326 A HISTORY OF 



totally altered, and the public had become more exact- 

 ing in their demands. In a memorandum submitted 

 to the Lord Lieutenant in January 1892, it is stated that 

 as regards facilities for entrance and exit, and arrange- 

 ments for heating and ventilation, " the Society's 

 theatre is singularly deficient, and the building is now 

 in a dilapidated state." It was with some difficulty 

 that the Society induced the Government to recognise 

 the necessity for providing new buildings. Deputations 

 waited upon the Lord Lieutenant and the Chief Secretary 

 in Dublin, and upon the Financial Secretary to the 

 Treasury in London, and at length they succeeded in 

 getting something done. Plans were prepared by the 

 firm of Sir Thomas Deane & Son, and it was found 

 that the cost of the theatre and laboratory, &c, would 

 be at least ;£ 10,000. The Government asked the 

 Society to pay half the cost. Recognising that the 

 new buildings would be more than the equivalent 

 which the Government was under an obligation to 

 provide, the Society agreed to pay a fixed sum of 

 ^5000. The old buildings were handed over to the 

 contractor, and in the autumn of 1893 the work of 

 demolition was commenced. 



Before the new building had proceeded very far, 

 and fortunately before it was too late, it was found 

 that due consideration had not been given to the 

 question of ventilation. The subject was discussed at 

 scientific meetings held on December the 19th, 1894, 

 and January the 16th, 1895, and, though no formal 

 resolutions were adopted, it was agreed that the fresh air 

 should enter the upper part of the theatre, and that the 

 foul air should be removed from the lower part. The 

 volume of air required for an audience of 600 persons 

 was estimated at 600,000 cubic feet per hour. The 

 velocity of the air at the inlets was not to exceed 2 feet 



