106 A HISTORY OF 



for the professors. A gallery for busts, with school 

 and modelling rooms adjacent, and a gallery for ex- 

 hibition of pictures, were also necessary. It was sug- 

 gested that the out-building called the kitchen might 

 be converted into a laboratory and theatre, and that the 

 other buildings might be placed adjacent, with entrances 

 from the house, and outside entrances for the public 

 by the colonnade. The lawn in the rear was unoccupied, 

 and Lord Fitzwilliam leased it to the Society at 300 

 a year. The Merrion square boundary of the lawn 

 was a sunk fence, and in 1834-5, 200 were expended 

 in lowering the parapet wall and erecting an iron 

 railing, which protected the fence from being a re- 

 ceptacle for nuisances. 



The last meeting of the Society in Hawkins street 

 was held on the 25th of May 1815, though the com- 

 mittees still continued to meet there ; and it met for 

 the first time in Leinster House on the ist of June 

 1815, Lord Frankfort de Montmorency in the chair, 

 and a large number of members attending. A marble 

 bust of himself was offered to the Right Hon. J. C. 

 Beresford, lord mayor, for his successful exertions in 

 the removal of the Society from Hawkins street to 

 Kildare street, but his lordship declined the honour. 



A sum of ^4000 was to be set apart to complete 

 the necessary accommodation in Leinster House, and 

 a further sum of ^2000 was voted. 



Having now a proper site on which to erect it, 

 and in consideration of King George the Second having 

 granted to the Society its charter, the Corporation, in 

 November 1815, was requested to consent to the 

 removal of the statue of that monarch from St. 

 Stephen's Green to Kildare street, but the Commis- 

 sioners of the Green declined to acquiesce in the 

 proposal. 



