Lives of the Presidents is a collaborative project, aiming to create and share biographical sketches of the past-Presidents of the College. The project would not have been possible without the support of the numerous volunteers who wrote the biographical sketches of the Presidents. A full list of the contributors to the project can be found here.
We are still looking for volunteers to help us complete the project. To get involved just contact the Heritage Centre and we will provide you with a research pack on your chosen President and guidelines on writing the biography. CPD points are available for those who take part in the project.
In 1667 King Charles II granted a Royal Charter to the Fraternity of Physicians of Trinity Hall, establishing it as the College of Physicians of Dublin. This Charter established the office of President of the College and named John Stearne, the founder of the Fraternity, as President for life. Between the death of Stearne in 1669 and the granting of the second Royal Charter in 1692, the term of office of the President was not prescribed. With continuing political turmoil in Ireland during these decades the election of the College Presidents was erratic and not well recorded.
A second Royal Charter was granted to the College in 1692, this Charter specified that the President of the College was to be elected on St Luke's Day, 18th October, for a one-year term. Patrick Dun was named in the Charter as the first President of the re-founded College. In 1829 the College increased the normal term of the presidency to two years. This was increased again in 1927 to a three-year term, which it remains today. Except in special circumstances, since 1692 RCPI's Presidents have taken up and demitted from office on 18 October, the feast day of St Luke the patron saint of medicine.
A bibliography of the main sources used in compiling the biographies is available here.
Born: 1624
President: 1667 - 18 November 1669
Died: 1669
John Stearne, Professor of Medicine in Trinity College, founded the Fraternity of Physicians of Trinity Hall in 1654. In 1667 Stearne's Fraternity was incorporated as the College of Physicians of Dublin by Royal Charter and the Charter named Stearne as President for life.
Read the full biography of John Stearne
John Stearne
Born: 1622
President: 15 February 1672 – 1674
Died: 1677
Abraham Yarner arrived in Ireland as a Royalist soldier and he ended his career as a Knight of the Realm, Freeman of Dublin, ‘Doctor of Physick’ and the first elected President of the College.
Read the full biography of Sir Abraham Yarner
Sir Abraham Yarner
Born: 1638
President: 1674-1675, 1695-1696, 1701-1702, 1707-1708
Died: 1710
Ralph Howard was one of the fourteen Fellows named in the 1667 Charter, and one of Stearne's successors as Regius Professor of Physic in Trinity College. In 1693 Howard fought a duel with Sir Patrick Dun, another College President, the dispute is believed to have been over an appointment.
Read the full biography of Ralph Howard
Ralph Howard
Born: c.1630
President: 1675-1677
Died: 1694
Charles Willoughby was one of the fourteen founding Fellows of the College named in the 1667 Charter. A physician and scientist, he was a founder and effectively the first President of the Dublin Philosophical Society, to which he contributed papers on mathematics and physics.
Read the full biography of Charles Willoughby
Charles Willoughby
Born: c.1619
President: 1677-1681
Died: Unknown
Robert Waller was one of the founding Fellows of the College named in the 1667 Royal Charter. He was also State Physician to the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, a position he filled ‘very faithfully & with good success’.
Read the full biography of Robert Waller
Robert Waller
Born: 1642
President: 1681-1686, 1690-1693, 1696-1697, 1698-1699, 1706-1707
Died: 1713
Patrick Dun was physician to King William III's armies in Ireland, and used his influence with the King to lobby for a second Royal Charter for the College, granted in 1692. At his death Dun left a substantial trust to support the development of medical education in Ireland.
Read the full biography of Sir Patrick Dun
Sir Patrick Dun
Born: Unknown
President: 1687-1690 (election not confirmed)
Died: [1692]
John Crosby was elected as President by the College of Physicians, but the election was not ratified by Trinity College probably because of Crosby's Catholicism. The College of Physicians refused to elect another President for three years.
Read the full biography of John Crosby
John Crosby
Born: 1649
President: 1694-1695, 1697-1698, 1700-1701
Died: 1703
John Madden was named as a Fellow of the College in the 1692 Royal Charter and worked hard to expand the power of the College. He was also an antiquarian and collector of books and manuscripts.
