Local history society celebrating Sir Edward Lovett Pearce

Edward Lovett Pearce (1699-1733) is regarded as Ireland’s foremost neo-Palladian architect. His best-known buildings include Parliament House in College Green, Dublin, now the Bank of Ireland,and the Obelisk and Grotto both of which are in Stillorgan. Kilmacud Stillorgan Local History Societyis celebrating Pearce’s achievements with the following events in April.

a talk will be held at 8pm in Glenalbyn Sports Club, Stillorgan by Pat Sheridan on Pearce’s life and work.

Cllr. Tom Joyce, An Cathaoirleach of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council, will launch the exhibition Celebrating Sir Edward Lovett Pearce in Stillorgan Public Library. The exhibition will run until mid June 2013.

a seminar will be held in the Stillorgan Park Hotel with presentations on Pearce’s work by prominent architectural historians Christine Casey and Eddie McParland andconservation architect James Howley. This will be a free event, open to all (programme below). Rounding off the the celebrations will be a guided walk, by James Howley, around Stillorgan in the footsteps of Pearce, seeing where he lived and visiting the great works he left us here – his Obelisk and Grotto. While the seminar and walking tour are free events places for both are limited and must be booked in advance, by 4th April. The society can be contacted at stillorganlocalhistory@gmail.com or at 087-2895653

09.15 Introduction and welcome
Pearce and Palladio (Christine Casey, Department of History of Art, Trinity College Dublin)

09.30
10.15 Edward Lovett Pearce: what kind of classicist was he? (Eddie McParland, Department of History of Art, Trinity College Dublin)

11.30
The Ornamental Garden Buildings of Sir Edward Lovett Pearce (James Howley, Conservation Architect)

12.15 Closing remarks

12.30 Break for lunch

Reconvene at Stillorgan Public Library to view the Pearce exhibition in the Library

2.30
Leave Stillorgan Public Library for guided walking tour of the site of Pearce’s house, The
Grove; Stillorgan Grotto; the Obelisk