Herbert Park is an oasis for the residents of Ballsbridge and the many office workers, like myself, who work in the area, writes Ronan O'Brien
The site was originally donated to Pembroke District Council by the Earl of Pembroke and named for his father. In summer, at lunchtime, the park can be rather full, but at no stage is it as busy as it was 100 years ago this year when it hosted the "Irish International Exhibition". Between May and November 1907, between 2.5 million and 3 million people visited the exhibition.
Nineteenth- and early 20th-century exhibitions, modelled on the Crystal Palace event of 1851 in London, were a mixture of trade, fun and high culture. In 1907, a helter-skelter, fireworks displays and practically every musical ensemble in the British Army entertained the citizens of Dublin alongside stands promoting national and international industry.
The exhibition made such a contribution to the tourist industry in Dublin that the Irish Hotel and Trade Association hoped to see its life extended for a further year. It is an indication of the scale of the event that immediately before its opening there were 1500 men working on the site. Grand buildings including the Grand Central Palace, the Palace of Mechanical Arts and the Palace of Industries were assembled on steel frames (and sold off after the exhibition closed).
The Irish Timeswas in no doubt of the event's significance. It declared: "In the magnitude of its design, the perfection of its detail, the extent, character, and quality of its contents, the Exhibition of 1907 reveals not only a marvellous vision of industrial and artistic development unimagined a quarter of a century ago, but provides as well the equally unmistakable evidence and promise that a commercial and social future, brighter than is now dreamt of, lies within the grasp of the country."
The daily entrance fee was a shilling for adults and a season ticket cost a guinea, but despite the large attendance noted above, insufficient funds were raised to satisfy the guarantors. Poor weather was cited as one of the reasons why the attendance had not been even higher. In that respect, 1907 and 2007 differ little. There were concerns expressed also about the entrance fee, particularly that it put the experience beyond the reach of working men. Nevertheless, that didn't stop the organisers giving a tour to the delegates of the Irish Trade Union Congress when it met in Dublin.
Mr William Martin Murphy, as chairman of the Finance and General Purposes Committee, alongside chief executive James Shanks, were the driving forces behind the exhibition. But the level of voluntary input can be adduced from the number of other committees: the Works, Lighting and Machinery Committee, the Admission, Traffic, Publicity and Refreshments committee, the Home Industries Committee (chaired by the wife of the Lord Lieutenant), to name but a few.
Murphy's detractors claimed that his involvement in the organisation was a means to securing a knighthood. As it happens Edward VII was unable to attend the opening in May and only sent a cursory telegram but he did travel to Ireland to attend the exhibition in July. Because of confusion between the king and the lord lieutenant, Aberdeen, the King believed Murphy was to be knighted and stepped forward at the exhibition to perform the honours.
Murphy, an ally of maverick Home Ruler Tim Healy, had previously defended himself from the accusations by stating that he would not take a knighthood even if offered. He balked at the king's approach but later wrote to the monarch to state that no slight had been intended and no political point had been made.
The king's visit, his third since his coronation in 1901, sent The Irish Timesinto sycophantic overdrive. The paper had much reason to be grateful to the exhibition. Its pages for the previous 12 months were festooned with advertisements for products to be sold at the fair and from those offering to assist the exhibitors construct their displays.
The Dublin Exhibition represented further evidence of the Irish fascination with such events, which went back to the exhibition of 1853, the brainchild of the railway engineer William Dargan, held two years after the Crystal Palace bonanza. Edward VII provided a link between the events, having attended in 1853 with his parents. Further exhibitions were held in 1865 (again attended by Edward), 1872 and 1882. Nor was Dublin alone in its obsession. Cork held its own exhibitions in 1852, 1883 and 1902-3.
The 1907 exhibition, though, was a truly international affair. From outside Europe, both the Canadian and Japanese governments were represented. The exhibition was visited by the prime ministers of New Zealand and Canada - Sir Joseph Ward and Sir Wilfred Laurier - both in Britain for a colonial premier's conference. From Europe, the governments of France and Italy attended. There was a replica of a Somali village which gave rise to some commentary in the media that falls far short of current standards. Indeed, the very international nature of the event had been the subject of controversy with both the Gaelic League and John Redmond arguing that the exhibition should be a national affair. The decision to award the catering contract to J. Lyons & Co proved particularly controversial.
Any prospect that the Dublin Exhibition would be extended for a further year was dashed when the Earl of Pembroke insisted that - against the wishes of the District Council, it must be said - the land involved revert to the use he prescribed when donating it to the Council. A public park it became in 1911 and a public park it has remained ever since.
• The Dublin Exhibition of 1907 is the subject of an exhibition at the RDS library organised in conjunction with the Ballsbridge, Sandymount and Donnybrook Historical Society. It is also the subject of a new book by Brian Siggins of the Old Dublin Society entitled The Herbert Park Exhibition of 1907.