Receptions
Delegates and their accompanying persons are warmly invited to attend the following free receptions. Admission is strictly by Congress badge – make sure to wear yours! Note: The City Chambers and Govan Old are both readily accessible from the University by Subway and other forms of public transport. Detailed travel information will be supplied.
Civic Reception, Glasgow City Chambers (Monday 1900 – 2000)
As guests of the Lord Provost, ICCS15 delegates and their accompanying persons are invited to attend a wine reception in the City Chambers. Situated in George Square, at the heart of the city, and still a centre of government, the City Chambers are a spectacular monument to 19th-century Glasgow’s wealth, power and confidence as ‘The second city of the Empire’. The interior is decorated with alabaster, mahogany, mosaic tiles and stained glass, and contains the famous three-storey, ornate Carrera marble staircase, reputedly the largest marble staircase in the world.
Govan Old and the Pearce Institute (Tuesday 1900 – 2100)
Once a separate settlement on the south of the Clyde, now absorbed into the city of Glasgow, Govan has enjoyed two periods of greatness. And, as locals are proud to point out, that is two more than most places! Our evening is a celebration of both these periods: the 19th and 20th centuries – when Gaels flocked to what was then the centre of the world-famous Clydeside ship-building industry – and the 9th–11th centuries when Govan was the royal power-centre of the British kingdom of Strathclyde. The evening begins in the architecturally distinguished setting of Govan Old church where there will be an opportunity to view the internationally significant collection of 31 Viking Age sculptures (http://www.thegovanstones.org.uk/), which includes crosses, slabs, five immense ‘hog-back’ stones, and the tomb-shrine sarcophagus of Constantine, Pictish royal martyr-saint (d.876). This well-connected king of Picts was the son of Cinaed mac Alpín, and brother-in-law to High-kings of Ireland Aed Findliath and Flann Sinna (through his sister Máel Muire) and to king of Strathclyde Rhun ap Artgal. In the course of the evening we will be joined by the Glasgow Islay Gaelic Choir who will perform a special short programme of music to celebrate Govan and Glasgow’s Gaelic heritage. The evening concludes with a drinks reception in the adjacent Pearce Institute.
University of Glasgow Hunterian Museum (Thursday 1815 – 2000)
Thanks to the generosity of Glenmorangie, the ICCS Organising Committee are pleased to host a Whisky reception in the University’s Hunterian Museum – Scotland’s oldest public museum and one of the leading university museums in the world. The core of the Hunterian’s original collections came from the eclectic bequest of the Scottish anatomist, royal obstetrician and scientist William Hunter (d.1783). In addition to internationally significant collections of art by Charles Rennie Macintosh, James Whistler, and others, the Hunterian has superb geological, zoological, anatomical, archaeological, ethnographic and scientific instrument collections, together with one of the world’s greatest numismatic collections (which includes Celtic coinage). Of particular interest to delegates are the outstanding Roman and ‘native’ artefacts from the Antonine Wall.
[Free but numbers limited: booking essential]
University Library, Special Collections (Thursday 1815 – 2000)
A drinks reception and opportunity to view a special exhibition of manuscripts and early printed books in the Library’s Special Collections which are of interest to Celticists.
Note: The exhibition is also open for viewing during the day on Tuesday (times tbc).
[Free but numbers limited: booking at time of check-in essential]
