Prospectuses, Poems, and Playbills: Establishing Patronage Networks

Schoolmasters like Whyte participated in professional and social networks that enhanced their standing among the leaders of Dublin society. This chapter looks at how networks of schools, parents, schoolmasters, and students were connected to parallel social networks such as literary coteries and amateur theatrical circles. Whyte found his way into as many high visibility civic groups as possible. His unique ability to organize patronage networks played a leading role in shaping educational practices in Dublin into an informal but coherent system.