- Selected:
PURCELL, PIERCE FRANCIS
- Born: 1881 Died: 1968
Engineer, of Dublin. Pierce Purcell, the only son of Thomas P. Purcell, chief of the Dublin Fire Brigade, was born in Kilkenny on 6 October 1881. After attending Castleknock College he entered the School of Engineering of Trinity College, Dublin, in 1899, gaining first place with honours and the BAI degree in 1902, the Senior Moderatorship and Gold Medal in experimental physics and chemistry in 1903, and the degrees of MA and MAI in 1908. From 1904 until 1910 he was an assistant engineer with London County Council; during this period he was engaged in the construction of Kingsway and Aldwych and in drainage schemes in south London. In October 1909 he was appointed professor of Civil Engineering at University College, Dublin,(1) and returned to Ireland take up his new post in 1910.
Purcell held the UCD professorship for forty-one years. He became a member of the College's Governing Body and of the Senate of the National University. In addition to his university commitments, he ran a private engineering consultancy from his house and was involved in the construction of bridges, waterworks and drainage schemes. He was secretary to the Irish Peat Enquiry Board in 1917-18 and Peat Investigation Officer to the Fuel Research Board from 1919-1931. He was also chairman of the Alliance and Dublin Consumers' Gas Company. Golf and swimming were his principal recreations.
Purcell retired from UCD in 1951.(2) He died at Jervis Street Hospital, Dublin, on 17 January 1968 and was buried in Deansgrange cemetery.(3) He had married Amy Austral (d. 1940), daughter of G.H. Oatway of Highgate, London, and Dunedin, New Zealand, in 1910 and had four sons, one of whom, Pierce Michael Oatway Purcell (d.1959 or 1960),(4) was also an engineer. A long-time resident of Killiney, he was a member - and for some time chairman - of Killiney Urban District Council.
ICEI:(5) elected member, 1911; hon. secretary, 1912-1915; council member, 1915-1920, 1924-1961; reads paper, 'Compression Tests on tubular struts', 5 March 1917,(6) vice-president, 1921-1922; president, 1922-24; hon, treasurer, 1926-1928; reads paper, 'Mechanical filtration plant at Carlow waterworks', 4 March 1929.(7)
Inst.CE: elected associate member, 5 December 1905; transferred to member, 27 April 1920.(8)
Addresses:(9) Home: Gayfield, Killiney, <=1912- 1916; Ashton, Killiney, 1917 until death.
See WORKS and BIBLIOGRAPHY.
References
All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the entry on Purcell in Who was Who, 1961-1970, 921, and from the interview with him in IB 65, 10 Feb 1923, 81-82, which is illustrated with a portrait photograph.
(1) IB 51, 30 Oct 1909, 678; Building News 97, 29 Oct 1909, 662.
(2) Information from Thom's directories.
(3) Death notice in Irish Independent, 18 Jan 1968.
(4) TICEI 86 (1959-1960), 190.
(5) Jones transcripts from TICEI, lists of officers, unless otherwise stated.
(6) TICEI 42 (1915-16), 168-187.
(7) TICEI 55 (1928-29), 123-133.
(8) Information from Mrs Carol Morgan, archivist, Institution of Civil Engineers, London.
(9) From Thom's directories and ICEI lists of members.
25 work entries listed in chronological order for PURCELL, PIERCE FRANCIS
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Building: | CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1925 |
Nature: | PFP appointed engineer for new waterworks scheme, for Kilkenny Corporation. |
Refs: | IB 67, 5 Sep 1925, 741 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, CARLOW, WATERWORKS |
Date: | 1926 |
Nature: | PFP appointed engineer for waterworks extension for Carlow Urban District Council, Mar 1926 |
Refs: |
Irish Times, 25 Mar 1026. |
Building: | CO. LIMERICK, LIMERICK, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1930 |
Nature: | Mechanical filtration plant and waterworks extension. For Limerick Corporation. |
Refs: | IB 72, 6 Dec 1930, 1106I |
Building: | CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BUTT BRIDGE (NEW) |
Date: | 1932 |
Nature: | Designed by PFP with Joseph Mallagh. Opened by Archbishop of Dublin, 7 Jun 1932. Believed to be earliest recorded use of cantilevered construction in reinforced concrete. Constructed by Gray's Ferro-Concrete (Ireland Ltd.) under supervision of F.W. Bond, AMICE, for Dublin Port and Docks Board. Contractors' resident engineer: T.A. Simington, BAI. |
Refs: |
Bill of quantities and scedule of prices in IAA, Acc.2008/47; Irish Times, 14 Apr 1932 (illus.), 8 Jun 1932; R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 39; Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 693. |
Building: | CO. DUBLIN, DUBLIN, BUTT BRIDGE (NEW) |
Date: | 1932 |
