William Dargan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
William Dargan
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| Born | 28 February 1799 County Carlow, Ireland
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| Died | 7 February 1867 (aged 67) Dublin, Ireland
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| Other names | The Father of Irish Railways |
William Dargan (born February 28, 1799 – died February 7, 1867) was a super important Irish engineer in the 1800s. He is most famous for building many of Ireland's first railways. He designed and built the very first railway line in Ireland, connecting Dublin to Dún Laoghaire in 1833.
In total, Dargan built over 1,300 kilometers (800 miles) of railway lines across Ireland. He also helped create the National Gallery of Ireland and organized the huge Great Dublin Exhibition in 1853. His amazing work is still remembered today. Two bridges, the Dargan Railway Bridge in Belfast and the Dargan Bridge, Dublin for Dublin's Luas light rail, are named after him.
Contents
William Dargan's Life Story
William Dargan was born on February 28, 1799, in a country area of Queen's County (now County Laois). He was the oldest of many children in a family of tenant farmers. These farmers rented land from the Earl of Portarlington.
Early Education and Work
It's believed that William went to a local "hedge school." These were informal schools held outdoors or in homes. He was very good at math and accounting. After school, he worked on his father's farm. Later, he got a job in a surveyor's office in Carlow.
With help from important local people, Dargan started working with a famous Scottish engineer named Thomas Telford. He helped build part of the London-Holyhead road in Wales from 1819 to 1824. Telford then asked Dargan to work on the Howth Road in Dublin. Dargan earned a good amount of money from this project. This money helped him start his own public works projects later on. He also worked on roads in Dublin, Carlow, and County Louth. For about three years, he was an assistant manager on two canals in England.
Marriage and Return to Ireland
On October 13, 1828, William Dargan married Jane Arkinstall in England. They did not have any children.
When Dargan came back to Ireland, he worked on smaller building projects. These included rebuilding the main street of Banbridge and a 13-kilometer branch of the Grand Canal.
Building Ireland's First Railway
Dargan became very interested in the plan for Ireland's first railway, the Dublin and Kingstown Railway. This plan started in 1825. Many people were unsure about building railways in Ireland. Dargan spent a lot of his own time promoting this project without pay. He worked with engineer Charles Blacker Vignoles to plan the route.
Thanks to Dargan's hard work, the Dublin & Kingstown Railway finally opened on December 17, 1834. It was a huge success, with many trains running each day. After this, he built the Ulster Canal, which connected Lough Erne and Belfast. This was another amazing engineering achievement.
More Railways and Success
Many other big railway projects followed. These included the Dublin and Drogheda Railway, the Great Southern and Western Railway, and the Midland Great Western Railway. By 1853, Dargan had built over 600 miles of railway. He also had contracts to build 200 more miles. He was known for paying his workers well and on time. At one point, he was the biggest railway builder in Ireland and one of its richest people.
Patriotism and Royal Visits
William Dargan was very patriotic to Ireland. He was offered a knighthood by the British Viceroy in Ireland, but he said no. Later, Queen Victoria herself visited Dargan at his home in Dublin in 1853. She offered him a baronetcy, which is a special title, but he also politely declined.
Dargan wanted to help Irish farming. He tried growing flax, but this project lost a lot of money. He also tried manufacturing and opened some mills near Dublin, but this business didn't do well either.
Hotel Ventures and Later Life
In 1860, Dargan bought the International Hotel in Bray, County Wicklow. He also bought Hayes Royal Hotel in Dún Laoghaire in 1863. He had big plans to make it much larger. However, financial problems meant these plans were changed. Only part of the hotel was built as he first imagined. The hotel was renamed the Royal Marine Hotel and opened in 1865. It is thought that the money problems from these hotel projects added to Dargan's financial difficulties later on.
In his final years, Dargan mainly focused on the Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford Railway, where he was the chairman. In 1866, he was badly hurt after falling from his horse. William Dargan died on February 7, 1867, in Dublin. He was buried in Glasnevin cemetery. His wife, Jane, was given a small pension after his death.
The 1853 Dublin Exhibition
The Royal Dublin Society made William Dargan a lifelong member in 1851. After visiting a big exhibition called the Crystal Palace Exhibition in London in 1851, Dargan suggested a similar, even bigger exhibition for Dublin. He offered to give £20,000 of his own money to fund it.
The committee for the 1853 Exhibition thought it would pay for itself, mostly with Dargan's help. They first said they wouldn't take other donations. But as building costs went up, they had to ask the public for money. Dargan then offered another £6,000. In the end, Dargan personally paid a huge amount, £88,000, for the exhibition.
The Dublin Exhibition had many visitors. At first, only a few hundred people came, but soon thousands were visiting every day. The British royal family, including Queen Victoria, came to see the exhibition on August 29, 1853. Queen Victoria personally met William Dargan.
Prince Albert, Queen Victoria's husband, spoke about Dargan and the exhibition. He said that Dargan was a "man of the people" and a "thorough Irishman." He praised Dargan for being hardworking and kind to his workers. Prince Albert said the exhibition was very successful. He noted that it was a private project, built by one person – an Irish road builder who had started as a common laborer. He said Dargan had achieved all this through his own hard work and energy, without getting involved in politics or religion. Prince Albert believed the exhibition showed great hope for Ireland.
William Dargan ended up losing £20,000 of his own money on the exhibition. After the exhibition closed, the National Gallery of Ireland was built on Leinster Lawn. It was created as a monument to Dargan. A beautiful bronze statue of him stands in front of it, looking out towards Merrion Square.
Dargan's Important Works
- MacNeill's Egyptian Arch
- Ulster Canal
- The Cut, Banbridge
- Kilnap Viaduct
- Cork railway tunnel
See also
