Butterflies Land on Trinity!

Posted on: 09 September 2015

The Zoology Building at Trinity College Dublin witnessed the sudden and unexpected appearance of a rare species of butterfly in August.

About to visit her great-grandfather’s butterfly and moth collection in Trinity College Dublin’s Zoological Museum, Lucie Norwell was proposed to on the front steps of the Zoology Building by her partner, Paul Wolstenholme. They are now engaged to be married.

Paul later confessed to having some butterflies of his own as he popped the question. Speaking about the special event he said:  “Lucie has wanted to come to Dublin and see her great-grandfather’s collection, which is conserved in the School of Natural Sciences’ Zoology Building, for some time. When we got to the front steps, it just seemed the right moment to go for it.”

The collection of Dr Henry Murray, a Trinity alumnus, is among the most important collections held in the Zoological Museum.  He was was a GP in Clonmel in the 1920s, and a keen entomologist. Dr Martyn Linnie, Zoological Museum Curator explained that “Dr Murray’s collection was expertly assembled, and it is one of the most important we hold, often being used by academics for reference.”

But the last word goes to Lucie, who said, “I had absolutely no idea that Paul was about to do such a lovely thing, if my great-grandfather Harry had been looking down, I’m sure he’d be as happy as me.”