Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, with the Office of Public Works. James Potts Irvine, son of William Irvine and his wife Jane (née West) was born in Larne, Co. Antrim, on 14 November 1880.(1)    After serving a four-year apprenticeship with ALFRED ARTHUR FORMAN  ALFRED ARTHUR FORMAN in Belfast and Derry from circa 1898 he stayed on in Forman's Derry office and by October 1905 had become his partner.(2)   From 1906 he practised in Belfast. On 16 February 1910, he entered the employment of the Office of Public Works as an assistant surveyor(3) and was posted to Castlebar, Co. Mayo, where he remained until at least 1916. By 1918 he had been transferred to Dublin as an assistant architect (second class). Between 1928 and 1930 his duties related to Waterford. He had left the Office of Public Works by 1933.

RIAI: elected member, 1 February 1906, proposed by Alfred Arthur Forman, seconded by WILLIAM JOHN FENNELL WILLIAM JOHN FENNELL , HENRY SEAVER  HENRY SEAVER and MATTTHEW ALEXANDER ROBINSON MATTTHEW ALEXANDER ROBINSON ;(4) resigned 1932.(5)
RSAI: elected member, 1910.(6)

Addresses: Beethoven Chambers, Shipquay Street, Derry, 1905;  49 Waring Street, Belfast, <=1906-1909; Office of Public Works, Castlebar, Co. Mayo, 1910->=1916; Office of Public Works, Dublin, <=1918->=1930.
Home: Fairlea, Jordanstown, Belfast, 1905;  Aileach, Jordanstown, Co. Antrim, 1910;(7) Innisfree, Portmarnock, Co. Dublin, 1926; 16 Longford Terrace, Monkstown, Co. Dublin, 1928-1932.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from RIAI lists of members and from lists of staff of the Office of Public Works in Thom's directories.

(1) www.familysearch.org; the date of birth is corroborated by Jones's transcript from Office of Public Works records and by Irvine's application for membership of the RIAI (see note 2, below).
(2) IAA, RIAI office archives (Acc. 93/136), membership forms 1878-1909 (extremely fragile). 
(3) See note 1, above.
(4) RIAI general meeting minutes, 1 Feb 1906, 412; handwritten list of 'New Members elected during the present year' appended to list of RIAI members for 1906 in RIAI archives.
(5) JRIAI (1933), 8.
(6) JRSAI 40 (1910), ?.
(7) See note 6, above.