Read the full biography of John Madden
John Madden
Born: 1656
President: 1699-1700
Died: 1724
Duncan Cumings served as Physician to the Williamite armies in Ireland, and was named as one of the Fellows of the College in the 1692 Royal Charter.
Read the full biography of Duncan Cumings
Duncan Cumings
Born: 1661
President: 1702-1703, 1709-1710, 1713-1714, 1720-1721
Died: 1733
Physician, natural historian and antiquarian, Molyneux made many diverse contributions to knowledge during his lifetime, including a discussion of the formation of the Giant's Causeway. In 1730 he became Ireland's first medical baronet.
Read the full biography of Sir Thomas Molyneux
Sir Thomas Molyneux
Born: c.1654
President: 1703-1704, 1710 (died in office)
Died: 1710
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Richard Steevens
Born: 1684
President: 1704-1705, 1708-1709, 19 Dec 1710-1711, 1719-1720, 1721-1722
Died: c.1732
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William Smyth
Born: 1663
President: 1705-1706, 1711-1712
Died: 1719
Robert Griffith
Born: Unknown
President: 1712-1713, 1723-1724
Died: 1750
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Patrick Mitchell
Born: 1673
President: 1714-1715, 1722-1723, 1738-1739
Died: 1749
James Grattan was King's Professor of Physic in Trinity, who campaigned to reform and modernise medical teaching in Dublin. A member of a prominent family in eighteenth century Ireland, he was also a friend of Jonathan Swift.
Read the full biography of James Grattan
James Grattan
Born: 1681
President: 1715-1716, 1724-1725
Died: 1730
Richard Hoyle was a proponent of the study of anatomy and carried out at least one dissection on warrant of the College, whose right to perform dissections was granted by the 1692 Charter. Hoyle became the first Lecturer in Anatomy and Surgery in the new medical school of Trinity which opened in 1711.
Read the full biography of Richard Hoyle
Richard Hoyle
Born: c.1682
President: 1728-1729, 1740-1741
Died: 1738
Richard Helsham lectured in natural philosophy at Trinity College, publishing Course of Lectures on Natural Philosophy which remained in use as a textbook for a century. He was physician to Jonathan Swift who described him as 'an ingenious good-humoured physician, a fine gentleman, an excellent scholar’.
Read the full biography of Richard Helsham
Richard Helsham
Born: Unknown
President: 1717-1718, 1726-1727
Died: Unknown
Samuel Jemmat
Born: c.1680
President: 1718-1719, 1727-1728, 1739-1740
Died: 1754
Image courtesy of the Trustees of the Edward Worth Library, Dublin
Bryan Robinson
Born: 1686
President: 1728-1729, 1740-1741
Died: 1743
Henry Cope was State Physician, Governor and Physician of Dr Steevens' Hospital and Professor of Physic, Trinity College. His daughter's scandalous elopement was recorded in the correspondence of Jonathan Swift.
Read the full biography of Henry Cope
Henry Cope
Born: 1686
President: 1729-1730, 1741-1742
Died: 1750
Francis LeHunt was one of the founders, and first Physician, at Mary Mercer's Hospital. When he inherited a fortune from his brother and he 'retired from the business of his profession and enjoyed his friends with a cheerfulness and good nature’.
Read the full biography of Francis LeHunt
Francis LeHunt
Born: 1687
President: 1730-1731
Died: 1736
Samuel Arnoldi was a physician in private practice in Dublin who seems to have some connection to Matthew and Letitia Pilkington.
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Samuel Arnoldi
Born: 1691
President: 1731-1732
Died: 1734
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Thomas Madden
Born: 1686
President: 1732-1733
Died: 1736
Alexander McNaughten was Medical Officer to the Blue Coat School in Dublin, a philanthropist, MP and founding member of the Royal Dublin Society.
