THE SOCIAL NETWORK:On a bitterly cold Tuesday evening at the Helen Roe Theatre, on Merrion Square in Dublin, the Irish Georgian Society's Prof Kevin B Nowlan announced that "April showers bring May flowers".
It was a reference to the snow and hail falling outside, which brought out only the more seasoned Georgian supporters for a lecture entitled Pleasing the Neighbourhood: Music and the Country House in Georgian Ireland, given by Dr Karol Mullaney-Dignam of NUI Maynooth.
We were told that Lady Louisa Conolly was reported to have said: “The Conollys of Castletown are the gayest of all the people in the neighbourhood.”
A couple of centuries ago this was a proud boast that referred to their musical soirees, as opposed to a 19th-century version of Little Britain.
Alan Moran and Tim Guilbride travelled up from their country pile, Rush Hill, in Hillstreet in Co Roscommon. They were keen to hear about Turlough O’Carolan, who used to play at Alderford House in Roscommon, which was owned by his patrons the MacDermott Roes and was where the great harpist and composer died.
With the exception of a question posed by Prof Nowlan at the end, O’Carolan never really got a mention. A lot of Dr Mullaney-Dignam’s research into the subject is ongoing.
She likened a young gentleman’s grand tour of the 17th and 18th centuries to “InterRailing on a grand scale” – although she resisted likening 18th-century dancing masters to Billie Barry.
Dancing masters, we were told, also taught deportment to the young Irish elite. Apparently Richard Edgeworth – the grandfather of Maria Edgeworth – spent long periods in Bath and employed dancing masters when he and his family were there, to ensure the children kept up to date with the latest techniques.
James White from Cork and Mary Reade from Dún Laoghaire enjoyed the lecture. Reade was looking forward to heading to the warmer climes of San Francisco and Seattle. Other Georgian enthusiasts are looking forward to a trip through 18th-century Germany from May 6th to 12th, led by Rose Mary Craig.
