Dictionary of Irish Architects 1720 - 1940

Engineer, of Dublin. Patrick Joseph Raftery was born in Corofin, Co. Galway, in 1887. He received his schooling at Mungret College, Limerick, and his university education at Queen's College, Galway, and University College, Dublin, obtaining the BE degree in 1916. His first appointment was as an assistant county surveyor for Co. Galway in 1912. He also practised privately in Roscommon from about 1916 and was an unsuccessful candidate for the Roscommon county surveyorship in 1919.(1) In 1922 he joined the Department of Local Government in Dublin as an inspector. By 1944 he had become senior engineering inspector in the roads section and by the time of his retirement in 1953 he had become the Department's senior engineer.

Raftery had a keen interest in local history and antiquities and was a collector of Irish topographical prints. He was a founder member of the Old Dublin Society and read at least least two papers at its meetings, one on James Malton and another on Thomas Cromwell's Excursions through Dublin in 1820.(2) He was elected president of the Society in 1961.(3) He died on 23 January 1962 at the age of seventy-five, survived by a widow and a son of the same name, who was also an engineer.

ICEI:(4) elected associate member, 3 December 1917;(5) transferred to member, 1921; reads paper on 'The Dublin Traffic Problem', 6 December 1926;(6) council member, 1926-27, 1929-1944, 1945-1957; hon. treasurer, 1929-1947;(7) reads paper on 'Engineers and tourist development', 5 May 1930;(8) vice-president, 1943-44; president, 1944-45; founder member of Benevolent Fund.
Institution of Municipal Engineers: vice-president, actively involved in amalgamation of institution with the Association of Municipal & County Engineers, 1921.
Association of Municipal & County Engineers: admitted member, 1 October 1921.(9) presides over Galway meeting, October 1931;(10) elected vice-president, 1961.(11)
Royal Sanitary Institution: elected fellow, 1925.

Addresses:(11) Rosetta, Roscommon, 1916; Rocksavage, Roscommon, 1918-1920; Rosetta, Roscommon, 1921-1922; Hazelhurst, 39 Anglesea Road, 1924-1925; 64 Upper Leeson Street, 1926 until death.

See WORKS, BIBLIOGRAPHY. BIBLIOGRAPHY.



References

All information in this entry not otherwise accounted for is from the biography in IB 86, 6 May 1944, 182, and from the obituaries in IB 104, 3 Feb 1962, 80, and TICEI 88 (1961-62), 298-9. Photographs of Raftery appear in IB 73, 10 Oct 1931, 882: 77, 24 Aug 1935, 754, 86, 6 May 1944, 182, and TICEI 71 (1944-45), frontispiece.

(1) Roscommon Herlad, 25 Oct 1919.
(2) See IB 97, 29 Jan,19 Nov,3 Dec 1955, 105,1192,1251-1256.
(3) IB 103, 25 Nov 1961, 947.
(4) From ICEI lists of members and Jones transcripts from ICEI lists of officers unless otherwise stated.
(5) TICEI 44 (1917-18), 17.
(6) TICEI 53 (1926-27), 32-55.
(7) IB 59, 22 Mar,31 May 1947, 214,386.
(8) TICEI 56 (1929-30), 221-146.
(9) IB 63, 22 Oct 1921, 701.
(10) IB 73, 10 Oct 1931, 882.
(11) IB 103, 25 Nov 1961, 947.
(11) From ICEI lists of members and Thom's directories.


2 work entries listed in chronological order for RAFTERY, PATRICK JOSEPH [1]


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Building: CO. ROSCOMMON, ROSCOMMON, HOUSES (006)
Date: 1921
Nature: 3 pairs of bungalows for Sisters of St Vincent de Paul.
Refs: IB 63, 16 Jul 1921, 499

Building: CO. ROSCOMMON, BALLYFORAN, CHURCH (RC)
Date: 1921
Nature: Repairs.
Refs: IB 63, 16 Jul 1921, 490

Author Title Date Details
Raftery, Patrick Joseph 'The Dublin Traffic Problem' 1926 TICEI 53 (1926-27), 32-55.
Raftery, Patrick Joseph 'Engineers and tourist development' 1930 TICEI 56 (1929-1930), 221-246.
Raftery, Patrick Joseph [Presidential address to ICEI] 1944 IB 86, 18 Nov 1944, 466; TICEI 71 (1944-45), 1-20.
Raftery, Patrick Joseph 'Who was Malton?' 1955;1964 IB 97, 3 Dec 1955, 1251; Dublin Historical Record 19 (Sep 1964), 104-114. (Paper read to Dublin Historical Society, 31 Oct 1955. See also editorial comment in IB 97, 19 Nov 1955, 1192.)
Raftery, Patrick Joseph 'Mersey estuary reclamation scheme' 1958 IB 100, 17 May 1958, ?.
Raftery, Patrick Joseph 'Dublin topographical prints' 1959 IB Centenary Number (1959), 20-22.