Thomas Dillon (chemist) facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Thomas Patrick Dillon
Dillon with his wife in 1940
Born	15 January 1884 Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland
Died	11 December 1971(1971-12-11) (aged 87)
Nationality	Irish
Education	Queen's College, Cork Royal College of Science, Dublin

Thomas Dillon (born January 15, 1884 – died December 11, 1971) was an important Irish chemist and a strong supporter of Irish independence. He made big discoveries in chemistry and played a part in Ireland's fight for freedom.

Early Life and School Days

Thomas Patrick Dillon was born in Enniscrone, County Sligo, Ireland, on January 15, 1884. His parents were Elizabeth and John Dillon, who was an engineer. Thomas was the oldest of five children.

When his father worked on building water systems in Ballina, County Mayo, the family moved there. Thomas went to schools like St Nathy's and Clongowes Wood College.

When he was 16, Thomas won a special scholarship to study medicine at Queen's College, Cork. He first took art classes, then decided to study chemistry and physics. He earned his first degree in 1904.

After that, he went to the Royal College of Science, Dublin. There, he earned a master's degree in chemistry in 1908.

Thomas then became an assistant to a chemistry professor at the Catholic University school of medicine. He also taught science at other schools to earn more money. In 1908, he moved to University College Dublin (UCD). In 1912, he received the first D.Sc. (Doctor of Science) degree ever given by the National University of Ireland.

Working for Irish Independence

Thomas Dillon became interested in politics, especially about workers' rights and Irish independence. He was inspired by people like Joseph Plunkett.

During a big workers' strike in Dublin in 1913, he helped a committee trying to find peace. He also used his chemistry knowledge to help the Irish Volunteers, a group working for Irish freedom.

His future wife, Geraldine Plunkett, was one of his students. She was also Joseph Plunkett's sister and shared his goals for Ireland. They got married on April 23, 1916, which was Easter Sunday.

On Easter Monday, they watched the Easter Rising unfold from their hotel. This was a major event where Irish rebels fought for independence in Dublin. Thomas was ready to help gather chemical supplies if needed, but he was told to go home and wait for further instructions. Because he wasn't directly involved in the fighting, he was not arrested afterward.

He helped his father-in-law, George Noble Plunkett, organize a meeting of Irish independence supporters. In October 1917, he joined the executive council of Sinn Féin, a political party working for Irish independence.

Because of his political activities, Thomas was arrested in May 1918. He was held in a prison in England for almost a year. While there, he learned the Irish language.

Even while in prison, Thomas applied for a job as a chemistry professor at University College Galway (UCG). After he was released in March 1919, he got the job, even though some people didn't want him because of his strong support for Irish independence.

Both Thomas and his wife were very active during the Irish War of Independence. Thomas served as a judge in special courts set up by Sinn Féin in 1920. He also led a raid on a courthouse in 1921. He often had to hide from the authorities, and his wife was even held in Galway Jail for a time.

Chemistry Career and Discoveries

After the Irish Civil War, Thomas Dillon could focus more on his work as a scientist. He became a world-famous expert on the structures of carbohydrates, especially those found in seaweeds.

He was a pioneer in studying substances like alginic acid, carrageen, and laminarin, which come from seaweed. He published his research in important science journals starting in 1928. In 1939, he even got two patents for new ways to make paper and fertilizer using seaweed.

Under his leadership, the chemistry department at UCG focused a lot on studying and creating carbohydrates.

Even though Thomas was not a native Irish speaker, he strongly supported teaching chemistry in Irish. By the early 1940s, parts of the chemistry degree programs were taught in Irish. He also helped write the first chemistry textbook in Irish.

When he started in 1919, the UCG chemistry department had 70 students. By 1953, it had grown to 100 students. Thomas was a founding member of important chemistry groups in Ireland, like the Chemical Association of Ireland. From 1954 to 1956, he was the president of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland.

He was chosen as a member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1941 and served as its vice-president in 1957. In 1954, he received an honorary doctorate from the University of Dublin.

Later Life and Family

Thomas Dillon retired from UCG in 1954. He and his wife later moved to Dublin to live with their daughter. They had five children: Moya, Blanaid, Eilís, Michael, and Eoin. Sadly, one of their sons passed away at age three.

Thomas Dillon died on December 11, 1971.