Dublin Civic Trust is pleased to announce details of its winter 2018 conference focusing on the history, development and future potential of Parnell Square and the Rotunda Hospital complex. The event takes place in the magnificent 18th-century setting of the little-known Pillar Room of the Rotunda Hospital, located beneath The Gate Theatre.

Sited at the northern end of O’Connell Street, Parnell Square is Dublin’s first Georgian square, developed c.1755-1795 as a series of residential terraces enclosing the grounds of the Rotunda Hospital. The square has its origins in the establishment, in 1749, of the New Pleasure Gardens, the fundraising enterprise of the Rotunda Hospital’s founder Dr Bartholomew Mosse, who attracted aristocratic patronage through annual subscriptions and concert events. The maternity hospital opened in 1757, built to the design of leading architect Richard Castle. This was followed by the construction of the great Rotunda entertaining room in the 1760s and the establishment of the New Assembly Rooms designed by Frederick Trench and Richard Johnston in the 1780s: the latter now forming part of The Gate Theatre. The mansions surrounding the square contain some of the best examples of 18th-century interiors and decorative plasterwork in the city, complemented by modern cultural institutions including the Dublin City Gallery - The Hugh Lane. Within this historic setting, the Rotunda Hospital continues to operate its original function as a leading provider of maternity services, with various plans afoot to expand facilities or move to an alternative site in the longer term.

Ticket: €75
Ticket with CPD Certificate: €100
Ticket Student/Senior Citizen: €40 (proof required on the day)

Purchase tickets and download a conference programme from www.dublincivictrust.ie

Image: Rutland (Parnell) Square extracted from 'Dublin from the Spire of Saint George's Church' by James Mahony, 1854