2020 annual review The Royal Irish Academy, founded in 1785, is Ireland’s leading body of experts supporting and promoting the sciences and humanities. As an all- island independent forum of peer-elected experts we recognise world-class researchers and scholars, and champion Irish academic research. We make a significant contribution to public debate and policy formation on issues in science, technology and culture. We bring together academia, government and industry to address issues of mutual interest by providing an independent forum. We lead important national research projects, particularly in areas relating to Ireland and its heritage. We represent the world of Irish learning internationally, have a unique globally recognised library and are a leading academic publisher. contents 4 Mary Canning, President 56 The Kathleen Lonsdale 7 Tony Gaynor, Executive Director RIA Chemistry Prize 10 An appreciation of 57 The Hamilton Prize Winners Peter Kennedy, PRIA 59 The RIA Michel Déon Prize for 12 Policy and International Relations non-fiction 12 The national conversation around 60 Nowlan Digitisation Grants Covid-19 61 Grants awarded in 2020 15 ARINS – Analysing and Researching 62 Public Engagement – Ireland North and South Access to experts 16 Publications 62 Discourses 18 Catching the worm by 65 Hamilton Day 2020 William C. Campbell with 66 Women in Leadership Masterclass Claire O’Connell 67 John Bell Day 18 A history of Ireland in 100 words impact 68 Dictionary of Irish Biography 20 Journals 71 Dictionary of Medieval Latin from 21 Educational resources Celtic Sources 22 Members’ Research Series 74 Digital Repository of Ireland 24 New Members 78 Documents on Irish Foreign Policy 35 Honorary Members 82 Foclóir Stairiúil na Gaeilge 38 Bereavements 86 Grangegorman Histories 39 Aidan Clarke MRIA President 1990–93 88 Irish Historic Towns Atlas 42 Science Committees 94 New Survey of Clare Island 44 Climate Change 96 Library 48 Humanities and Social Sciences 96 Creative women of Ireland Committees 100 Digital collections 50 Church of Ireland: Disestablishment 101 Exhibition Loans and beyond 102 Discoverability 52 Grants and Awards 103 New Librarian 52 US Ireland Research Innovation Awards 103 Funding and donations 54 Gold Medals 103 Donors of books and archives 56 Cunningham Medal Front cover: William C. Campbell Hon. MRIA delivering his Academy Discourse in 2017. Dr Campbell was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2015 for his work on Ivermectin which treats parasitic infestations and has spared the lives of millions of people from the devastating effects of river blindness. In 2020 the Academy published his memoir Catching the worm. Mary Canning, President January and February 2020 started out in Academy House with the regular programme of Discourses, lectures and policy workshops. The Academy’s most prestigious award, the Cunningham Medal, was awarded in January to Nicholas Canny MRIA. Then in March, exactly at the time of an election of the new President, Officers and Council, Academy House closed as part of the national lockdown to prevent the spread of the Covid-19 virus. Academy members and staff immediately rose to this challenge in multiple and innovative ways. As the scale of the public health emergency confronting Ireland became increasingly clear, so did the need for expert and trustworthy information become more important. Many MRIAs contributed to the work of government committees and to communicating and explaining the emerging facts about the virus to the public. Within the Academy, the IT team quickly responded to the closure of Academy House by ensuring that as much business as possible could move online, and the Administration team planned for the 4 virtual running of Membership events, the Commerce, Ireland, were also awarded Stated General Meetings, all Council and virtually. The only ‘offline’ event took place Executive Committee meetings as well as in September, when Senior Vice President Admittance Day. They kept members and (SVP) Professor Gerry McKenna was able the Executive Committee connected and to attend a very small presentation of the answered calls for help with Microsoft Gold Medals to Professor Richard English Teams and Zoom patiently and efficiently. and Professor Vincent Fusco in Queen’s University Belfast. As it became evident that the pandemic was not a short-term emergency but would The establishment of a new government last for months, plans were made for the Department of Further and Higher virtual presentation of the Discourses Education, Research, Innovation and and other Academy events. One positive Science in June 2020 was warmly outcome from moving the Academy’s welcomed by the Academy. In writing events online was that they attracted a to the new minister, we emphasised our greatly increased audience. The Hamilton strong conviction that Irish government lecture, delivered by Professor Terence Tao, and society would greatly benefit from attracted a worldwide audience and has access to a fully independent science been viewed approximately 7,900 times advice