RMcM

Thanks for your response. I’d better come clean – I’m the Ruth McManus to whom you refer (now in TCD Geography Department)! I’ve been unearthing further material on the public utility societies and there appears to have been a network of individuals who keep cropping up. One of these is Clara Moser, who was a signatory of the rules of the first society (St. Barnabas in East Wall, organised by Rev. Hall) but also appears to have been involved in the Charlemont PUS much later – Michael Scott was their architect. I’m trying to figure out the relationships between the likes of Clara Moser, Dr Collis, Rev Gwynn and others, but there is a dearth of documentary evidence and a lot of it is guesswork. Many of these individuals were associated with the Civics Institute of Ireland and the early town planning movement.
Thanks again for your interest.