George Abraham Grierson

“ From 1874 to 1876 he was president of the Dublin Obstetrical Society. He was president of the obstetric section of the Royal Academy of Medicine in Ireland in 1884-5, and again in 1895-7, and was president of the Academy 1900-3. In 1888 he was elected president of the Irish College of Physicians, and from 1889 to 1903 represented the college on the General Medical Council. In 1898 he retired from practice, in which he finally achieved great success. He died suddenly on the platform of Strood railway station near Rochester on 14 September 1910. He was buried at Mount Jerome cemetery, Dublin. ”

“ On 11 Jan. 1876 Atkinson was elected a member of the Royal Irish Academy, and in March became a member of its council. In 1876 he was chosen librarian. Secretary of council from 1878 to 1901, he was then elected president. Meanwhile in 1884 he was Todd professor of the Celtic languages in the academy, delivering an inaugural lecture on Irish lexicography on 13 April 1885. His connection with the Royal Irish Academy drew him to Celtic studies. His Celtic work was that of a pioneer, being undertaken before many fundamental principles of old Irish grammar were recognised. ”

“ ATKINSON, ROBERT (1839–1908) , philologist, born at Gateshead on 6 April 1839, was only child of John Atkinson, who was in business there, by his wife Ann. After education at the Anchorage grammar school close to his home from 1849 to 1856, he matriculated in Trinity College, Dublin, on 2 July 1856, but he spent the years 1857 and 1858 on the Continent, principally at Liège. There he laid the foundation of his knowledge of the Romance languages. On his return to Ireland he worked as a schoolmaster in Kilkenny till he won a Trinity College scholarship in 1862. ”