IRISH-IN-UK-L Archives

From: "Jean R." <>
Subject: [Irish-in-UK] Sir Richard GRIFFITH - 'Father of Irish Geology'-'Griffith Valuation'
Date: Fri, 20 Apr 2007 22:49:18 -0700

SNIPPET: The first large-scale map to show the distribution of Ireland's different types of rocks - i.e. Granite and Quartzite, Co. Wicklow, Old Red Sandstone, Co. Kerry, Limestone, Co. Clare, Basalt, Co. Antrim, was prepared by Sir Richard GRIFFITH (1784-1878) and published in 1839. The scale of the original is four miles to one inch. It is a superb, hand-coloured map and it earned GRIFFITH the title 'Father of Irish Geology.' He personally displayed the map to Queen Victoria and Prince Albert when they visited the Great Dublin Industrial Exhibition held at Leinster Lawn in 1853. GRIFFITH was born at 8 Hume Street, Dublin, the son of a County Kildare landowner, and for fifty years he lived in Dublin at 2 Fitzwilliam Place. He was a remarkable man because not only was he an eminent geologist, but he earned distinction in the two other spheres of engineering and land valuation. As an engineer he built many bridges and roads in Munster and he laid out the course of that renowned tourist road from Glengarriff to Kenmare. As a land valuator he was responsible for a scheme of assessment which is know throughout Ireland as 'The Griffith Valuation.'

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• [Irish-in-UK] Sir Richard GRIFFITH - 'Father of Irish Geology'-'Griffith Valuation' by "Jean R." <>