The Irish Decorative and Fine Arts Society (IDFAS), established two years ago in Dublin, describes itself as a "society of like-minded persons" with an interest in all aspects of the decorative and fine arts in Ireland.

Their appropriately smart crest features the Latin motto Pulchritudo veritas; veritas pulchritudo (Beauty is truth; truth is beauty") and an acanthus leaf, a decorative motif widely used in Greek and Roman antiquity.

The society organises monthly lectures and offers members a programme of events including trips to country houses, private collections, archives, museums and galleries.

Conservation projects provide hands-on volunteers the chance to participate in a range of heritage projects led by professional conservators.

Annual membership is €65 (€100 for a couple) and the spring evening lecture series features some intriguing topics including: Shopping for French fashions in 18th-century Dublin by Dr Macushla Baudis, on February 27th; From factory floor to fine dining – making, selling and using glass in Ireland, 1730-1830 by Dr Anna Moran on March 20th; and, Sweet delights in Georgian Dublin by Dorothy Cashman and Tara Kellaghan on April 10th when, according to the society, "the sophistication of the gastronomic
tastes and practices of the gentry and aristocracy in 18th-century Ireland will be highlighted through an exploration of period confectionary, sweet wines, cordials and related material culture". See: idfas.com