The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh RÃoga na hÉireann), based 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 ...
, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier
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 ...
and one its leading
cultural institutions. The Academy was established in 1785 and granted a
royal charter
A royal charter is a formal grant issued by a monarch under royal prerogative as letters patent. Historically, they have been used to promulgate public laws, the most famous example being the English Magna Carta (great charter) of 1215, bu ...
in 1786. the RIA has around 600 members, regular members being Irish residents elected in recognition of their academic achievements, and Honorary Members similarly qualified but based abroad; a small number of members are elected in recognition of non-academic contributions to society.
Until the late 19th century the Royal Irish Academy was the owner of the main national collection of Irish antiquities. It presented its collection of archaeological artefacts and similar items, which included such famous pieces as the
Tara Brooch, the
Cross of Cong
The ''Cross of Cong'' ( ga, Cros Chonga, "the yellow baculum") is an early 12th-century Irish Christian ornamented cusped processional cross, which was, as an inscription says, made for Tairrdelbach Ua Conchobair (d. 1156), King of Connacht an ...
and the
Ardagh Chalice to what is now the
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...
, but retains its very significant collection of manuscripts including the famou
Cathach of Colmcille the
Lebor na hUidre
The manuscript known as Lebor na hUidre (English translation: Book of the Dun Cow) is the oldest extant written in Gaelic (Irish), and the texts included therein recount Irish history through an eschatological lens. The Christian authors who c ...
(c. 1100), the later medieval
Leabhar Breac, the
Book of Ballymote, and the
Annals of the Four Masters
The ''Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland'' ( ga, Annála RÃoghachta Éireann) or the ''Annals of the Four Masters'' (''Annála na gCeithre MáistrÃ'') are chronicles of medieval Irish history. The entries span from the Deluge, dated as 2,24 ...
.
Work
The RIA is an independent forum of peer-elected experts, operating on an all-Ireland basis, which draws on Members' expertise to contribute to public debate and policy formation on issues in science, technology and culture. It works across the academic world, and with government and business, and it leads national research projects, particularly in areas relating to Ireland and its heritage. The RIA also represents Irish learning internationally, operates a major research library, and is an academic publisher.
Membership
Election to Membership of the Academy is a public recognition of academic excellence and is sometimes held to be the highest academic honour in Ireland. Those elected are entitled to use the designation "MRIA" after their name. The criterion for election to membership is a significant contribution to scholarly research as shown in the candidate's published academic work. However some of those elected to membership are not academics at all but receive the accolade in recognition of other contributions to society: these include former public servants, philanthropists, leaders in political and business life, and others.
Regular membership
To be elected to regular membership, a candidate has to be proposed and recommended by five Members, and selection is made by a rotating committee of existing Members, their names not made known outside the Academy. Presently, up to 24 Members are elected each year, equally divided between the sciences and humanities. Regular membership is open only to those resident in Ireland.
Honorary membership
Honorary membership can be awarded to persons who have made an outstanding contribution to their academic discipline, but who are normally resident outside the island of Ireland. At least two existing Members must propose and recommend a candidate for Honorary Membership. Honorary members are entitled to use the designation "Hon. MRIA" after their name.
Publishing
The Academy is one of the longest-established publishers in Ireland, having commenced in 1787. The Academy currently publishes six journals:
* ''
Ériu''
* ''
Irish Studies in International Affairs
The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh RÃoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier learned society and one its leading cultural i ...
''
* ''
Mathematical Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
The ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy'' (''PRIA'') is the journal of the Royal Irish Academy, founded in 1785 to promote the study of science, polite literature, and antiquities. It was known as several titles over the years:
*1836-1866: ' ...
''
* ''
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
The ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy'' (''PRIA'') is the journal of the Royal Irish Academy, founded in 1785 to promote the study of science, polite literature, and antiquities
Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the ...
'': Archaeology, Culture, History, Literature
* ''
Irish Journal of Earth Sciences
Irish may refer to:
Common meanings
* Someone or something of, from, or related to:
** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe
***Éire, Irish language name for the isle
** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...
'' and
* ''
Biology and Environment
The ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy'' (''PRIA'') is the journal of the Royal Irish Academy, founded in 1785 to promote the study of science, polite literature, and antiquities
Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the ...
''.
The Academy's research projects also regularly publish the ''Irish Historic Towns Atlas'' series, the ''Documents on Irish Foreign Policy'', ''
Foclóir na nua-Ghaeilge'', the ''Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources'', and the ''New Survey of Clare Island''. In 2014 the Academy published (in association with
Yale University Press
Yale University Press is the university press of Yale University. It was founded in 1908 by George Parmly Day, and became an official department of Yale University in 1961, but it remains financially and operationally autonomous.
