Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

County surveyor for Leitrim, 1897-1935. Eugene O'Neill Clarke was born in Drogheda to Eugene Clarke, draper, of West Street, Drogheda, and Francis O'Neill on 8 August 1867.(1) He won a scholarship to the Royal College of Science where he obtained the Diploma of Associateship in Engineering and the BE degree of the Royal University of Ireland. From circa 1888 to circa 1893 he assisted Robert Worthington on railway work in the south and west of Ireland. He was appointed county surveyor for Leitrim in 1897 and held the post until his retirement in at the end of March 1936.(2) He died at St Vincent's Private Nursing Home, Dublin, on Christmas Eve, 1945, and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetery.(3)  According to his 1911 census return, he had married his wife, Letitia Greenham Baker,(4) in 1898 or 1899;  at the time of the census he had five children, all born in Co. Leitrim.  A further four children followed.(5)

O'Neill's obituary in a local newspaper(6) gives a picture of an an engaged and energetic man, who, before the advent of the motor car, carried out all his inspections by bicycle and 'could be seen ... in the early morning setting out for North or South Leitrim', covering 'many thousands of miles on his bicycle ... at a time when steamrolling was unknown'. His leisure pursuits included tennis, golf, sailing and amateur music making.   He was a promoter of the Carrick-on Shannon Operatic Society and an active member of the local St Mary's Conference of the St Vincent de Paul Society.

ICEI: elected member, 1895, but had ceased to belong by 1911.(7)
Association of Municipal & County Engineers: elected member, 3 Sep 1898.(8)

Addresses: 99 Lower Leeson Street, Dublin, 1894; 9 Adelaide Road, Dublin, 1896;(8) subsequently Carrick-on-Shannon, Co. Leitrim.
Home: Liberty, Danesfort, Roscommon, 1911;  Hollywell, Carrick-on-Shannon at time of death.

See WORKS and BIBLIOGRAPHY. BIBLIOGRAPHY.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise referenced for is from TICEI membership applications, III, 20, and Brendan O'Donoghue, The Irish County Surveyors 1834-1944 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2007), 127-129.

(1) www.familysearch.org.
(2) IB 77, 24 Aug 1935, ?; Leitrim Observer, 15 Feb 1936 (B.O'D.);  Irish Times, 1 apr 1836 (B.O'D.)
(3) Irish Times, 28 Dec 1845 (B.O'D.); information from Clarke's grandson, Peter Clarke, Saintfield, Co. Down, Sep 2010.
(4)   She was related by marriage to the architect and enigneer Robert Heddle Leask, q.v. (information from Peter Clarke, as above.
(5) Information from Peter Clarke, as above.
(6) Obituary supplied by Peter Clarke, as above.
(7) TICEI membership lists.
(8) Proceedings of the Incorporated Association of Municipal & County Engineers 27 (1900-1901), list of members.
(9) Given thus in TICEI 25 (1895-6), list of members, but as 10 Adelaide Road in Post Office Dublin Directory for 1896 and 1900.


2 work entries listed in chronological order for CLARKE, EUGENE O'NEILL


Sort by date | Sort alphabetically


Building: CO. LEITRIM, CARRICK-ON-SHANNON, MARKET SQUARE, OWEN MCCANN MEMORIAL CLOCK TOWER
Date: 1904-05
Nature: Clock tower erected by people of Co. Leitrim in memory of Owen McCann, first chairman of Leitrim County Council.
Refs: IB 46, 10 Sep,8 Oct 1904, 598,662

Building: CO. LEITRIM, HARTLEY BRIDGE
Date: 1912-13
Nature: New 6-span bridge over River Shannon constructed under supervision of EO'NC.
Refs: Brendan O'Donoghue, The Irish County Surveyors 1834-1944 (Dublin: Four Courts Press, 2007), 128

Author Title Date Details
Clarke, Eugene O'neill 'The outcome of the congress' 1910 IB 52, 16 Apr 1910, 254. (Article on forthcoming road congress in Dublin.)