282 A HISTORY OF 



prominence. He proposed to place a sum of ,£20,000 

 in the hands of an executive committee, on condition 

 that a suitable building should be erected on the lawn, 

 the exhibition to be opened not later than June 1853. 

 Mr. Dargan was to nominate the chairman, deputy 

 chairman, and secretary of the committee, and when 

 the exhibition was closed, the building was to become 

 his property. There were also certain conditions with 

 regard to contingent profits, &c, and, on full considera- 

 tion, the Society accepted the proposals made by him. 



The undertaking was to be known as " The Great 

 Industrial Exhibition, 1853, in connection with the 

 Royal Dublin Society," and the Society nominated 

 Mr. L. E. Foot, secretary, Mr. Walter Sweetman, 

 and Mr. Charles G. Fairfield, to act with Sir W. 

 McDonnell, Mr. George Roe, and the Hon. George 

 Handcock, nominated by Mr. Dargan, who were to be 

 the executive committee. It may be remarked that 

 following the Great Exhibition of 1851, held in Hyde 

 Park, a similar one had been held in Cork in 1852, 

 which may have stimulated Mr. Dargan in his desire 

 to inaugurate a like undertaking in Dublin. He ad- 

 vanced various other sums amounting in all, it is said, 

 to £100,000. 



The exhibition was opened on Thursday, the 12th 

 May 1853, in a splendid structure of iron and glass, 

 which had been erected on Leinster lawn, from a 

 design of Sir John Benson. The Lord Lieutenant per- 

 formed the opening ceremony, at which addresses were 

 presented by the chairman, and by the Lord Mayor 

 and Corporation. A great banquet was held at the 

 Mansion House in the evening, in celebration of the 

 event. 



Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by the Prince 

 Consort, the Prince of Wales, and Prince Alfred, 



