Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Engineer, of Dublin. Norman Chance was born in 1887, the eldest son of the Dublin surgeon Sir Arthur Chance, and his first wife Martha (née Roooney). He was educated at Clongowes Wood College and Trinity College, Dublin, from which he graduated with a degree in engineering in 1907. On graduating he worked for four years for Mssrs. Shackleton, of Carlow, investigating hydro-electric schemes on the River Barrow. In 1911 he was appointed to the engineering staff of Dublin Corporation and soon afterwards became assistant engineer in control of the paving department. His career with the Corporation was temporarily interrupted by the First World War, when he served for three years with the Field Squadron Royal Engineers. In 1936 he was appointed borough surveyor and waterworks engineer, with responsibility for all the city engineering services. Major works that took place during his period of office included the Liffey Waterworks Scheme, the construction of the outfall at the Nose of Howth for the city drainage from Cabra to Howth, and the widening and regrading of bridges over the Grand Canal. He retired from the Corporation at the end of March 1950 and died circa 1964. His recreations included sailing, hunting with the Ward Union and racing.

ICEI: elected member, 4 November 1929;(1); council member, 1936-7, 1938-1944, 1946-1961; vice-president, 1944-5; president, 1945-6.(2)
Association of Municipal & County Engineers (Irish branch): chairman, 1948.

See BIBLIOGRAPHY. BIBLIOGRAPHY.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the biography of Chance in IB 92, 1 Apr 1950, 312. A portrait photograph is in TICEI 72 (1945-6), facing p.1.

(1) TICEI 56 (1929-1930),1.
(2) TICEI 63-87 (1936-1960), lists of officers.
(3)


Author Title Date Details
Chance, Norman Albert [Presidential Address to ICEI] 1945 TICEI 72 (1945-6), 1-21. ( (History of Dublin engineering projects.)