Drogheda is one of the most complete and atmospheric examples of Georgian architecture in Ireland. As such, it is an ideal model for investigating the eighteenth-century development of a regional town’s built fabric and for assessing its dependence on larger centres, such as Dublin, Bristol and Liverpool. This talk stems from Aisling’s PhD thesis, entitled Regional splendour and mercantile ambition: the Drogheda town house in the eighteenth century and completed in 2020. It will focus on a number of significant buildings in Drogheda, their patrons and craftsmen, with the aim of showcasing their superb quality, placing them in the larger context of eighteenth-century Ireland and Great Britain. Dr Aisling Durkan is a recent PhD graduate of the History of Art and Architecture in Trinity College Dublin. Her thesis, entitled ‘Regional splendour and mercantile ambition: the Drogheda town house in the eighteenth century’, focused on the predominantly mercantile domestic architecture of Drogheda. She was the 2016 Desmond Guinness Scholarship recipient.

Time: 3pm

Ticket Price: €10