Read the full biography of Alexander McNaughten
Alexander McNaughten
Born: 1696
President: 1733-1734, 1742-1743, 1759-June 1760
Died: 1760
William Stephens was Physician to Mercer's and Dr Steevens' Hospitals. Of extensive intellectual interests he lectured in botany and chemistry in Trinity College and was a founder member of the Royal Dublin Society.
Read the full biography of William Stephens
Image courtesy of the Trustees of the Edward Worth Library, Dublin
William Stephens
Born: 1684
President: 1734-1735
Died: 1737
John Van Lewen was Dublin's leading 'man-midwife' in the early decades of the eighteenth century. He was the father of celebrated authoress Laetitia Pilkington.
Read the full biography of John Van Lewen
John Van Lewen
Born: 1703
President: 1735-1736, 1743-1744
Died: 1745
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John Hemsworth
Born: 1688
President: 1736-1737, 1744-1745
Died: 1747
Thomas Kingsbury was physician to several leading Irish families and 'typified the style and habits of a prosperous practitioner'. His great great grandson was Oscar Wilde.
Read the full biography of Thomas Kingsbury
Thomas Kingsbury
Born: 1695
President: 1737-1738
Died: 1745
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Francis Foreside
Born: 1699
President: 1745-1746, 1761-1762
Died: 1783
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Patrick Hewetson
Born: 1705
President: 1746-1747
Died: 1747
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Edward Aston
Born: 1706
President: 1747-1748
Died: 1778
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Edward Smyth
Born: 1713
President: 1748-1749, 1760-1761
Died: 1770
Robert Robinson was Lecturer in Anatomy in Trinity College, when he carried out the dissection of the Irish giant Cornelius Magrath. Robinson was dismissed from this post in Trinity following a dispute between Trinity and the College of Physicians during his second term as President.
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Robert Robinson
Born: 1698
President: 1749-1750
Died: 1776
Sir Edward Barry, was born in Cork, a county he later represented as MP. A dispute in the 1750s led Barry to resign his Trinity Professorship and Fellowship of the College of Physicians, he moved to London where he established a new practice.
Read the full biography of Sir Edward Barry
Sir Edward Barry
Born: 1707
President: 1750-1751
Died: 1758
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Thomas Lhoyd
Born: 1708
President: 1751-1752
Died: 1762
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John Anderson
Born: 1708
President: 1752-1753, 1762-1763, 1770-1771, 1773-1774, 1778-1779 (died in office)
Died: 1779
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John Ferrall
Born: 1711
President: 1753-1754, 1763-1764
Died: 1779
Ezekiel Nesbitt was physician to the Dublin Lying-in (Rotunda) Hospital until he left Ireland in the 1760s and settled in Bath.
Read the full biography of Ezekiel Nesbitt
Ezekiel Nesbitt
Born: 1712
President: 1754-1755, 1764-1765, 1769-1770
Died: 1783
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Constantine Barbor
Born: 1712
President: 1755-1756
Died: 1776
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Anthony Relhan
Born: Unknown
President: 1756-1757, 1765-1766
Died: 1780
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Richard Wood
Born: 1716
President: 1757-1758
Died: 1762
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Adam Humble
Born: 1717
President: 1758-1759, 1766-1767, 1771-1772, 1774-1775, 20 Sep 1779-1780, 1781-1782
Died: 1791
Henry Quin was King's Professor of Physic in Trinity College and had an extensive private practice. Quin was an accomplished musician and a generous patron of the arts.
Read the full biography of Henry Quin
Henry Quin
Born: c.1725
President: 1767-1768, 1772-1773, 1775-1776
Died: 1785
Nathaniel Barry was the son of Sir Edward Barry another President of the College. Nathaniel was the first King's Professor of Chirurgery and Midwifery in Trinity College, and held the joint appointment as Physician General to the forces in Ireland with his father.
