Lord and Lady Aberdeen held the Viceroyalty of Ireland in 1886 and again from 1906 to 1915. They were both fervent advocates of Home Rule, aware of the imbalance between urban poverty and the new rural prosperity. The Church Street Disaster of 1913, in which the collapse of two tenement houses killed seven people, was one of a series of events that highlighted Dublin’s housing problem. The Aberdeens’ interest in the revitalisation of Dublin’s inner city and wider environs led to the exhibition and town planning competition.
From their opening speech,
“Recently, in the city of Dublin, there has been hosted an event which will bring to light topics concerning industry, trade, improvements in housing, and the issue of future peace and unity…The Earl of Aberdeen and his wife are, of course organising this progressive affair; befitting their own forward looking, sincere, and liberal outlook.”
*Courtesy of and with thanks to IFI Irish Film Archive*.
City Assembly House Panorama 