9 o A HISTORY OF 



Myers * was ordered to prepare plans and estimates. 

 A consideration of £1600 was paid, and the rent 

 was ^32, 5/. During October and November 1767, 

 the meetings were held in the great room over the 

 gateway in Trinity College, and later, in the Parlia- 

 ment House. On the 3rd of December 1767, the 

 Society met for the first time in its new premises. 



The Gentleman's Magazine for 1786 (vol. Jan. -June, 

 p. 217) contains the following notice of the place: — 



" This [is a] view (see opposite page) of a house erected 

 in Dublin for the use of the Dublin Society and the Com- 

 pany for carrying on the Inland Navigation from our city 

 to the river Shannon, commonly called the Grand Canal 

 Company. . . . This edifice stands upon the ground 

 formerly occupied by the late Earl of Mornington in 

 Grafton street, opposite the house of the Provost of Trinity 

 College. The building [on the left] is that which apper- 

 tains to the Dublin Society, whose room upon the second 

 floor from the street is about 40 feet long, and 20 wide, 

 and near 20 feet high ; fitted up all round with three sets 

 of mahogany glasses rising one above the other ; a hand- 

 some gilt and ornamented chair for the presiding member ; 2 

 decorated with an elegant fretted stucco ceiling, and ac- 

 commodated with two fireplaces, with chimneypieces of 

 Irish marble. On each side of these fireplaces is a large 

 white marble bust of one of the original promoters 3 of 

 the Society, which was instituted for the encouragement 

 of agriculture and useful arts, and whereof the President 

 and Vice-President of the London Society for Encourage- 

 ment of Arts are standing honorary members. Over the 



1 Christopher Myers was architect of Trinity College Chapel, and 

 a man eminent in his profession. He was father of Lieut. -Col. Myers, 

 a distinguished officer, who was created a baronet, and died at Myers- 

 ville, now Wynberg, in 1789. 



2 This chair, which is still in use, was designed by James Mannin, 

 master of the school for ornamental drawing, and carved in 1767, 

 by Richard Cranfield. {Diet. Irish Artists, W. G. Strickland, i. 219.) 



3 These were Prior and Madden. The busts were executed in 

 1 75 1 by John Van Nost. 