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Sir Nathaniel Barry
Born: 1726
President: 1768-1769, 1776-1777
Died: 1796
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Clement Archer
Born: c.1722
President: 1777-1778, 1780-1781
Died: 1784
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Francis Hutcheson
Born: 1741
President: 1782-1783, 1789-1790, 1795-1796, 1801-1802, 1808-1809, 1813-1814
Died: 1830
Edward Hill was Lecturer in Botany and Regius Professor of Physic in Trinity College who campaigned, unsuccessfully, for the income from the Dun's Trust to be spent on a Physic Gardern. Hill compiled one of the earliest surviving catalogues of Dun's Library.
Read the full biography of Edward Hill
Edward Hill
Born: 1786
President: 1783-1784, 1790-1791, 1796-1797
Died: Unknown
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Arthur Saunders
Born: 1751
President: 1784-1785, 1791-1792, 1797-1798, 4 August 1800-18 October 1800, 1802-1803, 1809-1810, 1814-1815
Died: 1819
William Harvey was Physician General to the Army and Consultant Physician to Dr Steevens’ and the Rotunda Hospitals. As President, Harvey led the College's programme to introduce small pox vaccination to Ireland
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William Harvey
Born: 1752
President: 1785-1786, 1792-1793, 1798-1799, 1803-1804, 1810-1811, 1815-1816
Died: 1819
Francis Hopkins was Master of the Rotunda Hospital, whose Mastership was dominated by a lack of trained Midwives and patient overcrowding.
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Francis Hopkins
Born: Unknown
President: 1786-1787, 1793-1794, 1800-1801
Died: Unknown
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Patrick Plunket
Born: Unknown
President: 1787-1788, 1794-1795, 1799 – 23 Oct 1799 (resigned)
Died: 1804
Edmund Cullen was a scholar and physician who used his knowledge of chemistry and physics to translate translated Torbern Bergman’s Physical and Chemical Essays into English.
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Edmund Cullen
Born: Unknown
President: 1788-1789
Died: 1819
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Charles William Quin
Born: 1756
President: 4 Nov 1799 – 4 August 1800
Died: 1839
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Robert Perceval
Born: c.1760
President: 1804-1805
Died: 1817
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Alexander Pelissier
Born: Unknown
President: 1805-1806, 1806-1807, 1811-1812, 1816-1817
Died: 1826
James Cleghorn was Professor of Anatomy in Trinity College and also State Physician and physician to St Patrick's Hospital. He championed gentler, more humane treatments for patients with mental illness.
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James Cleghorn
Born: c.1770
President: 1807-1808
Died: Unknown
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Daniel Mills
Born: 1775
President: 1812-1813, 1818-1819
Died: 1845
Thomas Orpen was a physician and philanthropist who was a member of a number of charitable societies. He was a member of the committee which drew up the first Dublin Pharmacopeia.
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Thomas Herbert Orpen
Born: c.1763
President: 1817-1818
Died: Unknown
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Anthony Gilholy
Born: 1796
President: 1819-1820, 1827-1828, 1831-1834
Died: 1844
Interested in infectious diseases Hugh Ferguson worked at the Hardwicke Fever Hospital, where he helped convince the board to establish a School of Medicine.
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Hugh Ferguson
Born: 1770
President: 1820-1821
Died: Unknown
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James Callanan
Born: 1782
President: 1821-1822
Died: Unknown
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George Francis Todderick
Born: c.1772
President: 1822-1823
Died: Unknown
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Robert Bredin
Born: 1781
President: 1823-1824, 1829-1831
Died: 1847
Samuel Litton was greatly interested in botany, he was Librarian and Professor of Botany at the Royal Dublin Society and promoted the National Botanic Gardens at Glasnevin.
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Image Courtesy of the National Library of Ireland
Samuel Litton
Born: 1786
President: 1824-1825
Died: 1845
John O'Brien was physician at the Cork Street Fever Hospital and lecturer in medicine in the Moore Street School.
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John O'Brien
Born: c.1779
President: 1825- 28 Jan 1826
Died: 1832
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James John Leahy
Born: 1769
President: 20 Feb 1826 -1827
Died: 1829
William Brooke founded the Association of Licentiates and Fellows of the King and Queen’s College of Physicians in Ireland ‘for the purpose of more intimately uniting the members of the College, and for the advancement of Medical Science’.