, Yale Universi ...
) the five-volume ''Art and Architecture of Ireland''.
The Academy is committed to publishing work which not only influences scholarship, but also the wider community, for example ''Flashes of Brilliance'' by Dick Ahlstrom, and ''Judging Dev'' by
Diarmaid Ferriter
Diarmaid Ferriter (born February 1972) is an Irish historian, broadcaster and university professor. He has written eleven books on the subject of Irish history, and co-authored another. Ferriter attended St. Benildus College in Kilmacud in Dubl ...
. Both of these publications have been accompanied by either a television or a radio series.
Research projects
The Academy manages a number of high-profile research projects in the sciences and humanities. Past projects have included
The Digital Humanities Observatory
The Digital Humanities Observatory (DHO) was a research project of the Royal Irish Academy and part of the Humanities Serving Irish Society (HSIS) initiative. It provided expertise and knowledge to digital research projects in the arts and humani ...
(DHO)
New Survey of Clare Island (NSCI)The Origins of the Irish Constitution (OIC) and the ''
Dictionary of Irish Biography'' (DIB).
Other projects include:
Dictionary of Medieval Latin from Celtic Sources (DMLCS)Documents on Irish Foreign Policy (DIFP)*
Foclóir na nua-Ghaeilge (Dictionary of Modern Irish
Online Historical Irish Corpus 1600–1926Irish Historic Towns Atlas (IHTA)*
Digital Repository of Ireland
The Digital Repository of Ireland (DRI) is a digital repository for Ireland's humanities, social science and cultural heritage data. It was designed as an open access infrastructure that allows for interactive use and sustained growth. Three insti ...
(DRI)
Academy committees
During the 1950s the Academy began forming national committees, each relating to a specific discipline. Today these act as strategic national fora, providing input into policy, research priorities and issues of public concern, such as
climate change
In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...
. They also organise public outreach activities, such as lectures and public interviews, and award grants for research and travel. The Academy committees are made up of both Members and non-Members, including representatives from universities, research institutions, government agencies and, where appropriate, industry. They include: Life and Medical Sciences; Physical, Chemical and Mathematical Sciences; Climate Change and Environmental Sciences; Engineering and Computer Sciences; Geosciences and Geographical Sciences; Ethical, Political, Legal and Philosophical Studies; Historical Studies; Social Sciences; Study of Languages, Literature, Culture and Communication; and Coiste Léann na Gaeilge, LitrÃocht na Gaeilge agus na gCultúr Ceilteach.
There are also Standing Committees for Archaeology, International Affairs and
North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating Direction (geometry), direction or geography.
Etymology
T ...
-
South
South is one of the cardinal directions or Points of the compass, compass points. The direction is the opposite of north and is perpendicular to both east and west.
Etymology
The word ''south'' comes from Old English ''sūþ'', from earlier Pro ...
matters.
Academy House
The first meeting of the academy were held at the Earl of Charlemont's personal residence
Charlemont House. On his application to the
Commissioners of Inland Navigation, the academy was then granted the use of a house at 114
Grafton Street named Navigation House around 1787. The academy had already used the building for meetings from 1785.
It appears the society also used 107 Grafton Street as a premises for period of time.
In 1852 the Royal Irish Academy moved to its current premises at 19
Dawson Street
Dawson Street (; ) is a street on the southern side of central Dublin, running from St Stephen's Green to the walls of Trinity College Dublin. It is the site of the residence of the Lord Mayor of Dublin, the Mansion House.
Location
Dawson Stre ...
,
Dublin 2
Dublin 2, also rendered as D2 and D02, is a historic List of Dublin postal districts, postal district on the Southside, Dublin, southside of Dublin, Ireland. In the 1960s, this central district became a focus for office development. More recently ...
, known as "Academy House".
Built in c.1750, the building has fine decorative plasterwork and a meeting room designed in 1854 by
Frederick Clarendon
Frederick Villiers Clarendon (c.1820 – 17 October 1904) was an Irish architect noted for his design work on a number of large public buildings in Dublin, including the Natural History Museum and Arbour Hill Prison.
Life
Frederick Clarendon w ...
and now used for conferences, exhibitions and public talks. The Academy allows the use of these meeting rooms by external bodies when its own activities permit.
Academy House was home to many of Ireland's finest national treasures, including the
Ardagh Chalice and the
Tara Brooch, until 1890 when the Academy transferred its collections to the newly established
National Museum of Ireland
The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...
.
