Nudds et al Review

(Reviewed by Roy Johnston in the Irish Times circa December 1988)

Science in Ireland 1800-1930:  Tradition and Reform

(ed J R Nudds et al); TCD Physics Dept; £10  

Scientists  in  Ireland  have an ongoing identity  crisis,  unlike  the   literary   Irish,   whose   international  recognition  is usually unquestioned,  even when, like Shaw or Beckett, they make their careers abroad. Visitors from abroad however usually express surprise when they discover that (for example) Hamilton or Tyndall were Irish.  

This  question is addressed in a modest preface by the editorial group, which also includes Dr N D McMillan of Carlow RTC, Professor D L Weaire of TCD and Professor S M P McKenna-Lawlor of Maynooth,  from which I  quote:  

"....why  did Ireland,  in those days more distant in practical terms  from  Britain  and Europe,  produce so many notable figures in the history of science?  The question is at least as significant as its much discussed literary  equivalent  with  which  there  is,  no  doubt,  some  subtle  connection...".  

This book is the proceedings of a symposium on the history of  science  in Ireland which took place in TCD in March 1986; it has been published with support from the TCD Physics,  Applied Mathematics and Engineering Departments,  from  St  Patricks  College  Maynooth,  and  from  private  sources. It  is therefore not to be regarded as a complete and integrated  study  of the subject in the period,  as is perhaps suggested by the title. It is more a signal to scholars that here is an area worth developing,  in the  context  of  ongoing historical study of the emergence  of  modern Irish nationhood.     

There are 17 papers, of which 11 are from Ireland and the  remainder  from abroad. Of the 17, 11 are by working scientists who have taken up, usually  at the margin of other activities,  an interest in the history of  their discipline. The remaining 6 are by professional  scientific historians  with  scientific  backgrounds; all these are   from abroad.  Readers  will find it of interest to compare the contributions from these two groups,  bearing in mind that the history of science  in an  emerging  nation has two distinct aspects: on the one hand, the  contribution to understanding within the discipline,  and on the  other  hand  the  contribution of scientific and technical competence  to  the  development  of  a national economy,  and the synthesis of  a  national  identity.     

The  book  falls  into  three  sections:  mathematics, astronomy  and experimental science.  Contributions from abroad tend to fall into the  mathemnatics area;  there  is some concentration on  the  relationship between  research  and  teaching,  on  the  influence  of  the  French  mathematical revolution, and on practical 'hand and eye' instruction.  One can see national politics lurking in the French connection; this is a  vein  needing  to  be exploited within the the  paradigms  of  Irish  national  historiography,   as  indeed  is  the  role  of  people  like McCullagh,  who  stood in the 1847 election,  lost and  then  committed suicide.

 Names  having primary attention in this section,  apart  from  McCullagh  (Prof T D Spearman) are Boole (Prof Des McHale) and Hamilton  (Sean O'Donnell).   Biographical  attitudes  towards  the nationality of  G  G  Stokes  and  William  Thomson (better known as Lord Kelvin) are analysed by Dr Frank  James of the Royal Institution, somewhat inconclusively.  

In  the astronomy section Professor Susan McKenna-Lawlor catalogues the  observatories  which  were active in the period;  apart  from  Dunsink,  Armagh  and Birr Castle there were some half-dozen lesser-known centres  of  significance,  usually  run by gentleman-amateurs.  Professor  P  A  Wayman  of Dunsink writes on its foundation and the work  of  Brinkley.  The   scientific  background,   and  the  technology  involved  in  the construction, of the great Birr Castle telescope are outlined by Dr J A  Bennett  of  the Cambridge Dept of History and Philosophy  of  Science;  this  is  usefully  supplemented by a practical reconstruction  of  the  instrumentation  used  by  Lord  Rosse  in  the  measurement  of  lunar temperature  (David Taylor and Mary McGuckian,  TCD Dept of  Mechanical  Engineering).     

The experimental science section has two contributions from Dr  J  G O'Hara  (who is working in the  Leibniz  Archiv,  Hannover), one on Humphrey  Lloyd (who cultivated an extensive network abroad in relation  to  the  measurement  of the earth's magnetism) and the  other  on  the correspondence  between Hertz and Fitzgerald.  This was  in  connection  with  the  verification of the Maxwell theory of  electromagnetic  wave  propagation,  which is at the root of all modern radio communication, a key  frontier area of physics at the time.  

The three world centres for the  development of electrodynamics at the end of the 19th century were Berlin  (Helmholz),  Cambridge (Maxwell) and Dublin  (Fitzgerald).  The work  of  O'Hara in establishing the international standing  of  Irish-based  science in the 19th century is helping to lay the foundation for  the  future approaches to Irish history which are needed to give Irish  science the place it deserves.     

Other  contributions in this section are on Samuel Haughton and the age of  the  earth  (Norman McMillan),  John Joly  on  colour  photography,  radioactivity  and  (again)  the age of the earth  (John  Nudds), the  transatlantic  cable  (Dr D de Cogan,  from the Nottingham  Engineering  School),  and two biographical studies:  Mary Ward (microscopist  1827-1869,  by  Dr  Owen Harry of QUB) and Robert Woods (biophysicist  1865-1938, by Professor C S Breathnach of UCD).  

In  conclusion  it  is appropriate to recall the  booklet  'People  and Places  in Irish Science and Technology',  edited by Charles Mollan and others for the Royal Irish Academy and published in 1985 in  connection   with the Academy bicentenary. This has one or two pages of a sketch for  each  of a much larger number of people,  including technologists  like Harry  Ferguson and Howard Grubb.  Extend the analysis of the lives and times  of  those featuring in the Academy booklet to the depth  of  the  book under review,  and you already have several weighty volumes.  Full  biographical treatments, at the level received by Hamiltion, would fill  a shelf.     

Why  is this important?  I suggest that it is because in the history of  science  and technology in Ireland we have a unique  laboratory  within which  can be analysed  the  tensions  between the fundamental  internationalism  of science and the conflicting technological needs of  the imperial State, in competition with those of the emerging embryonic  nation.  Overlay this with the cultural tensions arising from religious  pluralism  within the emerging Irish nation,  and we begin to see a web of   fascinating  but  possibly  frightening  complexity.   

No wonder traditional political,  economic and social historians have shied  away  from it.  Yet the problem will have to be addressed, if Irish experience is to be used  effectively  in  helping to form policies  for  using  scientific technology in the contemporary third-world development process.   The  present  writer's outline solution,  for what it is worth,  is  to create an academic appointment, for the study of the history of science and technology in Ireland,  within a history department which is strong  in  economic and social history,  and is alive to the need  to  enhance creatively  the study of the nation-building process in a post-colonial  situation. Do I ask the impossible? RJ 1988

(Afterword: the foregoing is an indication of the philosophical background to this Tyndall web-site; the agenda stated above is still with us. RJ March 2000)