Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Inspector of Works and Lighthouses for the Ballast Board from 1810 until his death in 1854. Brought up as a builder,(1) George Halpin was appointed Inspector of Works to the Ballast Board(2) in 1800, following the death of FRANCIS TUNSTALL FRANCIS TUNSTALL . His responsibilities increased substantially in 1810 when the Board was placed in charge of all the lighthouses in Ireland; as a result Halpin's post was now designated Inspector of Works and Lighthouses. In this capacity he designed a number of lighthouses around the entire coastline. In 1830 his son GEORGE HALPIN [2]  GEORGE HALPIN [2] was appointed his assistant. Other assistants included JOHN SWAN SLOANE. JOHN SWAN SLOANE.

In addition to his duties with the Ballast Board, in 1829 Halpin was appointed to inspect and survey the state of the Bank of Ireland's branches throughout Ireland, and he appears to have been designated bank architect at a meeting of the Court of Directors on 22 November 1831.(2) However only two branch banks - at Dundalk (1845) and Portlaoise (1850) - are recorded as having been built to his designs.

Halpin collapsed and died on 10 July 1854 while he was on one of his lighthouse inspections for the Ballast Board and was buried at Mount Jerome Cemetery.(3) He was succeeded as the Board's Inspector by George Halpin [2]. He was admitted a freeman of the City of Dublin by Grace Especial at Midsummer 1804 as a member of the Guild of Masons.(4)

See WORKS.



References



(1) Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 61.
(2) Alias the Corporation for Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin, established by Act of Parliament in 1786.
(2) E. McParland, 'The Bank and the Visual Arts', in F.S.L. Lyons, ed., Bicentenary Essays: Bank of Ireland 1783-1983 (1983), 119.
(3) According to the inscription on his gravestone in Mount Jerome Cemetery, he was 75 at the time of his death (information from O'Donoghue); Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 60, quotes a report of his death in The Dublin Evening Post of ll July 1854, which states that 'Mr Halpin was, we believe, in his 80th year'. Presumably the age on his gravestone is the correct one, although it would mean that Halpin was only 21 when he was appointed to the Ballast Board post.
(4) 'An alphabetical list of the Freemen of the City of Dublin, 1774-1824', The Irish Ancestor XV (1983), Nos. 1 & 2, 65.


47 work entries listed in chronological order for HALPIN, GEORGE [1]


Sort by date | Sort alphabetically


Building: CO. DUBLIN, BALBRIGGAN, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1810p
Nature: Lighthouse dwellings. Cost: £763.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…I', IB 22, 15 Mar 1880, 86

Building: CO. DUBLIN, BALBRIGGAN, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1810p
Nature: Lighthouse dwellings. Cost: £763.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…I', IB 22, 15 Mar 1880, 86

Building: CO. DOWN, CRANFIELD POINT, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1810p
Nature: Lighthouse dwellings. Cost: £1,853.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…I', IB 22, 15 Mar 1880, 86

Building: CO. DONEGAL, INISHTRAHULL, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1811-13
Nature: Built under supervision of GH. Light first exhibited 17 Mar 1813. Cast iron stair, floor and lantern by Edmundson, Dublin. Lantern by Mssrs. Chance, Birmingham.
Refs: Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979), 319; ; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 175

Building: CO. WEXFORD, TUSKAR ROCK LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1811-1815
Nature: Designed by GH[1]; Trinity House required that the design should be based on that of their surveyor, D.A. Alexander, for South Stack Lighthouse, near Holyhead. Work started 1812. First light exhibited 4 Jun 1815. Optic by G. Robinson, London. Built of Dalkey granite. All expenses of erection for first 7 years came to £35,956
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland from the earliest times…I', IB 22, 15 Mar 1880, 86; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 54

Building: CO. DONEGAL, FANAD HEAD, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1812ca-1817
Nature: New lighthouse. Stone brought pre-cut from North Wall, Dublin. Erection supervised by Mr Carpenter. Cost: £5,756.1s.10d. Light first exhibited St Patrick's Day 1817.(OS Memoir gives cost as 'about £2000')
Refs: Angélique Day & Patrick McWilliams, Ordnance Survery Memoirs of Ireland 38 (Institute of Irish Studies, 1997), 2(illus.),4; Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979), 292

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BAILY (HOWTH), LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1813
Nature: Completed 1813 under supervision of GH.
Refs: H.A. Gilligan, A History of the Port of Dublin (1988), 81; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 33;

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, RICHMOND BRIDGE
Date: 1813-1816
Nature: John S. Sloane gives responsibility for the Whitworth and Richmond bridges to George Halpin[1].  According to Casey, GH made minor alterations to Savage's design.
Refs: IB 22, 1 Apr 1880, 99;  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 695.


