Engineer, of Galway, active from the 1880s until the 1930s. William Binns, son of William J. Binns, was born in Co. Tipperary in on 8 April 1867. He was educated at Galway Grammar School and University College, Galway, where he obtained the BE degree. He was engaged in the construction of the Galway-Clifden and Tralee & Dingle railway lines before his appointment to the borough surveyorship of Galway. This was probably in or soon after 1889, when his predecessor RICHARD NEWMAN SOMERVILLE RICHARD NEWMAN SOMERVILLE was appointed county surveyor of Cavan. By 1900 he had also become engineer to the Harbour Commissioners; his salary in this position was raised to £100 per annum in 1907. He was also engineer for the Corrib Navigation Board for many years. In 1909 he was one of the two candidates proposed for the county surveyorship of East Galway, but lost the contest to JOHN MORAN. JOHN MORAN. His obituarist in the Irish Builder lists some of his achievements: 'Amongst the projects carried out under his control were the construction of the present Galway water supply system, housing schemes at the Claddagh and Bohermore and lay-out of the new Shantalla scheme, erection of public baths, swimming pools, etc. at Galway and Salthill and sewerage and water schemes in connection with the expansion of that popular seaside resort. He was associated with Sir Cyril Kirkpatrick in the preparation of plans for the development of Galway port.' He still held the borough surveyorship in 1933 but had retired by 1938. He was over eighty when he died on 10 October 1947. He had married in 1914. His pupils and assistants included MICHAEL JOSEPH KENNEDY MICHAEL JOSEPH KENNEDY and probably CLAUD ALPHONSUS WARNER. CLAUD ALPHONSUS WARNER.
References
Iformation in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the obituary of Binns in IB 89, 1 Nov 1947, 824, and from Thom's directories.
www.familysearch.org. and 1911 census of Ireland, http://www.census.nationalarchives.ie/ (last visited Oct 2009).
IB 56, 5 Dec 1914, 664.
Tuam Herald, 26 Jan 1909.
IB 49, 23 Mar 1907, 225
7 work entries listed in chronological order for BINNS, WILLIAM NORMAN
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| Building: |
CO. GALWAY, GALWAY, NEWCASTLE ROAD, UNION WORKHOUSE |
| Date: |
1902-1903;1915 |
| Nature: |
Improvements; sewerage scheme |
| Refs: |
IB 44, 8,22 May 1902, 1240,1262; 44, 15 Jan,12 Feb 1903, 1556,1594; 57, 25 Sep 1915, 417
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