290 A HISTORY OF 



Society on the first Council, which was to consist of 

 thirty-three members. 



By his will, which was proved on the 16th of 

 August 1864, Mr. William Smith O'Brien bequeathed 

 to the Irish nation two pictures, one the " Limerick 

 Piper," by Haverty, and the other a remarkable head 

 in oils. He desired them to be exhibited in the exhibi- 

 tion gallery of the Royal Dublin Society, " to which 

 body I make this bequest." In the next year Mr. 

 Joseph Burke, j.p., of 17 Fitzwilliam Place, Dublin, 

 bequeathed to the Society his collection of Incumbered 

 Estates and Landed Estates Court Rentals, in number 

 between 3000 and 4000, arranged in dictionary order, 

 which the testator valued at ^1000. The Society was 

 to have the collection bound. 



The first horse show under the auspices of the 

 Society was held on the 29th of July 1868. Shows had 

 been held in 1864 and 1866 in the Society's premises, 

 but they were under the auspices of the Royal Agri- 

 cultural Society. The show held in 1868 was a great 

 success, the Agricultural and Shelbourne halls, and 

 even the Clare lane premises being fitted up with 

 stalls for the animals, which numbered 380. The 

 courtyard was transformed into a huge circus ring, 

 for the jumping, while a raised gallery around accom- 

 modated the spectators. Lord St. Lawrence, Mr. R. 

 C. Wade, and Captain C. Colthurst Vesey acted as 

 stewards, with Mr. Andrew Corrigan as superintendent. 



The Prince Consort's statue on the lawn was 

 unveiled by the Duke of Edinburgh on the 6th of 

 June 1872. 



On Lord Spencer's retirement from the viceroyalty 

 in 1874, the Council suggested that it would be more 

 in accordance with the terms of the charter if, in 



