Heritage Society
About
About the network
The Heritage Society was created in 1983 to record and conserve engineering artefacts and collect archival material, a remit taken on by the Industrial Heritage Association of Ireland in 1996.
Today, we organise annual events, site visits and exhibitions on engineering history for Engineers Ireland members and the general public.
Past projects and publications
We played an influential role in arranging for engineering archives to be accommodated in the Irish Architectural Archive.
From 1988 to 1995, we ran a project to identify and record over 200 sites of civil engineering significance in the country. In 1998, the results of the project were published as the book Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland.
The project was part-funded by the Heritage Council. It was directed by Ron Cox of TCD and organised by the Heritage Society in association with the Panel for Historical Engineering Works of the Institution of Civil Engineers. Similar work was carried out in Northern Ireland by the ICE.
Our members have also published a number of biographical studies of famous engineers in Ireland.
Who can join?
The Heritage Society is of particular relevance to those working, studying or researching engineering artefacts and heritage or those who have an interest in these areas.
However membership is open to all members of Engineers Ireland.
How to join
If you are already a member of Engineers Ireland, you can join any number of Regions, Divisions and Societies in our Members Area
It is free to join our network, and once you join, you can:- Use our discussion forum
- Post comments on articles and blogs
- Join the Contacts Network to locate and send messages to other professionals
Events
We organise a series of papers, lectures and presentations each year on a range of topics concerning engineering history and heritage.Recent topics include:
- The Ulster Canal: history and future
- Protecting Ireland’s railway heritage
- The county surveyors of Ireland
- Dublin Airport: history and development
- Towards better health: a history of Dublin’s water supply and drainage
- The story of the Drumm battery train
- Nuclear energy: a brief history
- Engineering Ireland: a look at how our foremost engineers shaped the country
A number of our evening lectures are broadcast live as webcasts on Engineers TV, or are available to download as recordings from the website.
Lectures are normally held on a Monday evening at 8:00pm at Engineers Ireland headquarters.
Contacts
Chairman
- Dr Ron Cox
- Inishnee
- Shankill
- Dublin 18
- Tel: 01 8962544
- Email: rcox@tcd.ie
Secretary & Liaison Committee Representative
- Con Kehely
- Quality Bus network Project Office
- 4th Floor Verizon Building
- Lower Erne Street
- Dublin 2
- Tel: 01 6860113
- Mob: 087 8119841
- Email: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
Events
The Lartigue Monorail Railway, Co. Kerry: the world’s first
Date: 11th October, 2010
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speaker: Lartigue Monorail volunteer
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
The lighthouses of North County Dublin
Date: 15th November, 2010
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speaker: Frank Pelly, curator, Irish Lights Museum
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
Conservation engineering with examples from Ireland, England and Wales
Date: 21st February, 2011
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speaker: Jon Avent, chair of CARE, BSc(Hons) CEng MIStructE IHBC accredited conservation engineer
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
Tunnelling in Ireland- past and present
Date: 14th March, 2011
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speaker: Dr Trevor Orr, TCD, civil engineering
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
John Rennie (1761-1821)
Date: 11th April, 2011
Time: 7.30pm
Venue: Engineers Ireland, 22 Clyde Road, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4
Admission: Free. All welcome
About the speaker: Peter Cross-Rudkin, MA MBA CEng MICE
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
AGM
Date: May 2010
Time: TBC
Venue: TBC
Contact: Con Kehely, secretary, Heritage society
E: con.kehely@dublincity.ie
Papers
The conservation engineer
Presented by Ivor McElveen, CEng
10th May, 2010
Content
- Conservation mantras
- Requirements of a conservation engineer
- Protection
- Stakeholders
- Repair to Georgian house
- Harling of 15th century Irish tower-house
- Wall collapse
- Repair to collapsing medievil column
- Repair to stone masonry bridge
- Medieval retaining wall
- What's happening?
- Resolution
Download The conservation engineer (PDF)
Download text to accompany 'The conservation engineer' lecture (PDF)
A Century of Irish Concrete Bridges
Presented by Seoirse MacCraith, Heritage society of Engineers Ireland
22 March, 2010
Content
- Concrete Bridges pre 1900
- Concrete Bridges 1901-1910
- Concrete Bridges 1911-1920
- Concrete Bridges 1931-1940
- Concrete Bridges 1941-1950
- Concrete Bridges 1951-1960
- Concrete Bridges 1961-1970
- Concrete Bridges 1971-1980
- Concrete Bridges 1981-1990
- Concrete Bridges 1991-2000
- Concrete Bridges 1910-2010
Download A Century of Irish Concrete Bridges (PDF)
Download Concrete Bridges Photographs (PDF)
Download Reference books (PDF)
A Century of Civil and Structural Engineering in Ireland 1908 - 2008
Presented by Ronald Cox, Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin
10 February, 2009
Content
Institutions:
- Institution of Civil Engineers 1818
- Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland 1835
- Institution of Municipal Engineers 187
- Institution of Structural Engineers 1908
Download A Century of Civil and Structural Engineering in Ireland 1908 - 2008 (PDF 12.1MB)
Dublin's Trams - Past & Present
Presented by Michael Sheedy, Director, Light Rail, Railway Procurement Agency
September 29, 2008
Content
- Images and information about the birth, development and future plans of Dublin's tram systems.
