The Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland (SSISI) is a

learned society A learned society (; also learned academy, scholarly society, or academic association) is an organization that exists to promote an discipline (academia), academic discipline, profession, or a group of related disciplines such as the arts and s ...

which analyses the major changes that have taken place in population, employment, legal and administrative systems and social services in Ireland. It operates as an

all-Ireland All-Ireland (sometimes All-Island) refers to all of Ireland, as opposed to the separate jurisdictions of the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland. "All-Ireland" is most frequently used to refer to sporting teams or events for the entire islan ...

body. The Society was founded in

Dublin Dublin (; , or ) is the capital and largest city of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. On a bay at the mouth of the River Liffey, it is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster, bordered on the south by the Dublin Mountains, a part of th ...

in 1847 by a group of Irish academics, clergymen, aristocrats and politicians. Its first president was

Richard Whately Richard Whately (1 February 1787 – 8 October 1863) was an English academic, rhetorician, logician, philosopher, economist, and theologian who also served as a reforming Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin. He was a leading Broad Churchman ...

. From its establishment until the 1920s the overwhelming majority of members were Unionists of the

Anglo-Irish Anglo-Irish people () denotes an ethnic, social and religious grouping who are mostly the descendants and successors of the English Protestant Ascendancy in Ireland. They mostly belong to the Anglican Church of Ireland, which was the establis ...

class, who were, generally speaking, more sympathetic to the British administration in Ireland than with the

Irish Home Rule movement The Irish Home Rule movement was a movement that campaigned for self-government (or "home rule") for Ireland within the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland. It was the dominant political movement of Irish nationalism from 1870 to the e ...

. As a result, most papers read to the Society until at least 1870 were in favour of assimilating the laws and practices in Ireland to those applying in

England and Wales England and Wales () is one of the three legal jurisdictions of the United Kingdom. It covers the constituent countries England and Wales and was formed by the Laws in Wales Acts 1535 and 1542. The substantive law of the jurisdiction is Eng ...

. Even so, official political or religious endorsement has never been allowed in the Society. During the nineteenth century it frequently provided an important platform for people who were concerned about major social problems, such as the care of orphans and neglected children. The key figures associated with the founding of the Irish

National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children The National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) is a British child protection charity. History Victorian era On a trip to New York in 1881, Liverpudlian businessman Thomas Agnew was inspired by a visit to the New York ...

in 1889 were prominent members of the Society. From 1924, several

Irish nationalists Irish nationalism is a nationalist political movement which, in its broadest sense, asserts that the people of Ireland should govern Ireland as a sovereign state. Since the mid-19th century, Irish nationalism has largely taken the form of cu ...

became presidents of the SSISI. In addition, the Society began to enroll a substantial number of senior officials from the new Irish civil service, and as such has formed a close relationship with the Irish state. The Journal of the Society has provided one of the few opportunities to penetrate the official anonymity of the Irish public service; senior civil servants have spoken more freely on crucial aspects of government policy at SSISI meetings than in any other public forum. On the whole the papers presented to the Society have been concerned with practical problems, such as crime, poverty and economic progress, and by a common concern with the condition of Ireland. The current president of SSISI is

Frances P. Ruane Frances P. Ruane, , is an Irish academic economist and former director of the Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI) in Dublin, Ireland 2006−2015. She is recognised for her research on FDI and its effect on host economies. She has als ...

, who is only the second female president in the Society's history. The Society often meets at the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...

and its journal is printed with the help of

Trinity College Dublin , name_Latin = Collegium Sanctae et Individuae Trinitatis Reginae Elizabethae juxta Dublin , motto = ''Perpetuis futuris temporibus duraturam'' (Latin) , motto_lang = la , motto_English = It will last i ...

, where Honorary Secretary Ronan C. Lyons is based, and disseminated with the help of the Central Statistics Office and the

Central Bank of Ireland The Central Bank of Ireland ( ga, Banc Ceannais na hÉireann) is Ireland's central bank, and as such part of the European System of Central Banks (ESCB). It is the country's financial services regulator for most categories of financial firms ...

Presidents

Since 1847, the SSISI has appointed numerous notable figures from academia and politics as its president:http://www.ssisi.ie/ssisi_presidents_6_5_2014.pdf SSISI website, 'Biographical Portraits of the Past presidents of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland' *

(1847–1863) *

Mountifort Longfield Samuel Mountifort Longfield (1802 – 21 November 1884) was an Irish lawyer, judge, mathematician, and academic. He was the first Professor of Political Economy at Trinity College, Dublin. Life He was son of Mountifort Longfield, vicar of Desert ...

(1863–1867) *

Thomas O'Hagan, 1st Baron O'Hagan Thomas O'Hagan, 1st Baron O'Hagan, KP, PC (Ire), QC (29 May 18121 February 1885), was an Irish lawyer and judge. He served as Lord Chancellor of Ireland from 1868 to 1874 and again from 1880 to 1881. Background and education O'Hagan was bo ...

(1867–1870) *

James Anthony Lawson James Anthony Lawson, Privy Council of Ireland, PC (Ire), Queen's Counsel, QC (1817–1887) was an Irish academic, lawyer and judge. Background and education Lawson was born in Waterford. He was the eldest son of James Lawson and Mary Anthony, da ...

