Irish International Exhibition

Herbert Park today, showing bandstand and pond from the 1907 Exhibition.

The Irish International Exhibition (sometimes Dublin International) was a world's fair held in Dublin, Ireland, in 1907, when the country was still part of the United Kingdom.

Summary

People waiting to board a train at Limerick Station to the Exhibition
Pottery exhibit at the Exhibition

The decision to hold the exhibition was taken at the Irish Industrial Conference in April 1903,[1] and inspired by a small exhibition in Cork (the Cork International Exhibition) 5 years earlier.[2] The 1907 exhibition was intended to improve the trade of Irish goods.[3] The leading force behind the project was William Martin Murphy, a businessman and owner of the Irish Independent, Clerys department store (Clery & Co.), the Dublin United Transport Company and several other Irish and overseas ventures. Other organisers included the Irish journalist William Francis Dennehy.

The exposition ran from 4 May to 9 November 1907,[4] received 2.75 million visitors[5] covered 52 acres [4] and made a loss of about £100 000 sterling, although this was underwritten by guarantors.[3]

As well as contributions from countries including Canada, France and New Zealand there were displays of motor cars, electric and gas lighting and machinery;[6] fine art displays including work by Eva Henrietta Hamilton; funfair amusements;[6] a display depicting life in British Somaliland, the 'Somali village', was the exhibition's most popular attraction.[5]

Legacy

The land used for the exhibition became Herbert Park, where remaining artifacts include a bandstand and pond.[7]

Notables

There was a separation of Irish and British pavilions at a time when desire for Home Rule for Ireland was becoming more vocal, and some years before a declaration of independence and secession of the Irish Free State from the United Kingdom.

See also

References

  1. ↑ "Papers Past — New Zealand Tablet — 9 April 1903 — Irish News". Retrieved 5 February 2011.
  2. ↑ "CORK INTERNATIONAL EXHIBITION - 1902". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  3. 1 2 Pelle, Kimberley D. "Dublin 1907". In Findling, John E. Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 190. ISBN 978-0-7864-3416-9. Missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  4. 1 2 Pelle, Kimberley D. "Dublin 1907". In Findling, John E. Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 191. ISBN 978-0-7864-3416-9. Missing |last1= in Authors list (help),
  5. 1 2 Pelle, Kimberley D. "Dublin 1907". In Findling, John E. Encyclopedia of World's Fairs and Expositions. McFarland & Company, Inc. p. 192. ISBN 978-0-7864-3416-9. Missing |last1= in Authors list (help)
  6. 1 2 "DUBLIN - 1907.". Retrieved 20 November 2011.
  7. ↑ "Upper Leeson Street Area Residents Association, Dublin - Ireland". Retrieved 5 February 2011.

Coordinates: 53°19′37″N 6°14′06″W / 53.3268619°N 6.2349343°W / 53.3268619; -6.2349343

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