SNIPPET: The son of a Carlow farmer, industrialist William DARGAN(1799-1867), was educated in England and trained as a surveyor there. Following experience gained under Thomas TELFORD in Wales, DARGAN returned to Ireland and established himself as a road contractor. In 1831 he became the contractor for the Dublin to Kingstown railway line, the first in Ireland. Over the next 20 years he constructed in excess of 600 miles of railway line, the Ulster canal, and major improvements to Belfast's docks. In 1853 he organized the Irish Industrial Exhibition, inspired by the success of the Great Exhibition of 1851 in London and an exhibition in Cork in 1852 that was later seen as a modest success, but DARGAN's much larger exhibition in Dublin in 1853 was less successful. Apparently this was due to the fact that the Irish market was too small to tempt adequate numbers of foreign manufacturers and his greatly expanded arts, antiquities and overseas exotica tended to overshadow the displays of Irish raw materials, machinery, and manufactured goods. Overall attendance was low, even though QUEEN VICTORIA and PRINCE ALBERT, during a week-long stay in Ireland visited the hall four times. QUEEN VICTORIA also paid a visit to DARGAN's home. DARGAN declined a baronetcy and underwrote a substantial loss. Unfortunately, DARGAN's later investments in textile manufacture also proved financially disastrous and he finally suspended payment on his debts the year before his death. His widow was subsequently granted an annual civil list pension of 100 pounds.