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William Brooke
Born: c.1792
President: 1828-1829
Died: 1841
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Charles Richard Alexander Lendrick
Born: 1794
President: 1834-1836
Died: 1864
Jonathan Osborne was a leading nephrologist and excellent lecturer. Osborne suffered from chronic rheumatism, in his will he requested to be buried standing up, so as not to be at a disadvantage on the day of judgement.
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Jonathan Osborne
Born: 1793
President: 1836-1838
Died: 1870
Croker was Physician and Governor of Dr Steevens' Hospital, he was also physician to the Rotunda, the Hospital for Incurables and St Patrick's Hospital.
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Charles Philips Croker
Born: 1794
President: 1838-1841
Died: 1865
George Kennedy was Physician to Cork Street Fever Hospital and the Sick Poor Dispensary, Meath Street. As Registrar Kennedy undertook the herculean task of indexing the early minute books of the College.
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George Alexander Kennedy
Born: 1790
President: 1841-1843, 1845-1847, 1857-1859
Died: 1860
Sir Henry Marsh was one of the founders of a hospital for sick children, which became the National Children's Hospital.
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Sir Henry Marsh
Born: 1796
President: 1843-1845
Died: 1853
Robert Graves was Physician to the Meath Hospital and King’s Professor in the Institute of Medicine in Trinity. Graves co-founded the Dublin Journal of Medical Science and was an early describer of the eponymous Graves' disease.
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Robert James Graves
Born: 1800
President: 1847-1849
Died: 1868
Robert Collins was the Master of the Rotunda Hospital responsible for the continued drive to reduce maternal mortality in the hospital by stressing cleanliness and adequate ventilation.
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Robert Collins
Born: 1804
President: 1849-1851, 1866-1867
Died: 1878
William Stokes published the first book in English on the use of the stethoscope. Physician to the Meath Hospital and Regius Professor of Physic in Trinity, he published on heart and chest diseases and advocated for the recognition of public health as a medical specialty
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William Stokes
Born: c.1798
President: 1851-1853
Died: 1859
William Featherston-Haugh Montgomery
Born: 1806
President: 1853-1855
Died: 1886
Evory Kennedy was an obstetrician and Master of the Rotunda, whose work on reducing deaths from puerperal fever was recognised by Ignaz Semmelweis.
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Evory Kennedy
Born: 1790
President: 1855-1857
Died: 1877
John Mollan was Physician Extraordinary at the Richmond Asylum in Grangegorman and was especially interested in the wellbeing and education of asylum patients.
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John Mollan
Born: 1802
President: 1859-1864
Died: 1880
Sir Dominic Corrigan was one of the outstanding Irish physicians, particularly remembered for his studies of haemodynamics. Corrigan was the President who oversaw the College's move to 6 Kildare Street.
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Sir Dominic Corrigan
Born: 1799/1800
President: 1864-1866
Died: 1872
Thomas Edward Beatty, obstetrician and gynaecologist, is the only man to have been President of both the Irish College of Physicians and Surgeons.
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Thomas Edward Beatty
Born: 1808
President: 1867-1869
Died: 1878
Fleetwood Churchill was a leading obstetrician and King’s Professor of Midwifery in Trinity. A prolific lecturer and writer, Churchill was also a pioneer of sanitary reform and founder of the Dublin Sanitary Association.
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Fleetwood Churchill
Born: 1811
President: 1869-1871
Died: 1908
Sir John Thomas Banks was Visiting Physician to the Richmond Lunatic Asylum and Regius Professor of Physic in Trinity College. He was retrospectively credited with promoting the teaching of modern psychiatry.
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Sir John Thomas Banks
Born: 1808
President: 1871-1873
Died: 1880
Alfred Hudson was Physician to the Adelaide and Meath Hospitals, Physician in Ordinary to the Queen in Ireland and Regius Professor of Physic at Trinity College. Hudson was the first President of the Dublin Branch of the British Medical Association.
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Alfred Hudson
Born: 1812
President: 1873-1875
Died: 1895
James Duncan was proprietor of the private asylum at Farnham House, Finglas and President of the Medico-Psychological Association.