Building: CO. CORK, KINSALE, OLD HEAD LIGHTHOUSE (OLD)
Date: 1814
Nature: Light first exhibited 16 May 1814. Cost just under £10,000.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 86

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BURGH QUAY, CORN EXCHANGE
Date: 1815-19
Nature: Plans approved by Wide Streets Commissioner, 20 Sep 1815. Commenced 1816.
Refs: Wide Streets Commissioners Minutes, 20 Sep 1815 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); plans and elevations, one dated 1816, attr. to GH sold Sotheby Parke Bernet & Co, London, 25 Jun 1981, cat. no. 50 (illus.);  G.N. Wright, Historical Guide to Dublin (2nd ed., 1825), 254 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); APSD D, 75-77; Maurice Craig, Dublin 1660-1860 (lst edition, 1952), 280; 'Annals of Dublin' in Pettigrew & Oulton's Dublin almanac (1847);  Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 457.


Building: CO. DOWN, CROSS ISLAND, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1815a
Nature: Light first exhibited 24 Jan 1815. (Replacing earlier structure described by Seward, |Topographica Hibernica| (1795) and itself replaced by light on Mew Island, 1882-4)
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 185, illus. between pp. 96 & 97; Marcus Patton, Bangor: an historical gazetteer (UAHS, 1999), 58

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, WHITWORTH BRIDGE
Date: 1816-18
Nature: John S. Sloane gives responsibility for the Whitworth and Richmond bridges to George Halpin[1].
Refs: IB 22, 1 Apr 1880, 99.

Building: CO. WICKLOW, WICKLOW HEAD, LIGHTHOUSES
Date: 1816-1818
Nature: Two new lighthouses, replacing existing ones.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 49

Building: CO. CORK, CAPE CLEAR ISLAND, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1817-18
Nature: Erected by Ballast Board of Dublin. Circular tower of cut granite, 36ft high. 3 flights of winding stairs. Copper cupol ornamented with a weather cock. . Revolving light first exhibited May 1818. Lighthouse built too high and use discontinued in 1854.
Refs: Dublin Penny Journal (1835), 282(illus.); Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 109-110

Building: CO. CORK, ROCHE'S POINT, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1817ca
Nature: New. Work commenced, 4 Jun 1817 (Tuckey). Replaced, 1835. Original tower dismantled and re-erected at Duncannon, Co. Wexford, in 1838.
Refs: F.H. Tuckey, The County and City of Cork remembranced (1837), 256; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 82

Building: CO. DOWN, HAULBOWLINE LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1817p-1823
Nature: Cut stone tower designed by GH, senior; working drawings by 'the celebrated Peter Nicholson'. Built by workmen of Ballast Board. Lantern by Clarke of Edinburgh. Cost (excluding beacon): £24,030.10s.6d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, ' History of the Lighthouses of Ireland', IB 22, 1 Apr,1 May 1880, 99,124; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 21

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, POOLBEG LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1819-1820
Nature: Rebuilt under direction of GH.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 35

Building: CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, GREAT NORTH WALL
Date: 1819ca
Nature: With Francis Giles.
Refs: John S. Sloane, ' History of the Lighthouses of Ireland', IB 22, 1 Apr 1880, 99

Building: CO. KERRY, SKELLIG MICHAEL, LIGHTHOUSES
Date: 1820-1827
Nature: 2 lighthouses and roadways designed by GH. Cost: £45,721.15s.10d.
Refs: John S. Sloane. 'A history of the lighthouses of Ireland…II', IB 22, 1 May 1880, 124; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 119-120

Building: CO. LIMERICK, KILCREDAUN LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1824
Nature: New lighthouse. Cost: £8,180.6s.10d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, ' History of the Lighthouses of Ireland', IB 22, 1 Apr,1 May 1880, 99,124; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 138-9

