Caption: Desmond Guinness Scholarship adjudicator, Dr Conor Lucey presenting the Desmond Guinness Scholarship 2023 to Victoria McCarthy at the Irish Georgian Society’s Christmas party in Ely House.

Victoria McCarthy is a third year PhD candidate at the School of Architecture, UCD, under the supervision of Professor Finola O’Kane. Victoria’s doctoral research straddles the disciplines of designed landscape history and planning and uses the county of Kerry as a case study to explore the question of how the significance of Ireland’s designed landscapes are assessed, valued and managed.

Victoria applied for the Desmond Guinness Scholarship to undertake archival research in the Public Records Office Northern Ireland (PRONI). Whilst at PRONI, Victoria intends to consult the FitzGerald papers relating to the designed landscapes of Glanleam on Valentia Island, former home of the Fitzgerald’s, Knights of Kerry, as well as other Kerry-related papers (Crosbie, Kenmare, and Ward).

The Society welcomes the decision of the Desmond Guiness Scholarship adjudicators and acknowledges the relevance of this year’s candidate’s research to the Society’s work in promoting and protecting Ireland’s architecture and designed landscapes.

Lastly, the Society wishes to thank the Desmond Guinness Scholarship adjudicators (Christine Casey, Kathleen James Chakraborty, Alison FitzGerald, David Fleming, Conor Lucey, Anna Moran and Primrose Wilson) for lending their expertise, which ensures that the scholarship continues to be held in high academic regard.