Carvings of Aesop’s Fables Uncovered in Conservation of Museum Building

Posted on: 22 March 2013

A  three year conservation programme of the Museum Building,  has been recently completed, revealing a series of elaborate carvings and  some of the finest examples of 19th century carved stonework.

The Museum Building  was built between 1853 and 1857 and currently houses the Schools of Engineering, Geography and Geology.  It features many interior and exterior carvings by John and James O’Shea, who gathered fresh flowers to use as their models. The restoration and conservation have also revealed a variety of birds, some with their young in nests, while the identification of panels depicting some of  Aesop’s fables and  a central panel referring to Darwin and evolution of species was a surprise.

See recent news item on RTE 6.01 News by RTE reporter Philip Bromwell:

The Caen stone panel over the entrance door has been cleaned to show Trinity College crest: look to the capital on the  left and see a bird being threatened by a lizard.

The restoration programme  was made possible through Government funding.