The Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI) has announced the launch next month of a new free exhibition and public lecture series. Both will explore the RCSI's unique place in the historical events of the 1916 Easter Rising, when the College's building on St Stephen's Green was occupied by the Irish Citizen Army led by Commander Michael Mallin and Countess Constance Markievicz. All other significant buildings involved in the Rising have since been either rebuilt or demolished.
However, this was not the RCSI's only involvement in the Rising. RCSI surgeons worked tirelessly to treat the injured during the rebellion.
To commemorate the centenary of these events, the RCSI has developed a programme of exhibitions, displays and lectures, to provide fascinating insights into the stories of these surgeons and insurgents and how their lives were remarkably intertwined.
The lecture series line-up includes:
Wednesday 23 March, 7.30pm : Surgeons and Insurgents - RCSI and the Easter Rising, with Dr. Mary McAuliffe
Thursday 24 March, 7.30pm : The Easter Rising: Fighting for the Crown or Half Crown? with Padraig Yeates
Tuesday 29 March, 7.30pm : Shootout – The Battle for St Stephens Green, with Paul O'Brien
Wednesday 30 March, 7.30pm : Blood and Bandages – Medicine and the Easter Rising, with Tony Kinsella
Thursday 31 March, 7.30pm : Stuff Matters – The Material Culture of 1916, with Lisa Godson and Joanna Bruck
Friday 1 April, 7.30pm : The Rising: A statement of intent, successes and failures, with Comdt Victor Laing
Saturday 2 April, 3pm : Michael Mallin, with Brian Hughes
Thursday 7 April, 7.30pm : St. John Ambulance and the Easter Rising, with Padraig Allen
Friday 15 April, 7.30pm : To RCSI and Beyond! RCSI, Rebels and the Republic, with Meadhbh Murphy
While the lectures are free to attend, registration is compulsory. Registration for lectures will include access to the exhibition one hour before the lecture commences.
The exhibition will open on 23 March and run to 17 April. It is free to attend, but registration will be necessary for those wishing to visit between 23 March and 2 April inclusive. From 3 April, registration will not be required; entrance will be limited, so you may experience a short wait time if the exhibition is full. See the above link for details.