Nature: | Designed by PFP with Joseph Mallagh. Opened by Archbishop of Dublin, 7 Jun 1932. Believed to be earliest recorded use of cantilevered construction in reinforced concrete. Constructed by Gray's Ferro-Concrete (Ireland Ltd.) under supervision of F.W. Bond, AMICE, for Dublin Port and Docks Board. Contractors' resident engineer: T.A. Simington, BAI. |
Refs: |
Bill of quantities and scedule of prices in IAA, Acc.2008/47; Irish Times, 14 Apr 1932 (illus.), 8 Jun 1932; R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 39; Christine Casey, The Buildings of Ireland: Dublin (2005), 693. |
Building: | CO. KERRY, KENMARE, BRIDGE (NEW) |
Date: | 1932ca |
Nature: | New two-span bridge. PFP consulting engineer with L.G. Mouchel & Co., London, represented by their district engineer, R.N. Eaton.. Contractor: A.E. Farr, London. Cost: £10,000. For Kerry County Council. |
Refs: | IB 75, 20 May 1933, 405-6(illus.); R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 269-70 (illus.) |
Building: | CO. MAYO, CASTLEBAR, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1933 |
Nature: | New waterworks system. |
Refs: | IB 75, 29 Jul 1933, 632 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, BORRIS, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1934 |
Nature: | - |
Refs: | IB 76, 1 Dec 1934, 1050 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, TULLOW, DRAINAGE SCHEME |
Date: | 1937 |
Nature: | - |
Refs: | IB 79, 6 Feb 1937, 130 |
Building: | CO. TIPPERARY, ROSCREA, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1939 |
Nature: | Extension. |
Refs: | IB 81, 11 Nov 1939, 936 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, HACKETSTOWN, SEWERAGE |
Date: | 1945 |
Nature: | Sewerage scheme. |
Refs: | IB 87, 22 Sep 1945, 492 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, BORRIS, SEWERAGE |
Date: | 1945 |
Nature: | Sewerage scheme. |
Refs: | IB 87, 22 Sep 1945, 492 |
Building: | CO. KERRY, BALLYBUNION, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1948 |
Nature: | - |
Refs: | IB 90, 2,16 Oct,27 Nov 1948, 818,854,976 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, RATHVILLY, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1949 |
Nature: | Pump & mechanical filters. |
Refs: | IB 91, 17 Seo 1949, 874 |
Building: | CO. LIMERICK, CASTLECONNELL, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1949 |
Nature: | Works at waterworks. |
Refs: | IB 91, 22 Jan 1949, 82 |
Building: | CO. WICKLOW, GLENEALY, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1953 |
Nature: | - |
Refs: | IB 95, 9 May 1953, 482 |
Building: | CO. KILKENNY, GORESBRIDGE, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1955 |
Nature: | Water supply scheme for Gowran, Goresbridge & Paulstown. |
Refs: | IB 97, 12 Mar 1955, 269 |
Building: | CO. KILKENNY, GOWRAN, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1955 |
Nature: | Water supply scheme for Gowran, Goresbridge & Paulstown. |
Refs: | IB 97, 12 Mar 1955, 269 |
Building: | CO. KILKENNY, PAULSTOWN, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1955 |
Nature: | Water supply scheme for Gowran, Goresbridge & Paulstown. |
Refs: | IB 97, 12 Mar 1955, 269 |
Building: | CO. WICKLOW, WICKLOW, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1955-57 |
Nature: | Regional water supply. |
Refs: | IB 97, 27 Aug 1955, 898; 99, 15,29 Jun 1957, 477,516 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, TULLOW, SEWERAGE |
Date: | 1963 |
Nature: | Extension. |
Refs: | IB 105, 22 Jun 1963, 495 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, TULLOW, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1963 |
Nature: | Extension. |
Refs: | IB 105, 22 Jun 1963, 495 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, BAGENALSTOWN, SEWERAGE |
Date: | 1963 |
Nature: | - |
Refs: | IB 80, 20 Aug 1938, 710 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, BAGENALSTOWN, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1963 |
Nature: | Extension. |
Refs: | IB 80, 20 Aug 1938, 710 |
Building: | CO. CARLOW, HACKETSTOWN, WATER SUPPLY |
Date: | 1964 |
Nature: | Improvement scheme. |
Refs: | IB 106, 19 Dec 1964, 975 |
Author | Title | Date | Details |
---|---|---|---|
Purcell, Pierce Francis | 'Compression tests on tubular struts' | 1917 | TICEI 43 (1916-1917), 168-187. |
Purcell, Pierce Francis | [Presidential address to ICEI] | 1923 | Address delivered 6 Nov 1922, published in TICEI 49 (1922-23), 1-42, and IB 64, 16 Dec 1922, 849 |
Purcell, Pierce Francis | 'Mechanical filtration plant at Carlow Waterworks' | 1929 | TICEI 55 (19280-29), 123-133 |
Purcell, Pierce Francis | 'Construction of plantt for the purifcation by mechanical filtration of domestic water supplies' | 1940 | IB 82, 17 Aug 1940, 521. |