The death has occurred of Engineers Ireland's esteemed past president and former director general, Dr Finbar Callanan CEng FIEI.

Dr Finbar Callanan.

Dr Callanan BE MAI CEng FIEI Eur Ing FIAE FICE FIE (Aus) Reg Cons, Secretary of the Irish Academy of Engineers 1997-2004; former director general, the Institution of Engineers of Ireland; past president, the Institution of Ireland 1974-75; and former chief civil engineer, Bord na Móna, passed away on July 5, 2023. 

L-R: Former director general Caroline Spillane; Dr Finbar Callanan; former president Marguerite Sayers; Dr Ron Cox; Murt Coleman and Orla Lonergan.

"The president, Council, Executive Board, members and staff of Engineers Ireland express our deepest sympathy on the death of our esteemed past president and former director general Dr Finbar Callanan CEng FIEI," the organisation said in a statement.

Dr Callanan chaired the Joint Executive Committee which coordinated the unification in 1969 of Cumann na nInnealtóirí and the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland to form the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland (now known as Engineers Ireland).

In 1979, Dr Callanan assumed the role of director general and secretary of the Institution of Engineers of Ireland. He also held key roles in our organisation as the secretary of the Midland Region of Cumann na n-Innealtóiri (the Engineers Association) in 1960. He also was the founder of the Dublin Region and the Engineers' Club.

Damien Owens, director general of Engineers Ireland, said: “On behalf of our institution, our Council, Executive Board, members and staff, I express my sincere condolences to the family of Dr Callanan. 

"I had the pleasure of working closely with Dr Callanan over a number of years. He raised the stakes for what could be accomplished by us as an institution. He was at the forefront of internationalising the engineering profession through pioneering work on the Washington Accord and building relationships with FEANI. His insights were always impressive, and opinions invaluable.”

'Exercised strong leadership'

Professor Edmond Harty, president of Engineers Ireland, said: “Dr Callanan exercised strong leadership for which he will be remembered. Dr Callanan had an intellectual vigour which inspired and influenced many.

"He made such an indelible mark on our engineering community and was a positive force for good throughout his tenure as president and director general of Engineers Ireland. His loss will be deeply felt throughout the wider engineering community, and by his family and many friends.” 

Dr Finbar Callanan was born on March 15, 1931, in Cork city, the son of Denis Callanan, railway agent, and Annie Elizabeth Fry. He was educated at Mount Sion CBS, Waterford and University College Cork, where he studied civil engineering, obtaining a BE degree in 1951.

On graduating, he undertook his early training with Westmeath county council before joining the marine section of the Office of Public Works (OPW) in 1953 to survey the coastal regions of Connemara for potential fishery harbours.

His interest in harbours continued with Waterford Harbour Commissioners and TJS Mallagh, consulting engineers, before joining Bord na Móna in 1956 as senior civil engineer at the Boora Works, then the largest peat producing works in western Europe.

The varied engineering works were all related to milled peat production for Ferbane power station and for briquette production at Derrinlough. In 1960, Dr Callanan moved to HQ as assistant development engineer and in 1965 became project engineer in charge of forward planning for the expansion of sod peat production and the mechanisation of peat winning processes.

Former president Prof Jane Grimson; former president Marguerite Sayers; Dr Finbar Callanan; and former director general Caroline Spillane.

As planning engineer from 1973 to 1975, he was responsible for the short and long-term planning of the board’s diverse activities, including the future of cutover peat lands.

He was appointed chief operations engineer in 1975 and concluded his career with Bord na Móna in 1979 as chief civil engineer heading up the Third Programme of Development, which had as its ultimate objective the doubling of the peat output of the company.

It was at this time that Dr Callanan accepted the invitation of the IEI president, Lucas Collins, to become director of the institution (later to become director general). The reason for this initiative by the institution was the necessity to greatly increase its membership and to steer the organisation into a new era with a rapidly expanding engineering and diverse profession, expanding engineering schools, and the need for greater integration of industry and the schools of engineering with the institution.

There was also the need to establish strong overseas relations with the increasing internationalisation of the Irish engineering profession, many of whom were looking abroad for employment and work opportunities.

His involvement in the organisation of the engineering profession had begun as far back as 1960 when he was secretary of the Midland Region of Cumann na nInnealtóiri (the Engineers Association).

He was subsequently the founder of the Dublin Region and the Engineers Club at 22 Clyde Road. He chaired the Joint Executive Committee which coordinated the unification in 1969 of the Cumann and the Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland to form the Institution of Engineers of Ireland (IEI).

