William Dargan (1799–1867), an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire (then Kingstown) in 1833. He constructed over 800 miles (1,300 km) of railway to important urban centres of Ireland. He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society and also helped establish the National Gallery of Ireland. He was also responsible for th...
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William Dargan (1799–1867), an engineer, often seen as the father of Irish railways, came from County Laois, Ireland. Born in 1799, he constructed Ireland's first railway from Dublin to Dún Laoghaire (then Kingstown) in 1833. He constructed over 800 miles (1,300 km) of railway to important urban centres of Ireland. He was a member of the Royal Dublin Society and also helped establish the National Gallery of Ireland. He was also responsible for the Great Dublin Exhibition held at Leinster lawn in 1853.
Dargan, the son of a farmer, was born in Killeshin in the county of Laois on 28 February 1799, and having received an English education was placed in a surveyor's office.
The first important employment he obtained was under Thomas Telford in constructing the Holyhead road in 1820; when that work was finished he returned to Ireland and took small contracts on his own account, the most important of which was the road from Dublin to Howth.
In 1831 he became the contractor for the...
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