the Government took over the work. 

 Thus commenced the survey now carried on by the Ordnance Department^ 

 which has its head quarters in the Phoenix Park. 



The Irish Parliament had already entrusted the Society with the forma- 

 tion and management of Drawing Schools, and of a Museum of Natural 

 History, in connection with which Professorships of Chemistry, Mineralogy, 

 Natural History, and Botany, were also established. In 1845 the Govern- 

 ment decided to create in Ireland an institution similar to the Museum of 

 Practical Geology in London, and a house in St. Stephen's-green was taken 

 for this purpose. Its original scope was, on the recommendation of its first 

 Director, Sir R. Kane, extended and, under the name of the " Museum of 

 Irish Industry and Government School of Science applied to Mining and 

 the Arts," it embraced the whole range of the Industrial Arts. In 1853 it 

 was placed under the control of the Department of Science and Art. The 

 inter-relations of this Museum and those institutions of the Royal Dublin 

 Society, which were partly maintained out of State money, became rather 

 complicated, and in 1865 a re-adjustment had to be effected. The Institu- 

 tion in St. Stephen's-green ceased to be developed as a Museum, and its 

 " School of Science applied to Mining and the Arts " was converted into the 

 Royal College of Science, and the greater part of its collections were trans- 

 ferred to the Museum of Natural History. The funds required for this 

 Institution, the Botanic Gardens, and the Library, were henceforth entirely 

 provided by the State, which also defrayed most of the expenses of the 

 School of Art, whilst the Society was responsible as trustees for the adminis- 

 tration. In 1877 it was found necessary to make a fresh arrangement, with 

 the result that the Government took over the control of the Museum, the 

 Metropolitan School of Art, the Library, and the Botanic Gardens, and 

 acquired the Leinster House and the adjoining premises. The Government, 

 besides making certain payments, arranged to give the Society such accom- 

 modation in the Leinster House, free of rent and taxes, as might be sufficient 

 for the functions of the Society, on conditions similar to those accorded to 

 the learned Societies accommodated in Burlington House. 



The Society nominates a large number of the Council of Trustees of the 

 Botanic Gardens and the Library (now known as the National Library of 

 Ireland), and of the Board of Visitors of the Science and Art Museum, and 

 so still exercises a considerable influence over these institutions. The 

 Museum, which, under the title of the Science and Art Museum, was greatly 

 extended and improved by the addition of the fine collection of Irish Anti- 

 quities formerly belonging to the Royal Irish Academy, was placed under 

 the care of a Director, appointed by the Science and Art Department. 

 After much discussion as to the advisability of building on the Leinster 

 Lawn, two wings were added to Leinster House. The wing, extending 

 from ;^ildare-street nearly up to the National Gallery, was devoted to the 



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