Building: CO. WATERFORD, TRAMORE, BEACONS
Date: 1824
Nature: Completed 1824. Halpin's intention was to have figures atop each beacon, but one got lost.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 72

Building: CO. MAYO, INISHGORT, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1827a-1828
Nature: Light exhibited 1827, over a year before completion.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 152

Building: CO. LOUTH, GREENORE, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1828-1830
Nature: New lighthouse. First lit, 20 Dec 1830. Cost: £5,205.17s.3d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…III', IB 22, 15 Jun 1880, 167; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 22

Building: CO. DONEGAL, TORY ISLAND, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1828-1832
Nature: Cost £16,563.
Refs: Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979), 501; ; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 169

Building: CO. DONEGAL, ST JOHN'S POINT, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1829-1831
Nature: Lighthouse and surrounding court designed by GH. £10,507.8s.5d. Built by Ballast Board workmen. Cost (including lantern)£1,115.7s.6d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A history of the lighthouses of Ireland…III', IB 22, 1 Jun 1880, 148; 148Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979), 481; ; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 164

Building: CO. KERRY, TARBERT, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1831-1834
Nature: Contractor: Robert Howard. Light exhibited 31 Mar 1834.
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 138

Building: CO. GALWAY, SLYNE HEAD, LIGHTHOUSES
Date: 1832-1836
Nature: Light first exhbited 10 Oct 1836. Copper domes carried out by John Smith, coppersmith. (South lighthouse dismantled and north lighthouse improved, 1896).
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 147-8;  Life of William Douglass, M.Inst.C.E. formerly engineer-in-chief to the Commissioners of Irish Lights by the author of the 'Life of Sir James Nicholas Douglass [Thomas Williams]' (Privately published, 1923), on-line version at http://pharology.eu/resources/Douglass.pdf

Building: CO. CLARE, LISCANNOR, BRIDGE
Date: 1832-34
Nature: GH's plans for same inspected by Jacob Owen. In progress in 1834, having received grant of £2222.14s from Board of Works.
Refs: NA/PRO, Board of Works minutes, 4 Sep 1832 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc.2008/44); 2nd Annual Report of Commissioners of Public Works (Ireland) (1834), 14

Building: CO. KERRY, VALENTIA ISLAND, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1837-1842
Nature: New lighthouse (fixed beacon) in NE part of island on site of Cromwell's Fort some of which retained. Cost: £10,450.17s.6d. Light first shown 1 Feb 1841, a year before work was complete.
Refs: J.P. Lawson, Gazetteer of Ireland (1842), 789; John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 22, 15 Jun 1880, 191; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water

Building: CO. DONEGAL, ROTTEN ISLAND (KILLYBEGS)
Date: 1837-38
Nature: Designed and built by GH. Light first exhibited 1 Sep 1838. Cost: £8,850.14s.10d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…III', 15 Jun 1880, 167; Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North West Ulster (1979), 480; ; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993),164

Building: CO. DONEGAL, INISHOWEN, LIGHTHOUSES
Date: 1837a
Nature: Both established 1 Dec 1837. Towers built by James Pettigrew, Dorset St, Dublin. Cost: West light: £8,752.17s.6d. East light: £9,108.13s.9d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…III', IB 22, 15 Jun 1880, 167; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 178

Building: CO. WEXFORD, DUNCANNON, NORTH LIGHT
Date: 1838
Nature: Old lighthouse built at Roche's Point, Cork, in 1815-17 dismantled and re-erected at Duncannon, 1838; light firs exthibited, 1838; 'nominally contracted for by a Mr Legge...actually built by Mr Stephens, of Duncannon'. Cost: £5,006.12s.10 3/4d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…III', 15 Jun 1880, 167; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 82; David Rowe & Eithne Scallan, Houses of Wexford(Ballinakella Press, 2004), no. 446(illus.)

