The Outer Edge: Workshop in Honour of Professor David Dickson

Neil Lecture Theatre, Trinity Long Room Hub

23rd September

Good morning,

I’m delighted to be here welcoming you all, and celebrating David, but it is for me, as I know for all here, a mixed delight. The only way to approach David’s retirement with equanimity is to hope that it will be retirement in name only and, that as Emeritus, David will continue to publish – indeed will have more time to publish – and more time to bring his scholarship and insights into the public sphere.

And that he will continue to be strongly connected to the college.

I’m not going to presume to tell a roomful of historians, how great a historian I think David is. But for someone like me, with a strong ‘lay interest’ I guess you would call it, in history, David is wonderful, not only for the clarity of his writings but for his willingness to share his learning.

When, a few years ago, I was looking for research projects to showcase in the annual Provost’s Review, which captures the highlights of the College year, I immediately thought of David. He had just published Dublin, The Making of a Capital City, and it was receiving wide coverage in the media. It’s a marvellous book, scholarly, accessible, full of riveting detail, and of course the story of Dublin is also, from 1592, the story of Trinity because of the College’s centrality to the city.

And when we began considering how to celebrate this year’s anniversary, the 425th year since Trinity’s founding, I again turned to David. He will introduce the symposium we are holding on Tuesday.

These are just two of my recent personal contacts with David.

I was Secretary to the Fellows in 1998, and the minute book in those days was all done by hand. Some years earlier David had also been Secretary to the Fellows, and leafing back through the pages of the minute book admired this I handwriting. So my first encounter with David was though his handwriting!  And later I worked with David when he held the office of Registrar in or around 2004. The Registrar’s role is a complex one involving representing both the College and the University externally, and at the time David held it, was also concerned with international student recruitment. Subsequently these portfolios were divided and in carrying them forward David showed considerable administrative skill which David has in spades.

More recently David has been convenor of the research theme ‘Making Ireland’; that this was selected as one of the key college research themes is a huge tribute to David. This theme is now going forward to be one of the “Trinity Electives” under the Trinity Education Project.

I know you have a very full programme today so I won’t go on further. Let me just say, on behalf of the whole university - David, you have been a wonderful member of staff. History is one of Trinity’s most glittering schools, and it’s one of the top History Schools in the world. You have done so much to bring this about – through your scholarship, your teaching, and the way you have inspired students and colleagues. I wish you the very best in your retirement and I hope you will remain deeply connected to the college.

Thank you.

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