Read the full biography of James Foulis Duncan
James Foulis Duncan
Born: 1816
President: 1875-1878
Died: 1898
Samuel Gordon was a physician and Lecturer. He was President of the College when the decision to allow women to take the College's exams was made.
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Samuel Gordon
Born: 1820
President: 1878-1880
Died: 1910
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Henry Haswell Head
Born: 1812
President: 1880-1882
Died: 1889
George Johnston was the Master of the Rotunda Hospital who advocated the use of midwifery forceps.
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George Johnston
Born: 1827
President: 1882-1883
Died: 1901
William Moore was King’s Professor of the Practice of Medicine in Trinity and Physician to Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital. Moore was actively involved with the BMA, and was Ireland's representative of the General Medical Council for 10 years.
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William Moore
Born: 1834
President: 1884-1886
Died: 1912
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Sir Richard Francis Cruise
Born: 1837
President: 1886-1888
Died: 1916
James Little
Born: 1827
President: 1888-1890
Died: 1910
Lombe Atthill was the Master of the Rotunda who introduced blood transfusion in the treatment of post-partum haemorrhage.
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Lombe Atthill
Born: 1841
President: 1890-1892
Died: 1922
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John Magee Finny
Born: 1844
President: 1892-1895
Died: 1932
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Walter George Smith
Born: 1839
President: 1895-1896
Died: 1900
Thomas Wrigley Grimshaw
Born: 1843
President: 1896-1898
Died: 1903
Sir George Duffey was founder of the Irish Hospital Gazette and was Physician to Mercer's and City of Dublin Hospitals. He was actively involved in the reform of Dublin's medical schools.
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Sir George Frederick Duffey
Born: 1845
President: 1898-1900
Died: 1937
Sir John William Moore was a distinguished physician, public health expert and meteorologist.
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Sir John William Moore
Born: 1849
President: 1900-1902
Died: 1914
Sir Christopher Nixon was Physician to the Mater Hospital and Professor of Medicine at the Cecilia Street School. Nixon was instrumental in the development of the School and its eventual incorporation into University College Dublin.
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Sir Christopher John Nixon
Born: 1843
President: 1902-1904
Died: 1908
Sir Arthur Macan was Master of the Rotunda, he championed the Listerian principles of anti-sepsis and further developed the system of nursing. In his last year at the Rotunda he reported the first successful case of Caesarean section in Ireland.
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Sir Arthur Vernon Macan
Born: 1850
President: 1904-1906
Died: 1941
Sir William Smyly was a member of a prominent Dublin medical family. He was an obstetrician and gynaecologist, as Master of the Rotunda he promoted patient care and on the education of midwives.
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Sir William Josiah Smyly
![[Redmond, Sir Joseph Michael]](https://rcpi-live-cdn.s3.amazonaws.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Redmond-Sir-Joseph-Michael.jpg)
Born: c.1853
President: 1906-1908
Died: 1921
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Sir Joseph Michael Redmond
Born: 1856
President: 1908-1910
Died: 1924
Sir Andrew Horne was one of the first joint Masters of the National Maternity Hospital. He and the hospital are mentioned in James Joyce's Ulysses.
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Sir Andrew Horne
Born: 1843
President: 1910-1912
Died: 1931
Sir John Hawtrey Benson worked at the Royal City of Dublin Hospital and as medical adviser in Ireland to the Colonial Office.
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Sir John Hawtrey Benson
Born: 1843
President: 1912-1914
Died: 1916
Charles Edward Fitzgerald was an ophthalmic surgeon and was Surgeon Oculist of Queen Victoria, King Edward VII and King George V.
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Charles Edward Fitzgerald
Born: 1853
President: 1914-1916
Died: 1925
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Ephraim MacDowel Cosgrave
Born: 1856
President: 1916-1919
Died: 1942
Joseph O'Carroll was Professor of Medicine at University College Dublin, and one of the Visiting Physicians of the Richmond, Whitworth and Hardwicke Hospitals. O'Carroll was a Colonel in the Royal Army Medical Corps, and Consulting Physician to the British Forces in Ireland during World War One.
