THE ROYAL College of Physicians of Ireland in Dublin’s Kildare Street opens its doors for free guided tours today as part of Heritage Week. The former Kildare Street Club has been home to the college for over 150 years, and is the oldest surviving medical institution in the State.
Alongside the guided tours (at 12.30pm, 2pm, 3pm, 5pm and 6.30pm), visitors can also view a nostalgic exhibition celebrating Irish medicine’s rich sporting heritage.
Open today from noon until 8pm, Doctors on the Ball includes photographs, trophies and other memorabilia of the links between sports and medicine in Ireland.
Featured doctors include Dr Pat O’Callaghan, a GP who won the hammer in the 1928 Olympics in Amsterdam and the 1932 Olympics in Los Angeles. Dr Joshua Pim, winner of the Wimbledon men’s singles in 1893 and 1894, also features.
Society’s changing attitudes to disability will be examined in Re-Framing Disability, a touring show of rare portraits of people with disabilities from the 17th century to the 19th century, owned by the Royal College of Physicians in London. This exhibition, which includes the response to the portraits by 27 people with disabilities across the UK, continues until Friday.
Advance booking advised for free guided tours of Royal College of Physicians today on tel: 01 6698817. See also rcpi.ie
