These valuations which are so important to Irish family research prompted me recently to find out more about the man Griffith and put some bone and skin to the individual. I am sure lots of people on the list know very little about him if anything at all. So I am going to share with you what I have I have discovered about the man who makes our family research of the 21st century possible even though his task was for the collection of tax. Well his name was Richard John Griffith (1784-1878). He was a geologist engineer valuator and surveyor. He was born and educated in Dublin. He used all the above talents. He worked as a construction and mining engineer around the province of Leinster. He completed a pioneering geological map of Ireland and acclaimed as the father of Irish Geology. He was also one of four Railway Commissioners of the than Irish rail network. He was much admired because of his ability to undertake many major projects at any one time. Under an act of the British parliament in 1846 he was responsible for the survey of Ireland which was undertaken by 150 surveyors. The aim of the exercise was to assess local taxes through a uniform system. Land was valued on its productive capacity and potential value of yearly agricultural produce based on land fertility and peculiar local circumstances. In 1865 the task was completed with the publication the Armagh valuations. He was regarded as one of the most talented Irishmen of the 19th Century in his time. The survey was still been used up to 1977 for the calculation of rates paid by owners of land valuation. So there we are.When we see the name Griffith we can see the man the human being instead of a technical term. Ciaran Colgan