E.R. Richards-Orpen

E.R. Richards-Orpen

Father and son ER and John Richards-Orpen were both presidents of the Irish Grassland Association. From Monksgrange, Enniscorthy, County Wexford, Edward Richards-Orpen and his sister Iris Orpen were involved in the Arts and Crafts movement, to which Monksgrange significantly contributed. Edward became actively involved in social, economic and political issues in the Republic of Ireland, as did his son John Richards-Orpen. E R served in the British Army during WW1 and rose to the rank of captain. He was involved in Irish politics in later life, serving as an independent member of Seanad Eireann from 1948-1951. Edward R Orpen, representing the National Farmers Association, served on the board of the Agricultural Production Council set up by Agriculture Minister James Dillon in 1956. Both father and son served as governors of the Economic Research Institute (now ESRI) at the same time in 1961/62.