Library
The Academy Library holds the largest collection of
Old Irish
Old Irish, also called Old Gaelic ( sga, GoÃdelc, Ogham script: ᚌᚑᚔᚇᚓᚂᚉ; ga, Sean-Ghaeilge; gd, Seann-Ghà idhlig; gv, Shenn Yernish or ), is the oldest form of the Goidelic/Gaelic language for which there are extensive writt ...
manuscripts in the world,
[Raifeartaigh, T.O. (1985). ''The Royal Irish Academy: A bicentennial history 1785–1985''. Dublin: Royal Irish Academy.] and is an important research centre for studies covering Irish history,
language
Language is a structured system of communication. The structure of a language is its grammar and the free components are its vocabulary. Languages are the primary means by which humans communicate, and may be conveyed through a variety of met ...
,
archaeology
Archaeology or archeology is the scientific study of human activity through the recovery and analysis of material culture. The archaeological record consists of artifacts, architecture, biofacts or ecofacts, sites, and cultural landscap ...
and the history of Irish science. The Library is home to the sixth-century Latin
psalter
A psalter is a volume containing the Book of Psalms, often with other devotional material bound in as well, such as a liturgical calendar and litany of the Saints. Until the emergence of the book of hours in the Late Middle Ages, psalters we ...
, the
''Cathach'', reputedly copied by
St Columcille
Columba or Colmcille; gd, Calum Cille; gv, Colum Keeilley; non, Kolban or at least partly reinterpreted as (7 December 521 – 9 June 597 AD) was an Irish abbot and missionary evangelist credited with spreading Christianity in what is toda ...
. The Library also holds the personal library and a harp belonging to
Thomas Moore
Thomas Moore (28 May 1779 – 25 February 1852) was an Irish writer, poet, and lyricist celebrated for his ''Irish Melodies''. Their setting of English-language verse to old Irish tunes marked the transition in popular Irish culture from Irish ...
and the
philological collection of
Osborn J. Bergin.
''See also
:Royal Irish Academy Library''
Governance
The President and Council are responsible for the Academy's general government and regulation. They are elected annually at the Stated Meeting on 16 March. The President normally serves a three-year term of office. The membership of the Council is drawn from the Sciences and Humanities sections. The Council formulates policies and recommends candidates for membership.
The Executive Committee supports the Council in supervising the day-to-day business of the Academy. The members of the Executive Committee are the President, Senior Vice-President, Secretary, Treasurer, Secretaries of Science and PL&A (Polite Literature & Antiquities, i.e. Humanities), Executive Secretary, Secretary for International Relations, and a staff representative.
The Royal Irish Academy became a prescribed body under the terms of the Freedom of Information Act 1997 and the Freedom of Information Act (Amendment) 2003, on 31 May 2006.
Presidents
Awards of the Royal Irish Academy
The premier award of the Royal Irish Academy is the
Cunningham Medal
The Cunningham Medal is the premier award of the Royal Irish Academy. It is awarded every three years in recognition of "outstanding contributions to scholarship and the objectives of the Academy".
History
It was which was established in 1796 at t ...
, which it awards every three years in recognition of "outstanding contributions to scholarship and the objectives of the Academy." Other awards include the Gold Medals which are awarded to two people each year who "made a demonstrable and internationally recognised outstanding scholarly contribution in their fields,"
an
US-Ireland Research Innovation Awardswhich are awarded annually in three categories HEIs, Multinationals and SMEs.
The Royal Irish Academy also operates a number of prizes including the annua
Hamilton Prize for Mathematicswhich it awards to the best mathematic students as nominated by academic institutions, th
Kathleen Lonsdale Prize for Chemistrywhich is awarded to the most outstanding Irish Ph.D. thesis in the general area of the chemical sciences, and the biennia
RIA Michel Deon Prize for Non-Fictionwhich honours the life of
Michel Déon (1919-2016) by continuing his work in supporting and championing writing talent and sustains his legacy in celebrating the richness and diversity of cultural experience in Europe.
Notable members
See also
*
Dictionary of the Irish Language
''Dictionary of the Irish Language: Based Mainly on Old and Middle Irish Materials'' (also called "the DIL"), published by the Royal Irish Academy, is the definitive dictionary of the origins of the Irish language, specifically the Old Irish, M ...
*
Great Book of Lecan
*
Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy
The ''Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy'' (''PRIA'') is the journal of the Royal Irish Academy, founded in 1785 to promote the study of science, polite literature, and antiquities
Antiquities are objects from antiquity, especially the ...
References
External links
Official website
{{DEFAULTSORT:Royal Irish Academy
Ireland
Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...
All-Ireland organisations
1785 establishments in Ireland
Scientific organizations established in 1785
Members of the International Council for Science
Members of the International Science Council
Seanad nominating bodies