Mulqueen, John (1935-2006)--DB9701

Biographical Notes

Date of birth and date of death

11.06.1935-04.02.2006

Maiden name, place of origin

Kilrush, County Clare

Marital status, religious denomination, children

Married to Rose Neary; Catholic; 7 Children (7 Daughters)

Social background, family connections

Son of a farmer

Education, occupation and public functions

Education

University College Dublin: Bachelor of Agricultural Science 1954-1957; Kilrush Christian Brothers' School

Occupation

University College Galway: Lecturer in Civil Engineering Department 1989-; An Foras Talúntais: Officer-in-charge in research station at Creagh, Ballinrobe, County Mayo, 1977-1989, Officer-in-charge in research station at Ballinamore, County Leitrim, 1965-1977, Manager in peatland research station at Lullymore, County Kildare, 1960-1965, Officer in blanket peat research station at Glenamoy, County Mayo, 1957-1960

Functions in agricultural institutions

Functions in other institutions

Environmental Protection Agency; Council for Forest Research and Development (Coford)

Political activities

Short Biography

John Mulqueen was a soil scientist who made a massive contribution to agricultural and rural development in Ireland. His skills were honed initially while working in the An Foras Talúntais (AFT) blanket peat research station at Glenamoy, County Mayo, where he and his colleagues established the nutritional requirements for a vast range of living organisms on blanket peat (with some of these findings remaining at the core of standard advice today). Subsequently, at the AFT research station at Ballinamore, County Leitrim, Mulqueen supervised research into farming on heavy wet clay soils and in 1968 won a W.K. Kellogg Foundation scholarship to study soil physics and drainage solutions under Professor Don Kirkham at Iowa State University. This culminated, on his return to Ireland, in his development of the gravel-filled mole drainage plough, which was the first significant advance on the original mole plough that had been invented by John Fowler in 1851. Thereafter, Mulqueen applied his innovation for the benefit of farmers and community groups throughout rural Ireland. Notably, he collaborated with Joe Prunty from County Fermanagh to invent the sand-based but natural grass all-weather playing pitch that is conspicuous across many field game codes in Ireland. From 1983, he complemented this initiative by combining with Dr Michael Rodgers of University College Galway to work on national and international projects in soil mechanics.

Author: Mícheál O Fathartaigh

References

Own publications

Sources

Keywords

IrlandeCounty ClareCounty MayoCounty KildareCounty LeitrimCounty Fermanagh