John Benjamin Macneill facts for kids

Quick facts for kids John Benjamin Macneill FRS
Born	1793 Dundalk, Ireland
Died	(1880-03-02)2 March 1880
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Civil engineer

Sir John Benjamin Macneill (FRS) (1793 – 2 March 1880) was a famous Irish civil engineer in the 1800s. He worked closely with Thomas Telford, another well-known engineer. Macneill's most important projects were building railways in Ireland.

Life of a Railway Builder

John Benjamin Macneill was born in Mountpleasant, near Dundalk in County Louth, Ireland.

Early Career and Mentorship

Macneill started his career as a surveyor, which means he measured and mapped land. From 1816, he worked on planning roads and other engineering projects. His survey of the River Boyne estuary (where the river meets the sea) was used for a report in 1826.

In the 1820s, Macneill traveled to England and met the famous engineer Thomas Telford. Telford inspired him to become a civil engineer. Macneill became Telford's main assistant for 10 years. He even took over from Telford as the chief engineer for the huge London to Holyhead road project.

Inventing the Road Indicator

In the late 1820s, Macneill invented a special tool called Macneill's road indicator. This tool helped measure how much power was needed to pull a carriage over different types of roads. It could also show how good or bad a road was.

In 1831, Macneill spoke to a special government committee in the United Kingdom. He explained how steam carriages (early steam-powered vehicles) affected road surfaces.

Starting His Own Company

After Telford died in 1834, Macneill started his own engineering company. He had offices in London and Glasgow. He then began to focus on railways. His first railway projects were for moving goods in the coal and iron areas of Scotland, near Wishaw and Motherwell. He also worked as an expert engineer for Grangemouth Docks and on different canal projects in Scotland.

Building Railways in Ireland

From the late 1830s to the early 1840s, Macneill worked mainly in his home country, Ireland. He designed many railway lines, including the Dublin and Drogheda Railway. He also planned to extend this railway beyond Drogheda towards Portadown.

Much of Ireland's modern railway system still follows the routes he suggested. For example, the railway line from Dublin to Belfast uses the path of the Dublin and Drogheda Railway along the coast. Macneill was made a knight in 1844 after this railway was finished.

Many of his amazing original structures are still standing. These include the 98-foot (30 m) high Boyne Viaduct near Drogheda, built from 1851 to 1855. There is also the 18-arch, 126-foot (38 m) high Craigmore Viaduct near Bessbrook, built from 1849 to 1852, and the nearby Egyptian Arch.

Teaching and International Work

Macneill was also a famous teacher of civil engineering. Some of his students became well-known engineers themselves, like Sir Joseph Bazalgette. In 1842, he became the first Professor of the Practice of Engineering at Trinity College Dublin. He held this job for 10 years.

In the early 1850s, he helped improve the harbour in his hometown of Dundalk. He also took on jobs in other countries sometimes. In 1855, he helped plan part of a railway line that would connect Europe to India. He joined a trip to the valley of the River Euphrates for this project.

Later Projects and Challenges

Closer to home, Macneill was the main engineer for the Belfast and County Down Railway (started in 1846). He was in charge of building a bridge over the swampy mouth of the River Quoile. The first bridge was made of wooden poles pushed into the river bottom. This brought the railway line to Downpatrick in March 1859. Part of this line is still used today by the town's railway museum.

Soon after, in April 1860, Macneill became the engineer for the Londonderry and Lough Swilly Railway. This line was meant to connect Lough Foyle and Lough Swilly across the Inishowen peninsula in north Donegal.

Around this time, people in Victorian times started to be less excited about railways. Many railway companies, like the Lough Swilly company, hardly ever made money. This was very bad for Macneill because he was supposed to get paid from the company's profits. He also lost money because he had invested in these struggling railway companies.

Financial Hardship and Final Years

With his income getting smaller, Macneill became very poor. A fire in 1857 destroyed the main business on his land, a linen factory that employed over 300 men. This factory was not covered by insurance.

In 1868, he had to sell Mountpleasant House, his home in north Louth, which he had designed and built himself. He moved to Surbiton and then to London. He later lost his sight. It is said that he was left alone by his friends and students and survived by making matchboxes for very little money in the single room where he lived.

John Benjamin Macneill died at his son Torquil's house in Cromwell Road, London, on 2 March 1880. Another son, Telford Macneill, later bought back Mountpleasant House in 1894 and lived there until 1934.

Legacy and Remembrance

A special plaque was put up on 20 July 2001 at his grave in Brompton Cemetery in London. Before this, his grave did not have a marker. The plaque helps people remember his important work.

Images for kids

• 

  MacNeill's Egyptian Arch, Newry, around 1905

• 

  Monaghan railway station

• 

  John Macneill's grave at Brompton Cemetery, London