Download Dublin's Trams - Past and Present (PDF 1 MB)
Water, Drainage, People and Heritage
Presented by Michael Corcoran, Dublin City Council
12 March, 2007
Content
Water and drainage are two of the most vital services in maintaining our health. This paper has a brief look at the major Dublin systems - six for water and seven for drainage - that our city and suburbs have relied on over the centuries. It is also right to pay tribute to a few of the many individuals who, in very difficult times, contributed so much both to engineering and improving peoples’ lives. The work and foresight of those long departed heroes laid the foundations of the comfortable lifestyles we enjoy today.
Download Water, Drainage, People and HeritageWater, Drainage, People and Heritage (PDF 0.8MB)
Case Studies in Building Conservation
Presented by Ezra Mac Manamon, Engineering Services, Office of Public Works
22 November 2004
Content
- Lime - Manufacture, properties, and the different types of lime
- Water - Some of its adverse effects on Building structures, and their durability
- Bonding in Stone Masonry. - Through Stones, Bond Stones and Bonding between courses
- Design Philosophy for Masonry ties - What are they expected to do?
- The need for Appraisal of Buildings prior to carrying out refurbishment
- Safety Issues- examples of issues that arose in cases
Download Case Studies in Building Conservation (PDF 2.78MB)
Maintenance of a Masterpiece - St Fin Barres Cathedral, Cork
Presented by John Burgess, B.A., BAI (Mech Eng), M.Des. Sc. (Building Services), C Eng
12th November 2002
Content
- Introduction
- St Fin Barre
- A New Cathedral
- The Architect
- The Cathedral Building
- Maintenance Of St Fin Barres Cathedral
- Upgrading Of The Heating System
- Consultation
- Design Programme – (Before And After)
- Under Floor Heating
- Environmentally Sustainable Design (Esd)
Download Maintenance of a Masterpiece - St Fin Barres Cathedral, Cork (PDF 0.3MB)
The Bologna Declaration
Presented by
- Liam Connellan, President IEI
- Prof. W.G. Jones, member of Cesaer Bologna Working Group, Imperial College of Science, Technology Mnd medicine, London
- Prof. Arne Jacob, Technical University of Braunschweig, Germany
- Prof. John Kelly, Dept. of Chemical Engineering, UCD
- Pat Mclaughlin, Head of School of Engineering, ITT, Dublin
20 November, 2001
Content
- The bologna declaration – response of cesaer 6
- The 3 + 2 structure as applied in engineering programmes in German universities
- The benefits of the 4 year engineering degree
- Implications of Bologna Declaration for engineering programmes in institutes of technology
- Transcript of plenary discussion
Download The Bologna Declaration (PDF 0.75MB)
Demesne Bridges in Ireland
Presented by Ronald C.Cox, Trinity College, Dublin
Content
During the year 2003, the author, with the aid of a grant from the Heritage Council, undertook a nationwide survey of bridges located on present and former demesnes associated at one time or another with the big houses and castles located within the Republic of Ireland. Often hidden from public view and lacking adequate maintenance, the wide variety of bridge structures uncovered by the survey forms a hitherto unappreciated aspect of our built heritage. The author describes the work of the survey, considers significant examples of bridges in a number of categories, and provides some pointers to future research and analysis.
Download Demesne Bridges in Ireland (PDF 1.5MB)
Heritage Society Historical Pictures
Download Heritage Society Historical Pictures (PDF 1.55 MB)
Reminiscences of Early Days of Computing in Ireland
Presented by Gordon Clarke MA, CEng, FBCS, CITP, FICS.
Download Reminescences of Early Days of Computing in Ireland (PDF 10.10 MB)
A History of Air Corps Engineering
Presented by John Hughes
Content
A comprehensive illustrated history of the Air Corps.
Download A History of Air Corps Engineering (PDF 27.5MB)
Sir Alfred Chester Beatty
Content
Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (1875–1968) is best remembered today as a distinguished book-collector. His career as a mining engineer and as an entrepreneur who opened up many areas to mining enterprises in America, Africa and Europe was equally illustrious. A friend of statesmen such as President Hoover and Sir Winston Churchill, he was quietly influential in many ways, especially during the Second World War, when he made an important contribution to the Allied war effort. He was a great benefactor of hospitals and medical research and an enlightened employer. This document contains information on his life and career.
Download Sir Alfred Chester Beatty (PDF 0.07MB)