... Ireland's historic observatories at Armagh and Dunsink near Dublin, founded in the eighteenth century, were distinguished centres of astronomy for well over a hundred years. ... Armagh survived, but without its early scientific prestige; Dunsink virtually ceased to function in 1921 and closed completely in 1937. ... Then, in 1946, after World War II ended, Dr Eric Lindsay, the recently appointed Director, commenced a bold programme of modernization at Armagh Observatory. ...