Spring 2026 Events
Summergrove House, County Laois.
Palm Beach Dinner 2026
March 15, 2026 6:00 PM
Club Colette
215 Peruvian Avenue,
Palm Beach, FL 33480
The Irish Georgian Society requests the pleasure of your company at Club Colette, where we will be joined by Arthur Edward Guinness, 4th Earl of Iveagh.
About the speaker:
Arthur Edward (Ned) Guinness, the 4th Earl ofIveagh, was born in Dublin, raised at Farmleigh House, and educated in Ireland and England. Now splitting time between Ireland and Elveden Hall in Suffolk, England, Lord Iveagh is a former Cross Bench Independent Peer in the House of Lords and an active farmer and philanthropist. He is a Trustee of the Iveagh Trust, the oldest housing charity in Ireland, which provides over 2,000 homes in Dublin for those in need.
About the talk:
In conversation with Robert O’Byrne, Lord Iveagh will discuss his new book, Guinness: A FamilySuccession, the dramatic true story of his ancestor’s creation of the largest brewery in the world. Against the backdrop of convulsive times in Ireland and Britain, the book explores the Guinness family’s rise from obscurity in Kildare to the pinnacle of Irish and British society. Ned will explore the challenges confronted by each generation, beginning with his great-great-grandfather, Edward Cecil Guinness, who became the richest man in Ireland, and guiding us through the legacy left by those who followed as he reflects on his family heritage.
Schedule:
6:00pm - Reception
7:00pm - Dinner
Palm Beach Luncheon 2026
March 17, 2026 11:30 AM
The Beach Club
755 N County Road,
Palm Beach, FL 33480
The Irish Georgian Society requests the pleasure of your company at the Beach Club, where we will be joined by author and historian Adrian Tinniswood.
About the speaker:
Adrian Tinniswood is a distinguished English writer and historian with expertise on the social and architectural history of Ireland and the UK. Based in the West of Ireland, Tinniswood studied English and Philosophy at Southampton University before receiving his MPhil at Leicester University. He has served roles with both the HeritageLottery Fund and the National Trust, ultimately leading to his appointment asOfficer to the Order of the British Empire (OBE) for his dedicated work in the field of heritage studies.
About the talk:
Adrian Tinniswood will discuss his new book, Houses of Guinness, which tells the histories of the legendary Guinness family of brewers, philanthropists, and socialites through their country estates and town houses. He will examine Irish home such as Farmleigh House in Dublin and Luggala in theWicklow Mountains, as well as British houses including Elveden in Suffolk - the17,000-acre estate bought by Edward Cecil Guinness, 1st Earl of Iveagh, in 1893- and Robert Adam's Kenwood on Hampstead Heath, which Lord Iveagh saved from destruction and bequeathed to the British government. Unraveling the stories of more than a dozen great Guinness houses, Tinniswood reveals what life was like for a dynasty that rose from ordinary beginnings in Georgian Dublin to become one of the most powerful families in Ireland and the UK.
Schedule:
11:30am - Reception
12:30pm - Lunch
Naples Luncheon 2026
March 18, 2026 11:30 AM
Grey Oaks Country Club
2400 Grey Oaks Drive N.
Naples, FL 34105
The Irish Georgian Society requests the pleasure of your company at Grey Oaks Country Club, where we will be joined by author Robert O'Byrne.
About the speaker:
Roberty O’Byrne is a writer and lecturer specializing in thefine and decorative arts. He is the author of more than a dozen books, amongthem Luggala Days: The Story of a Guinness House (Cico Books) and TheLast Knight: A Tribute to Desmond FitzGerald, 29th Knight of Glin (LilliputPress). Robert is a former Vice-President of the Irish Georgian Society andtrustee of the Alfred Beit Foundation. He currently serves as a trustee of theApollo Foundation and the Artists Collecting Society. He is a frequent contributorto The Burlington Magazine as well as writing a monthly column for Apollo Magazine.
About the talk:
Robert O’Byrne’s most recent publication, The IrishCountry House: A New Vision, explores some of the most captivating andunusual interiors in Ireland. Whether in the transformation of the derelictestate, the preservation of a historic hunting lodge, or the re-creation of aGothic fantasy, each of the homes in this extraordinary book reflects a renewedvitality in the contemporary approach to Irish country homes.
Schedule:
11:30am - Reception
12:15pm - Lunch
Gurteen House, County Sligo.
Nesta Fitzgerald at Ireland House
Thursday, April 23rd, 2026
Ireland House
401 Michigan Avenue, #1500
Chicago, IL 60611
The Irish Georgian Society invites you to celebrate the artwork of Nesta Fitzgerald. A selection of Nesta’s work will be going on display at Ireland House — the Consulate General of Ireland in Chicago. Join us for drinks and conversation with the artist as we view her most recent pieces.
About the Artist:
Nest Fitzgerald, daughter of Desmond Fitzgerald, Knight of Glin and former President of the Irish Georgian Society, is an illustrator based in Dublin. Nesta creates bespoke artwork for a wide range of international clientele including the British Embassy in Paris, Selfridges Department Store in London, the Crawford Art Gallery, the Hunt Museum, and various historic landmarks and buildings such as Tullynally Castle, Ballyfin Hotel, Glin Castle, and Chiswick House. Her work has been published in three books by the Irish Georgian Society and Churchill House Press as well as Gloss and Oldie magazine. Her most recent exhibition, Dublin Facades (August 2024), was featured as a part of Ireland’s National Heritage Week
Schedule:
6:00pm — Reception
Summergrove House, County Laois. Photo by Luke White. Image from “The Irish Country House: A New Vision” by Robert O’Byrne. Courtesy of Rizzoli.
Rush Hill House, County Roscommon. Photo by Luke White. Image from “The Irish Country House: A New Vision” by Robert O’Byrne. Courtesy of Rizzoli.
Gurteen House, County Sligo. Photo by Luke White. Image from “The Irish Country House: A New Vision” by Robert O’Byrne. Courtesy of Rizzoli.
Glin Castle Illustration by Nesta Fitzgerald