Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Clerk of works under the Board of National Education and the Board of Works. Martin Morris, who was born in 1823, entered the employment of the Board of National Education as a clerk of works under FREDERICK DARLEY[2]  FREDERICK DARLEY[2] in 1849. He continued as a clerk of works with the Board of Works from 1 April 1857, following the transfer of the architects' department of the Board of Education to the Board of Works. By 1863(1) he was district clerk of works in Cork. He held the same position in Limerick from 1868 until 1878 or later.(2) He appears to have continued in private practice as an architect in Limerick for a while, possibly until the late 1880s,(3) although he eventually moved to Dublin. After his retirement, according to his obituary in the Irish Builder, he 'threw himself into politics with great ardour and at the time of the Parnell split was one of the most active anti-Parnellites working incessantly in the cause of the Federation.' He died at home in Drumcondra in 1901.

RIAI: elected associate, 21 May 1863;(4) no longer on list of members by 1871.

Addresses: Monteville, Cork, 1863;(5) 3 Richmond Terrace, Limerick, 1879;(6) 179 Clonliffe Road, Drumcondra, <=1896(7) until death.

See WORKS.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from Jones's transcripts from Office of Public Works records and from the brief obituary of Morris in IB 43, 23 May 1901, 734.

(1) Laing's Cork Mercantile Directory (1863).
(2) He appears in Bassett's Limerick City Directory for 1879, but by 1880 he had been succeeded by Patrick Joseph Lynch.
(3) He may be the 'Mr Morris, Limerick, architect' who designed additions to St Mary's Church (RC), Cahir, Co. Tipperary, in 1888, see IB 30, 15 Jan 1888, 21. He only appears in the Limerick directories in 1879 however.
(4) RIAI council meeting minutes, 8 May 1863, 5; general meeting minutes, 21 May 1863, 127.
(5) See note 1, above.
(6) See note 2, above.
(7) Post Office Directory (1896).


2 work entries listed in chronological order for MORRIS, MARTIN


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Building: CO. LIMERICK, LIMERICK, DENMARK STREET, CHURCH OF ST MICHAEL (RC)
Date: 1881
Nature: Rebuilding of penal chapel (1779-1781) for Rev. George Butler. Builder: Patrick Molloy. (Subject of arbitration, Molly & Kenny v Butler & Conway, 1885-86)
Refs: IB 23, 15 Apr 1881, 125; North Munster Antiquarian Journal (1959), 91; IAA, PKS B12/40, B13/06, A07, p.238-9 (1885)

Building: CO. TIPPERARY, CAHIR, CHURCH OF ST MARY (RC)
Date: 1888
Nature: Addition of chancel, lateral chapels, sacristy, panelling of ceiling, strengthening of roof, for Rev. Maurice Mooney, PP. 'Mr Morris, Limerick, architect'. Foreman: Robert Loughran, Armagh. Tender of Denis Creedon, Fermoy, for over £2,000, accepted.
Refs: IB 30, 15 Jan 1888, 21;  George Henry Bassett, The Book of Co. Tipperary (1889), 147.