Dr Finbar Callanan was president from 1974-75.

A Chartered Engineer and a Fellow of the IEI, he succeeded Hugh Delap as president in 1974-75. In his role as director general, Dr Callanan was intimately involved with the accreditation of Irish engineering courses leading to international agreements, such as the Washington Accord between the United States, Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, later to be joined by the UK and Canada.

'Going for Growth'

He also oversaw a major extension to the Clyde Road premises in the form of a highly acclaimed education centre, including a theatre and library. Apart from his commitment to Continuing Engineering Education and involvement in national and international conferences, one of his abiding legacy to the institution must include the series of policy documents he presented to the Executive and Council over the years, perhaps the most significant being the policy statement 'Going for Growth', published in 1993.

Following his retirement from the directorship of the IEI in 1996, he was the prime instigator in the foundation of the Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE).

He was its first secretary (1996-2004), and its president in 2006. He was made an Honorary Fellow of the IAE in 1997 and also an Honorary Member of the Association of Consulting Engineers in Ireland.

In 1995, he was conferred with an honorary doctorate by the National Council for Educational Awards. Dr Callanan received many other awards, including an Honorary MAI from the University of Dublin, and was a fellow of a number of professional bodies, including the Institution of Civil Engineers, and the American and Australian societies.

According to the publication Called to Serve: "On becoming president of the IEI in 1974, Dr Callanan revived the annual conference, which had fallen into abeyance, and the 'Crossroads' Conference was held in Trinity College Dublin in October of that year.

"Additionally, the Council agreed to the establishment of a Conference of Engineering Education, drawn from employers and academics, to act as a ‘Think Tank’ with regard to current and future directions for the IEI. This development was coupled with visits to the various engineering schools with the objective of strengthening ties between the colleges and the profession." 

The involvement of the IEI in the European Federation of National Engineering Organisations (FEANI) continued actively with Dr Callanan taking over as national representative in succession to Professor Wright who, as vice-president of FEANI, had played such a significant role in representing the IEI in the organisation.

Dr Callanan was nominated as president of the Industry Commission of FEANI and had responsibility for the organisation of the 14th International Seminar of FEANI ‘Case Studies in Technology Transfer’, held in Trinity College Dublin the same week as the IEI’s 150th anniversary annual conference.

The important and significant work achievement of FEANI was the establishment of a register of European engineering qualifications and the creation and furthering of the Eur Ing title – a Pan-European designatory title denoting a recognised equivalence of academic education and training for European engineers, the objective of which was to facilitate the free movement of engineers throughout Europe.

This title and its procedures were agreed by FEANI and the first ceremonial conferrings took place in Paris in 1987. The first Irish recipients of the award were Dr Callanan, the then IEI president, Michael O'Donnell, and Professor James Calderwood. The Irish and British chartered engineer designations were recognised by FEANI as equivalent to Eur Ing.

The Bord na Móna years – in Dr Finbar Callanan's own words 

"I joined Bord na Móna on June 1, 1956. Prior to joining the board I was engaged on the design of the new jetties and harbour facilities for the port of Waterford which had a sizeable expansion programme under way. I had been considering a career change  at the time and I attended an interview for a civil engineering position in Bord na Móna which, at the time, seemed to be going places consequent on the major changeover from sod peat to milled peat for power generation.

"I was interviewed for the job by Eugene Redahan, chief civil engineer, and Patrick Cogan, asstistant chief engineer; one comment of Eugene Redahan’s which stuck in my mind was that Bord na Móna would be an utterly different engineering experience compared to anything I had done before.

"This turned out to be very true. The interview was successful and I was offered the post of civil engineer in Boora. As I had been recently married, the offer of a house in the new village at No 6 St Cormac’s Park, Kilcormac, was a major inducement.

"Before taking up duty I reconnoitred the whole area and a number of things struck me. They were the immensity of the areas in development and the tidiness of everything – on the bog, the offices, the workshops, the railways and the village itself which to me was a model of layout and care.

"The machinery was certainly very different from anything I had seen or worked with previously and the first sight of a ditcher working up to the north line in Boora was an eye opener to say the least.

"My neighbours in St Cormac’s Park were Dan Davy and Mick Coughlan on one side and Sean Treacy and Tom Quinn, production engineer and later manager of Clonsast, on the other, and we were made very welcome.

"I didn’t have a car, so Sean Treacy, who afterwards left the Bord to go into private business, introduced me to Boora on my first morning, where I was greeted by the manager, Lewis Rhatigan, with whom, in various capacities, I was to work very closely over the next 23 years.

