John O'Connell
John O'Connell (1843-1905)
1906 Obituary [1]
JOHN O’CONNELL, grandson of Daniel O’Connell, "the Liberator," was born on the 26th February, 1843, and obtained his engineering experience at Wexford harbour and on the Dublin Corporation waterworks.
In 1868 he received an appointment to the staff of the Bombay, Baroda and Central India Railway, and after assisting in the construction of the Wadhwnn, Dakor and other lines, he was promoted in 1877 to Resident Engineer, in which capacity he held executive charge of about 250 miles of open main line, and of the Godhra branch, on which he carried out departmentally the construction of a low-level viaduct of 65 spans across the Mahi river.
In 1882 he was appointed to take charge of a district of about 350 miles of open line, way and works, and later, for a time, held charge of the Bombay District, including the construction of several large stations, the strengthening of Bassein Creek viaduct, and the construction of a large portion of the line washed away by floods in the monsoon of 1884.
Shortly afterwards he was obliged to leave India and the railway service on account of ill-health, and thereafter he led a very retired life at his home in Kilkenny, where he died on the 4th July, 1905, aged 62.
Mr. O’Connell was elected an Associate of the Institution on the 4th April, 1876, was subsequently placed in the class of Associate Members, and was transferred to the class of Members on the 15th January, 1889.