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Joseph Francis O'Carroll
Born: 1861
President: 1919-1922
Died: 1933
Sir James Craig was Physician to the Meath and Sir Patrick Dun's Hospital, King's Professor of Medicine in Trinity and Physician-inOrdinary to the Lord Lieutenant. An MP, and later TD, for Dublin University, he was active in Dáil in public health -matters and sponsored legislation on the Irish Hospital Sweepstake.
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Sir James Craig
Born: 1852
President: 1922-1924
Died: 1926
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Michael Francis Cox
Born: 1861
President: 1924-1925
Died: 1929
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William John Thompson
Born: 1865
President: 1925-1927
Died: 1941
Thomas Wilson was Gynaecologist to the Richmond Hospital and Sir Patrick Dun’s Hospital, and King’s Professor in Midwifery at Trinity College. Described as ‘a rational man ... his skill as a surgeon won for him a good gynaecological practice. He was a charming companion, his friends found him kindly, humorous and tolerant’.
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Thomas Henry Wilson
Born: 1868
President: 1927-1930
Died: 1935
William Winter was Physician to Dr Steevens' Hospital and he served with the Royal Army Medical Corps during the First World War. He was so unassuming that his capacity and dignity as President of the College 'exceeded the anticipations even of his friends'.
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William Arthur Winter
Born: 1878
President: 1930-1933, March 1934 - 18 October 1934
Died: 1960
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Thomas Gillman Moorhead
Born: 1877
President: 1933-28 February 1934
Died: 1934
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Francis Carmichael Purser
Born: 1864
President: 1934 - 1937
Died: 1945
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John Agar Matson
Born: 1875
President: 1937-1940
Died: 1943
William Boxwell was the first pathologist to be elected President, Boxwell was appointed Professor of Pathology and Bacteriology in RCSI. Boxwell and his cousin Henry Stokes were Presidents of the two Irish Colleges at the same time and both were grandsons of William Stokes.
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William Boxwell
Born: 1873
President: 1940-1943
Died: 1944
Robert Rowlette was a physician, author, athlete and politician. He was the first Deputy to enter the Dáil without taking the Oath of Allegiance to the King.
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Robert James Rowlette
Born: 1876
President: 1943-1946
Died: 1958
Following an early interest in diagnostic radiology William Harvey followed a career in dermatology. He was dermatologist to the Adelaide and National Children's Hospital, and had an extensive private practice.
Read the full biography of William Geoffrey Harvey
William Geoffrey Harvey
Born: 1885
President: 1946-1949
Died: 1963
Bethel Solomons gave up his international rugby career for obstetrics and gynaecology, becoming the first Jewish Master of the Rotunda. He knew many of the literary figures of his day, and is referenced by Joyce in Finnegans Wake.
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Bethel Solomons
Born: 1896
President: 1949-1952
Died: 1961
Leonard Abrahamson was nearly expelled from Trinity for inviting Padriag Pearse to speak at a student event. He went on to become a leading cardiologist and founded the Jewish Representative Council.
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Born: 1890
President: 1952-1955
Died: 1974
Edward Freeman was physician to the Mater Hospital, where he devoted his energies to the institution’s therapeutic and academic development.
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Edward Thomas Freeman
Born: 1894
President: 1955-1958
Died: 1978
Francis O'Donnell was a long-serving dermatologist to the Hume Street Hospital, and Governor of the Apothecaries' Hall of Ireland.
Read the full biography of Francis Joseph O'Donnell
Francis Joseph O'Donnell
Born: 1889
President: 1958-1960
Died: 1968
Patrick O'Farrell specialised in cardiology, and was the founder and first President of the Irish Cardiac Society. Early in his career O'Farrell was one of the doctors who signed a certificate stating James Connolly was mentally fit to stand trial.