Building: CO. CORK, BANTRY BAY, ROANCARRIG LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1845-47
Nature: Designed by GH[1] and GH[2]. Contractor: Howard, Limerick. Light first exhibited in 1847.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 22, 15 Jun 1880, 191; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 111-112

Building: CO. LOUTH, DUNDALK, PARK STREET, BANK OF IRELAND
Date: 1845ca
Nature: -
Refs: E. McParland, 'The Bank and the Visual Arts', in F.S.L. Lyons, ed., Bicentenary Essays: Bank of Ireland 1783-1983 (1983), 119; Christine Casey & Alistair Rowan, The Buildings of Ireland: North Leinster (1993), 273

Building: CO. CORK, CAPEL ISLAND, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1847-1848
Nature: Unfinished. Site abandoned in favour of Mine Head
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 74-77

Building: CO. CLARE, BEEVES' ROCK, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1847-1855
Nature: -
Refs: Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 137

Building: CO. DONEGAL, RATHLIN O'BIRNE, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1847-1856
Nature: Completed 1856, Builder: James Creden, Enniskillen. Light first exhibited 14 Apr 1856.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…V', IB 22, 1 Sep 1880, 248; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 165-6

Building: CO. CORK, BALLYCOTTON, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1848-1851
Nature: New lighthouse. Contractor: W.& P. Brash, Cork. Apparatus by Sauter & Lemonier, Paris. Light first exhibited 1 Jun 1851. Cost: £11,749.17s.6d. Lofty belfry erected by George Kennedy, Gloucester St, Dublin. Cost: £357. Bell by Sheridan, Dublin. Cost: £229.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 20, 15 Jul 1880, 206; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 79

Building: CO. CORK, MINE HEAD, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1848-1851
Nature: New lighthouse. Contractor: W. Raleigh, Dungarvan. Apparatus by Sauter & Lamonier, Paris. Light first exhibited, 1 Jun 1851. Cost: £9,798.18s.4d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 20, 15 Jul 1880, 206; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 79

Building: CO. CORK, YOUGHAL, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1848-1852
Nature: Built on site of old lighthouse founded c. 1190. Unfinished. Site abandoned in favour of Mine Head
Refs: JCHAS (1894), 162Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 74-78

Building: CO. CORK, FASTNET LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1848-1854
Nature: New cast-iron light house. Light first exhibited 1 Jan 1854. Ironwork by John & Robert Mallet, Dublin.
Refs: Civil Engineer and Architect's Journal 12 (Apr 1849), 128; B 8, 5 Oct 1850, 477; 20, 19 Jul 1862, 508; IB 22, 1,15 Aug,1 Sep 1880, 222,?, 251; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 91-93

Building: CO. LAOIS, PORTLAOISE, CHURCH STREET, BANK OF IRELAND
Date: 1850
Nature: New bank to be erected. Will cost about £16,000.
Refs: B 8, 7 Sep 1850, 424

Building: CO. WATERFORD, MINE HEAD, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1851
Nature: Light first exhibited 1 Jun 1851. contractor: W. Raleigh, Dungarvan & Youghal. Total cost: £12,510.17s.6d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 22, 15 Jul 1880, 206; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 74-77

Building: CO. ANTRIM, RATHLIN ISLAND, EAST LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1851-1856
Nature: New lighthouse. Light first exhibited 1 Nov 1856. Cost: £17,326.15s.4d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…V', IB 22, 1 Sep 1880, 248; Bill Long, Bright light, white water (1993), 179-90

Building: CO. MAYO, BROADHAVEN, LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1853-1855
Nature: New tower and dwellings built from design of GH. Cost: £5,715.12s.1d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…IV', IB 22, 1 Sep 1880, 248;

Building: CO. CORK, CALF ROCK LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1858-1864
Nature: Cast iron tower designed by GH sen.or jun.? Contractor: Henry Grissell, Regent's Canal Iron Works, London, assisted by Mr Alfred Cook, CE.. Destroyed by storm of 27 Nov 1881.
Refs: General Advertiser, 7 Jan 1860 (tenders); DB 2, 1 Jan,1 Jun 1860, 185, 283; 3, 18 Aug 1861, 591; B 18, 19 Sep 1860, 628; Bill Long, Bright Light, White Water (1993), 93,113-116 (who says that tower was designed by GH senior)

Building: CO. CORK, BANTRY BAY, ROANCARRIG LIGHTHOUSE
Date: 1869-70
Nature: Works after great storm of winter 1869, including constrdcution of heavy retaining wall. Cost: £5,260.10s.6d.
Refs: John S. Sloane, 'A History of the lighthouses of Ireland…VII', IB 22, 1 Nov 1880, 305