It was entirely funded by William Dargan, entrepreneur and developer of Irish railways. He had planned to donate $100,000 to the effort, but ended up giving $400,000. The intent of the exhibition was to introduce the industrial revolution to Ireland, which was behind some other European countries.
Visitors were struck with the richness and splendor of the building more than by any of the objects that it contained. Critics described the large exhibition building and "the rapidity with which it was erected", and "the sufficiency of its plans, and the enormous mass of its carefully worked materials." The building is described by The Illustrated DublinExhibition Catalogue as: On 12 May 1853, when the exhibition opened, the architect, John Benson, was granted a knighthood. Part of the roof blew off during a storm on Christmas Eve, the year before opening.
Exhibits
Some limited Irish furniture industry was shown, including the linen and lace industry which the Irish could identify with. Also Bog woodcarvings and Celtic Revival jewellery and other items were showcased, including the Tara Brooch, displayed with the modern imitations which were already fashionable. However none of this inspired new Irish Industry. There were a few American exhibits including Colt and Singer. Colt sold 40 pistols to the Irish prison system. There were also some exhibits from Australia, including examples of gold from several fields. It was the first Worlds Fair to exhibit fine arts paintings. Included in the fine arts section were the calotype photographs which had been taken by Edward King-Tenison, of Castle Tenison, Co. Roscommon of the villages and towns of Spain. E.K. Tenison had developed a technique which enabled him to enlarge his pictures to a size which were appropriate for exhibition. British exhibits were limited to those companies who were looking for markets in Ireland, with little success. It was only during its last month that Dargan convinced the railways to offer a very inexpensive excursions rate and combined with an admission ticket for almost nothing, did some of the general Irish public get to see the crystal palace in Dublin.
Outcome
The Illustrated Dublin Exhibition Catalogue commented; However, overall attendance was lower than expected at approximately 1.15 million visitors, leaving Dargan with a financial loss of approximately £9,000. This has been attributed to the fact the common Irish country person could not identify with much of the technology of the time. It was also overshadowed by the exhibitions held in New York and London the same year.
