THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY 311 



" he " or " she." It was also decided to admit ladies 

 as Associates, with limited privileges ; this has proved 

 a great boon, and in a few years more than twelve 

 hundred names have been enrolled. 



BALLSBRIDGE PREMISES 



When the negotiations that preceded the passing 

 of the Science and Art Museum Act, 1877, were in 

 progress, the Government informed the Society that 

 it would be prepared to provide for the removal of 

 the agricultural shows from Kildare street to the 

 Phoenix Park ; this suggestion, was, however, never 

 seriously entertained. In 1871 the Royal Agricul- 

 tural Society of Ireland held a show on grounds 

 at Ballsbridge, which the Earl of Pembroke kindly 

 lent for the occasion. The Prince of Wales, then 

 President of the Royal Agricultural Society of 

 Ireland, was present, and the- Council of the Society, 

 in reporting upon the show, stated that it was " by far 

 the most important and successful " the Society had 

 held since its formation. Again in 1878 the same 

 Society held a show on the same site. This show the 

 Council regarded as " second only in excellence to the 

 show of 1871." It was natural that a site with such 

 a favourable record should be considered suitable as a 

 permanent home for the shows of the Royal Dublin 

 Society. Accordingly in 1879 the Society leased from 

 the Earl of Pembroke fifteen acres of land for a term 

 of 500 years, at a yearly rent of ^180. Plans for 

 the new agricultural halls, prepared by Mr. George 

 Wilkinson, were adopted, and the work of erection 

 and laying out the grounds was at once commenced. 

 In the report laid before the Society on June the 3rd, 

 1880, the Council stated that a contract for the 