(1870–1872) *

William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly William Monsell, 1st Baron Emly, PC (21 September 1812 – 20 April 1894) was an Anglo-Irish landowner and Liberal politician. He held a number of ministerial positions between 1852 and 1873, notably as President of the Board of Health in 185 ...

(1872–1875) * Jonathan Pim (1875–1877) *

John Lentaigne Rt. Hon. Sir John Francis O'Neill Lentaigne CB (21 June 1803 – 12 November 1886) was an Irish administrator, lawyer and Privy Counsellor. Life He was born 21 June 1803 in Tallaght, Dublin. His father was physician Dr. Benjamin Lentaigne of ...

(1877–1878) *

John Kells Ingram John Kells Ingram (7 July 1823 – 1 May 1907) was an Irish mathematician, economist and poet who started his career as a mathematician. He has been co-credited, along with John William Stubbs, with introducing the geometric concept of invers ...

(1878–1880) *Edward Dillon Mapother (1880–1881) *William Neilson Hancock (1881–1882) *

Thomas Spring Rice, 2nd Baron Monteagle of Brandon Thomas Spring Rice, 2nd Baron Monteagle of Brandon (31 May 1849 – 24 December 1926) was an Anglo-Irish politician and landowner, who helped to found the anti-partition Irish Dominion League and was a key figure in the development of Irish co ...

(1882–1884) *James McDonnell (1884–1888) * Thomas Wrigley Grimshaw (1888–1890) * John O'Hagan (1890–1891) * William Findlater (1891–1894) *

William Huston Dodd William Huston Dodd (1844-17 March 1930) was an Irish politician, barrister and judge. He held the Crown office of Serjeant-at-law (Ireland), Irish Serjeant-at-law, sat in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom as member for North Tyrone (UK ...

(1894–1896) *Joseph Todhunter Pim (1896–1900) *James Johnston Shaw (1900–1902) * William Frederick Bailey (1902–1904) *Robert Edwin Matheson (1904–1906) *

Arthur Warren Samuels Arthur Warren Samuels (19 May 1852 – 11 May 1925) was an Irish Unionist Alliance Member of Parliament (MP) in the United Kingdom Parliament and subsequently a Judge. The Irish Unionists were the Irish wing of the Conservative Party (UK), Conser ...

(1906–1908) *

Richard Cherry Richard Robert Cherry PC, QC (19 March 1859 – 10 February 1923) was an Irish politician and judge. He was Attorney-General for Ireland from 1905 to 1909, a judge of the Irish Court of Appeal and subsequently Lord Chief Justice of the King's ...

(1908–1911) *

Thomas A. Finlay Thomas Aloysius Finlay, S.J. (1848 – 1940) was an Irish Catholic priest, economist, philosopher and editor. Early life He was born on 6 July 1848 near Lanesborough, the son of William Finlay, an engineer, and his wife Maria Magan; the p ...

(1911–1913) *Charles Athill Stanuell (1913–1917) *William Lawson (1917–1918) *William John Thompson (1918–1920) * Sir Thomas Molony, 1st Baronet (1920–1924) * Charles Hubert Oldham (1924–1926) *

James Creed Meredith James Creed Meredith, KC (28 November 1875 – 14 August 1942) was an Irish judge who served as a Judge of the Supreme Court from 1937 to 1942 and a Judge of the High Court from 1924 to 1937. He was best known as a nationalist of the early ...

(1926–1929) *John Hooper (1929–1930) *J.C.M. Eason (1930–1934) *

Joseph Brennan Joseph Brennan may refer to: Politicians * Joseph Brennan (senator) (died 1950), Irish senator *Joseph Brennan (Clann na Poblachta politician) (1889–1968), Irish TD 1948–1951 *Joseph Brennan (Fianna Fáil politician) (1912–1980), Irish gove ...

(1934–1938) *Stanley G Lyon (1938–1942) * George O'Brien (1942–1946) *

Roy C. Geary Robert (Roy) Charles Geary (April 11, 1896 – February 8, 1983) was an Irish statistician and founder of both the Central Statistics Office and the Economic and Social Research Institute. He held degrees from University College Dublin and the ...

(1946–1951) *Joseph Johnston (1951–1953) *Jim P. Beddy (1953–1956) *James Meenan (1957–1959) *William A. Honohan (1959–1962) *M. Donal McCarthy (1962–1965) *Patrick Bourke (1965–1968) * Thomas Kenneth Whitaker (1968–1971) *Thelka J. Beere (1971–1974) *Thomas P. Linehan (1974–1977) * Brendan Menton Snr (1977–1980) *Robert O'Connor (1980–1983) *Robert Dennis Collison Black (1983–1986) *Jerry J. Sexton (1986–1989) *Kieran A. Kennedy (1989–1992) *Padraig McGowan (1992–1995) *Dermot McAleese (1995–1998) *William Keating (1998–2001) *Brendan Walsh (2001–2004) *Aidan Punch (2004–2007) *Dónal de Buitléir (2007–2010) *Paul Sweeney (2010–2013) *

John D. FitzGerald John Dennis Fitzgerald (February 3, 1906 – May 30, 1988) was an American author, most notable for The Great Brain series of children's books. Biography Fitzgerald was born in Price, Utah, the son of an Irish Catholic father and a Scandinavi ...

(2013–2016) *

(2016-2019)

References

{{authority control 1847 establishments in Ireland All-Ireland organisations Learned societies of Ireland Politics of Ireland