242 Royal Irish Academy, 



Tvork of that accomplished artist, Miss Purser, and it is my very- 

 pleasant duty on the part of the subscribers to offer the portrait to 

 the Academy through you. It is not my intention to speak of the 

 distinguished career of Dr. Ingram, but I think I may be permitted 

 to say a few words with regard to his connexion with the Academy, 

 to the admirable work he has done in the Academy, and to the great 

 benefits he has conferred on it. In the year 1847 Dr. Ingram became 

 a Member of the Academy, and it may, sir, possibly have escaped your 

 memory that you were one of his proposers. In 1856 he became a 

 Member of the Council, a position which he has held, I believe, almost 

 without intermission from that time to this. In 1860 he was elected 

 to the important office of Secretary of Council — an office so important 

 that I believe the Secretary of the Council is considered the braias- 

 carrier of the Council — and the mouthpiece of the governing body.. 

 1847, the year in which Dr. Ingram entered the Academy, was a year 

 disastrous to the country, but rich in gain to this Academy ; for then 

 M'CuUagh, the Lloyds, Eowan Hamilton, and Petrie were at the 

 height of their fame, soon to be followed by younger men, by Graves, 

 by Salmon, by Haughton, by Kane, by Eerguson, and others. ITow, 

 in proposing that this portrait of Dr. Ingram should be painted, I 

 said it was desirable that it should be painted from the living man, and 

 not from photographs, as some others have been painted, and that we 

 the present men should not leave it to our successors to have it 

 painted from photographs. It is a great justification to us to have 

 the opportunity of contrasting the living man with his likeness. 

 Passing from the present to the future, I may say it will be a great 

 matter of interest for those who succeed us, as they gaze on the 

 lineaments of these distinguished men, to have an opportunity of thus 

 seeing what manner of men they were on whom we delighted to confer 

 honour. In the name of the subscribers I beg to present this portrait 

 to the Academy, and desire, in conclusion, to express the hope, which 

 is shared in by all present, that Dr. Ingram may contiuue long amongst 

 us and adorn the Academy of which he has so long been a distinguished 

 member. 



The Chairman said Lord Eosse had expressed his regret that 

 he was not able to be present on this occasion, and therefore it 

 fell to his lot as senior Yice-President, to take the chair when this 

 presentation was being made. It was quite unnecessary for anyone 



