Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Architect, of Kilkenny. According to Cox, George Smith was a pupil of GEORGE SEMPLE  GEORGE SEMPLE and designed Griaguenamanagh bridge over the River Barrow in 1760.(1) Soon afterwards he succeeded WILLIAM OCKENDEN  WILLIAM OCKENDEN as engineer of the Nore navigation following Ockenden's death in 1761.(2) After severe flooding in 1763 had destroyed several bridges on the Nore, Smith designed two new bridges in Kilkenny - John's Bridge and Greene's Bridge - and a bridge at Inistioge.(3) He would appear to be the same person as the George Smith whose widow was paid the balance due to him for building a house for Steuart Weldon - probably Kilmorony, Co. Laois - between 1779 and 1784.(4)



References



(1) R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 93-94; when Cox states on p. 95 that Smith was 'the architect responsible for Essex…Bridge, Dublin', does he mean that Smith acted as Semple's clerk of works.
(2) William Tighe, Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny (1802), 136.
(3) Tighe, op. cit., 563(illus.).
(4) NLI MS. 15,058 (IAA, Edward McParland files, Acc. 2008/44).


5 work entries listed in chronological order for SMITH, GEORGE [1]


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Building: CO. KILKENNY, GRAIGUENAMANAGH, BRIDGE
Date: 1760
Nature: New stone bridge over River Barrow replacing wooden one.(But APSD (where?) says by George Semple,1753-55)
Refs: R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 93-94(illus.)

Building: CO. KILKENNY, INISTIOGE, BRIDGE
Date: 1763p
Nature: New 9-arched bridge over River Nore, replacing one swept away by floods of 1863. Ionic pilasters. Built for Navigation Board, Cost £900.
Refs: William Tighe, Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny (1802), 131,202,563(illus.); J.P. Lawson, Gazetteer of Ireland (1842), 489,678; IB 34, 15 Nov 1892, 238,239(illus.); R.C. Cox & M.H. Gould, Civil Engineering Heritage: Ireland (1998), 95-96(illus.)

Building: CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, ST JOHN'S BRIDGE
Date: 1763p
Nature: New 3-arched bridge over River Nore, replacing one swept away by floods of 1763. Cost of John's Bridge and Greene's Bridge: £5,407. (Demolished 1910)
Refs: William Tighe, Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny (1802), 563; S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), II, 110; Peter Smithwick, 'Georgian Kilkenny', BIGS 6, no. 4 (Oct-Dec 1963), 93

Building: CO. KILKENNY, KILKENNY, GREENE'S BRIDGE
Date: 1763P
Nature: New 5-arched bridge over River Nore, replacing one swept away by floods of 1863. Cost of John's Bridge and Greene's Bridge: £5,407.
Refs: William Tighe, Statistical Observations relative to the County of Kilkenny (1802), 563; S. Lewis, A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), II, 110; Peter Smithwick, 'Georgian Kilkenny', BIGS 6, no. 4 (Oct-Dec 1963), 93

Building: CO. LAOIS, KILMORONY
Date: 1779-1884
Nature: Probably the house which George Smith built for Steuart Weldon, for which Smith's widow received balance due to him in 1784. (Demolished.)
Refs: E.McP files, citing NLI MS 15,058; Mark Bence-Jones, Burke’s Guide to Country Houses. Volume I, Ireland. (London, 1978), 174(illus.)