For sharing this Bill as the Halpin family located in Co Wicklow are also linked to a George and they all had sea going backgrounds I feel that one day we will find that connection. Great to see people willing to share what they learn, makes me warm and fuzzy to know this still happens in this day of busy research. Thanyou yet again Cara ----- Original Message ----- From: "The Websters" <wbwebster@optusnet.com.au> To: <irl-dublin@rootsweb.com> Sent: Thursday, August 30, 2007 8:34 AM Subject: [IRL-DUBLIN] HALPIN > Regarding recent postings from Charles and others involving the name > Halpin, > I have yesterday received the following detailed response from David > Bedlow > for Head of Marine Irish Lights Office16 Lower Pembroke street Dublin 2 > Ireland www.cil.ie, for which I thank him greatly. > > > > George Halpin was appointed as Inspector of Works to the Corporation for > Preserving and Improving the Port of Dublin in 1800. This was the Port > Authority for Dublin, also known as the Ballast Board. > > Halpin was a builder by trade, with no academic engineering > qualifications. He was responsible for supervising various engineering > works around Dublin Port, from Sutton on the north side of Dublin Bay to > Bullock Harbour on the south. > > In 1810 the Ballast Board was made responsible for the lighthouses > around the coast of Ireland, and the Board extended Halpin's > responsibilities by appointing him Inspector of Lighthouses as well as > Inspector of Works. > > Halpin was an administrator of exceptional ability. Under his direction > the Ballast Board established an effective management structure for the > lighthouse service, standardised the level of service provided, and > regularised the employment of lighthouse keepers. Gradually during the > nineteenth century a proper marine aids to navigation infrastructure was > put in place. > > George Halpin died suddenly in July 1854 while carrying out lighthouse > inspections. His date of birth is unknown. However, his headstone in > Mount Jerome Cemetry, Dublin, gives his age at the time of death as 75 > years. > > When the Ballast Board took over responsibility for the Irish > Lighthouses in 1810 there were only 14 lighthouses around the Irish > Coast. By 1867, when responsibility was transferred to the > Commissioners of Irish Lights, there were 72. George Halpin directed > the construction of most of the 58 additional lighthouses, and of a > number of others subsequently discontinued because their location proved > ineffective. He also oversaw the modernisation and re-equipping of the > previously existing lighthouses. This was in addition to supervising > the construction of new docks, bridges and other projects for the > expanding Dublin port - a remarkable achievement. > > So far as I am aware, virtually nothing is known of his family history. > We do know, however, that his son, also George, who was a qualified > civil engineer, was employed by the Board as assistant Inspector of > Works and Inspector of Lighthouses from 1830 and when George Halpin > senior died George Halpin junior was promoted to the post of Inspector > of Works & Superintendent of Lighthouses. > > A History of The Port of Dublin by H.A. Gilligan (published by Gill & > Macmillen Ltd, Goldenbridge, Dublin 8; 1988; ISBN 0-7171-1578-X) gives > an excellent overview of the achievements of the two George Halpins. > > There was also a Robert Halpin who was chief officer and later master of > the Great Eastern, originally a passenger paddle steamer which was later > converted to a cable layer and which laid the first transatlantic > submarine cable from Valentia Island, Co Kerry, to New York. I do not > know whether Robert Halpin was a relative of the George Halpins. > > The lighthouses in Dublin Port are the responsibility of Dublin Port > Company, see www.dublinport.ie There is a lighthouse at the end of the > North Wall, but I do not know whether it is the same one. > > > > As far as Charles' queries go, I may be subject to correction but, as the > descendents of these men were avowedly Protestant/Anglican, I assume that > they were also. We may know more whenever I can obtain their Mt Jerome > burial records and I will so advise. > > > > Best wishes > > > > Bill. > > > > ------------------------------- > To unsubscribe from the list, please send an email to > IRL-DUBLIN-request@rootsweb.com with the word 'unsubscribe' without the > quotes in the subject and the body of the message >

1) Thank you to all for your advice and help last month. To let you know what happened, I did write to the Mt Jerome Caretaker enclosing a self addressed envelope together with an international postal coupon obtained from my local PO. Today I was delighted to receive from him (her?) a map of the cemetery with the 2 relevant plots highlighted. On the reverse of this, s/he has notated the burials at those plots, date of burial and age. Also there was some information about the achievements and address of one of those buried but I cannot tell whether this is from common knowledge or from records. S/he has not quoted any burial dockets or other documentary or family information. 2) Further help!? Might SKS be planning to visit Mt Jerome, with a camera? I now know exactly where the 2 adjacent plots are, just inside the maion gates and to the right a short distance. Also, with knowledge of the plot numbers, might a few minutes taking notes from the burial registers at the office be possible? I would be supremely grateful. Best wishes to all, Bill Webster Sydney.