A talk and a walk in the park

THE SOCIAL NETWORK:Madam Olda FitzGerald, of Glin Castle in Co Limerick, opened a seminar entitled Dublin's Victorian and Edwardian Parks at the RDS on Tuesday. It was organised by the Irish Georgian Society and the Irish Landscape Institute. After lunch there was a field trip to nearby Herbert Park.

Madam Fitzgerald is the wife of the late Knight of Glin, who was a former president of the society. She strolled over to the RDS from her Dublin town house, on Waterloo Road. Mary Bryan, the chairwoman of the Irish Georgian Foundation, reminisced about Prof Kevin B Nowlan, who died recently. “He was amazing for 91. I was at a meeting with him a week before he died.”

Rob Goodbody, a consultant on historic buildings, spoke about how to protect features in parks. He is a member of the Goodbody family of millers and jute manufacturers of Clara, Co Offaly, who in turn were the ancestors of the solicitors and stockbrokers. Referring to a book on the family that came out last year, The Goodbodys: Millers, Merchants and Manufacturers – The Story of an Irish Quaker Family 1630-1950, written by his cousin Michael Goodbody, he said, “It’s some book. I put it on the front seat of the car and the car kept telling me the passenger didn’t have a seat belt.”

Thomas Pakenham, who doesn’t use his title, Lord Longford, was chatting to the garden historian Finola Reid, who is working on a report on the development of Dartmouth Square in Dublin 6. “The square is at a certain stage in its life,” she said.

Who we spotted:Nicola Matthews, conservation officer for Dublin City Council; Marion Cashman, conservation architect; Carmel Humphreys; Maria Gough.