Read the full biography of Patrick Theodore Joseph O'Farrell
Patrick Theodore Joseph O’Farrell
Born: 1902
President: 1960-1963
Died: 1981
Robert Steen was a renowned paediatrician, sportsman and musician. Steen performed the first cardiac catheterisation and angiocardiogram in Ireland in 1950. Along with Dorothy Price he pioneered BCG inoculation in Ireland.
Read the full biography of Robert Elsworth Steen
Robert Elsworth Steen
Born: 1905
President: 1963-1966
Died: 1987
Robert Brian Pringle was a physician and occupational health pioneer. He was Chief Medical Officer at Guinness’s Brewery, lecturer in occupational medicine at Trinity College and founded the Association of Industrial Medical Officers of Ireland.
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Robert Brian Pringle
Born: 1909
President: 1966-1969
Died: 1974
Albert Thompson was Professor of Medicine in RCSI and Physician to St Laurence's Hospital Dublin. During World War II Thompson helped establish a Red Cross Hospital at Sainte Lô, Normandy.
Read the full biography of Albert Herbert Thompson
Albert Herbert Thompson
Born: 1909
President: 1969-1972
Died: 1995
Specialising in dermatology, David Mitchell held appointments at many Dublin hospitals. He helped reform medical education and the Membership exam in the College. He summarised ‘the hallmarks of a profession are learning, integrity, self-imposed discipline and independence’.
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David Michael Mitchell
Born: 1902
President: 1972-1974
Died: 1980
William John Edward Jessop was Professor of Physiology at RCSI, and then Dean of the School of Physic in Trinity. He provided leadership to reorganise hospital services, aiming to improve the quality of patient care and of clinical teaching.
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William John Edward Jessop
Born: 1919
President: 1974-1977
Died: 1991
Bryan Alton Specialising in gastroenterology and devoted much of his professional career to the Mater Hospital. A member of Seanad Eireann, he was involved in the 1960s Fitzgerald Report, Outlining the Future Hospital System.
Read the full biography of Bryan Gerald Alton
Bryan Gerald Alton
Born: 1918
President: 1977-1980
Died: 2004
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Alan Proctor Grant
Born: 1915
President: 1980-1983
Died: 2006
Dermot Holland was Professor of Pathology and Dean of Medicine in RCSI and was an engaging and succinct lecturer and was always most gracious and understanding when interacting with medical students.
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Dermot Holland
Born: 1922
President: 1983-1986, January - 18 October 1989
Died: 2011
John Gilbert Kirker
Born: 1920
President: 1986-30 Dec 1988
Died: 1988
As a general physician to the Mater Hospital, Ivo Drury developed the endocrine and diabetes unit and was instrumental in setting up the hospital’s diabetic day case centre. He co-founded the Corrigan Club to encourage cross-border collaboration between doctors.
Read the full biography of Michael Ivo Francis Drury
Michael Ivo Francis Drury
Born: 1928
President: 1989-25 May 1991
Died: 1991
Ciaran Barry’s career had three major strands, rheumatology at the Mater, rehabilitation, particularly for children with cerebral palsy, at the Central Remedial Clinic, and as Registrar and President of the College of Physicians.
Read the full biography of Ciaran Barry
Ciaran Barry
Born: 1929
President: May 1991-1994
Died: 2004
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John Stephen Doyle
President: 1994 - 1997
Stanley Roberts
President: 1997-2000
Brian Keogh
Born: 1938
President: 2000-2003
Died: 2004
Des Canavan specialised in infectious diseases, working at various Belfast hospitals and driving developments in that city. He was an active member of the Corrigan Club, fostering cross-border medical collaboration. His presidency saw the development of comprehensive training programmes and the project to refurbish 6 Kildare Street.
Read the full biography of Desmond Canavan
Desmond Canavan
President: 2003 - 2006
T J McKenna
President: 2006- February 2007
John F Murphy
President: July 2007-2011
John Donohoe
President: 2011-2014
John Crowe
President: 2014-2017
Frank Murray
President: 2017-
Mary Horgan
Harriet is Keeper of Collection and manages the RCPI Heritage Centre. Contact Harriet with any questions about the Heritage Centre, its collection and to make an appointment to visit.
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