Irish Georgian Society Celebrates 50th Anniversary

Written by Content Editor June 03, 2008

On Sunday 15th June, the Irish Georgian Society will celebrate its 50th anniversary with a very special picnic party at Leixlip Castle, home of the founder of the Society, the Hon. Desmond Guinness. This is an exciting milestone for the Irish Georgian Society, as fifty years of hard work will be commemorated through a special celebration that will gather supporters from all over Ireland, the US and the UK.

There will be a jazz band in the garden, relaxing music from DJ Alan Kelly in the coach house and a fun garden picnic will be set up to recall the many delicious IGS picnics of the past. Fifteen stunning Rolls Royces from the 1920's and 1930's belonging to the 20 Ghost Club will drive over from London and will be parked in front of the castle for guests to admire. Artist Tom Haran has created a bronze bust of Desmond Guinness that will be presented to him during the event, which will take place between 3pm and 7pm. Tickets are priced at €50 per person with under 12's admitted for free.

As part of the anniversary celebrations, artist Amelia Stein RHA has been commissioned to produce two portrait pieces of two of the driving forces behind the Irish Georgian Society, The Knight of Glin, Desmond FitzGerald and the Hon. Desmond Guinness.

The limited edition photographic prints depict Desmond FitzGerald, the 29th Knight of Glin, in his ancestral home Glin Castle in Limerick, where he is captured outdoors against the backdrop of the castle's grounds. To contrast this, Irish Georgian Society founder the Hon. Desmond Guinness is pictured in his formal library at his home in Leixlip Castle. 75 signed limited edition prints are available at €260 per image. For orders, please contact the Irish Georgian Society 01 676 7053 or This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it