mechanism, including experts from on our YouTube channel since. Similarly the arts, humanities, social and natural increases in attendees were noted for our sciences to provide objective analyses series of Discourses, which included a panel of scientific issues and associated policy discussion on the US Elections, ‘Cultural challenges. The Research for Public heritage and recent armed conflicts’ by Dr Policy and Society series, which will Mounir Bouchenaki and ‘Astronomy and be launched in collaboration with the Poetry’ by Professor Dame Jocelyn Bell Irish Research Council in early 2021, Burnell. John Bell Day also went virtual is designed to respond to the evolving with our partners Queen’s University policy environment by focusing on why Belfast hosting an unplugged student evidence-based policy matters and on how session and lecture on ‘Quantum Reality’ to harness the diverse expertise of Ireland’s by Professor Vlatko Vedral FInstP. The researchers across all disciplines. 2020 US-Ireland Research Innovation Awards, a joint initiative of the Royal Irish The Academy’s committees continued Academy and the American Chamber of their full programme of work throughout 5 the year and maintained the important I wish to acknowledge the continued scholarly focus in the humanities and financial support of the Department of social sciences and in scientific disciplines, Education and the HEA and to thank including climate change, while members, friends and corporate partners maintaining international linkages with who have made generous donations to sister academies and associations. support the work of the Academy. The digital nature of all the Academy’s The strategic direction of the Academy research projects meant that work could was guided by the newly elected Council continue with minimal interruption and undertaken with the work of the VP throughout 2020 and the Dictionary of for Research, Professor Jane Conroy; VP Irish Biography commenced a project to for Diversity Professor Anita Maguire; VP move to an ‘open access’ model, making the Daniel Carey; Science Secretary Catherine entire corpus freely available to all users. Godson, PL&A Secretary Mary O’Dowd The Academy also signed an agreement and Policy and International Secretary, with IReL, the national e-resource Brian Norton. I thank them all for the consortium, which will enable a number of commitment and contributions. RIA journal articles to be published open access from 2021. It was not a simple task to take over the leadership of the Academy just at the The Academy website and social media moment when the pandemic arrived. posts were invaluable in communicating I could not have addressed the urgent all events to members and to the public. day-to-day issues and decisions without That this impressive work programme was the support of the SVP Professor Gerry achieved in a time of crisis is a tribute to the McKenna, Secretary Professor Pat Shannon, dedication of the staff led by the Executive Treasurer Professor Stephen Gardiner and Director and the senior management team. Executive Director Dr Tony Gaynor. Staff members worked throughout the year to keep Academy House and the Library open whenever government regulations allowed and to keep our buildings secure when we were obliged to close. 6 Tony Gaynor, Executive Director 2020 was a very unusual year for the Royal Irish Academy. Closing the Academy doors to staff, members and the public in mid-March, was something that none of us could have envisaged at the start of the year. Along with other public sector organisations across the country, the Academy has had to adapt to a new way of working. Council meetings, Discourses, committee meetings and all other engagements have been delivered virtually for the first time. I would like to pay tribute to the extent to which colleagues within the Academy have responded to the challenge, adapting seamlessly to remote working and continuing to deliver on the Academy’s agreed objectives for 2020. The new way of working has created opportunities as well as challenges. The Academy has taken advantage of prioritising virtual delivery to engage with a wider audience than would have been possible through physical meetings and 7 events delivered in Academy buildings. • The development of a Celtic Academies We are determined to retain this increased alliance with sister academies in Scotland accessibility to Academy events once and Wales to cooperate on cross the immediate challenge of the current border issues. This resulted in a joint pandemic has passed. submission, with the Royal Society of Edinburgh, to the Irish Scottish Strategic Despite the challenges we faced in Review. 2020, great progress was made towards • Strengthened collaboration with implementing our Strategic Plan, 2019- key stakeholders such as the Irish 2023. The three main goals of the plan Research Council, the Irish Universities are to: Association and the Technological Higher Education Association on policy • Serve Ireland and the public issues related to higher education and good through the Academy’s research research.