'A lot to learn'

"I was assigned to work on the development of Boora 3 which, at that time, consisted of Derrybrat, Drinagh, Noggus, Falsk, and Clongawneymore, and I don’t mind admitting that I had a lot to learn.

"There was a large amount of survey work to be done for acquisition, bridges, railways and drainage, which also entailed a lot of discussion with the local landowners with whom we were always most anxious to maintain good neighbourly relations.

"I was very fortunate to avail of the experience and local knowledge of Mick Doyle who was foreman in Boora 3 and who was an exceptional man in every way.

"Others with whom I worked closely were surveyors Sean Linehan, later to be manager of Kilberry Works, and Pat Higgins from Leitrim who did so much of the fundamental survey and setting out work throughout the group. Mick Gorman, asstistant foreman, was always most knowledgeable and helpful as were other staff, including John O’Brien from Carna who fabricated the famous milled peat model in the Boora offices and other men such as Sean Dolan and Jimmy Connerton, who were not only skilled staff men on survey and setting out but were also very helpful with their knowledge of the people and the areas we were working in.

"In late 1956 some of us were more than a little perturbed that there might be staff cutbacks consequent on the cutting back by ESB of their programme of expansion involving the peat stations. However, that matter was eventually sorted out to our great relief by the government decision to use the surplus peat production capacity to build two briquette factories in the Boora group and in the Derrygreenagh group.

'Very demanding programme of work'

"That really initiated a very demanding programme of work with a well-established deadline for completion and I cancelled all thoughts of moving elsewhere and decided to stick with the company for the time being.

"The following years saw Boora Works developing into a hive of activity, which was led briskly by Lewis Rhatigan. Ferbane power station commenced taking peat. Drinagh and Noggus were brought into production and development advanced in Falsk.

"Development also accelerated in Clongawneymore, which had already been plough-drained and a most complicated drainage pattern was designed to take account of the ups and downs of the bog floor which would have done justice to a blanket bog in Co Mayo.

"Additionally Oughter, Pollagh, and other fringe areas were acquired with the objective of expanding the total area under production and so reduce the original target demand of 100 tonnes per nett acre to 70 tonnes per nett acre, which was more readily achievable.

"Clongawney was a unique bog in many ways in peat composition and in its surface flora and fauna. The derries on the islands throughout the bog were a unique feature and at least one of them was approached by a 'Danes Road' mainly composed of birch which was exposed in subsequent drainage.

"The site investigations carried out north and south of Crancreagh bridge on the Cloghan to Birr Road, eventually led to the purchase of a farm at Derrinlough, which became the site for the briquette factory.

"Preliminary works for construction commenced with Liam Dunne (who came from Lullymore) as manager and Harry Huggard as resident engineer. This set off a flurry of activity throughout the group including the renovation of the old hostels in Boora to house the German contractors who were not prepared to take second best.

"Changes in the administration saw Tom Quinn going to Lemonaghan as manager and Martin Kelly being appointed production engineer for the group. I took over from Martin in development, drainage, railways and construction, which kept me well occupied for the rest of my time in Boora as railway connections linked the various bogs, bridges were built and main outfalls were developed.

Construction of railways

"The board was very fortunate in all its developments in that almost without exception the neighbouring landowners were invariably very helpful in facilitating the construction of railways and the deepening of external outfalls.

"There is no doubt that the company’s compulsory powers of acquisition were a very powerful instrument, but where drainage was concerned the farmers generally welcomed us with open arms. In that regard, Bord na Móna added significantly to the improvement of much marginal land around its periphery.

"In all our works on development we were able to avail of the generous advice of Tommy Lee, head office development engineer, and of design engineer, Joe Larkin, who with Ernest Vivion Switzer had designed the first Bord na Móna bridge across the Shannon at Lanesboro and many other lesser bridges besides.

"Additionally the service provided locally to the civil engineering side by the mechanical side under the ever helpful Andy Brown was always appreciated. I recall with gratitude the ready assistance afforded us by Peter Usher, Andy Freer, Bernie Jennings, and others in those areas where mechanical and civil engineering crossed.

"The year of 1958 was a complete disaster for the Bord with one of the worst summers ever. Apart from the effect on the peat harvest I remember it for the difficulty of building the railway and machine bridges across the Silver River, the number of times flash floods swamped our works and the problems of excavating the site at Derrinlough and building the railway embankment from the factory to the Little River.

"During most of my time, Mick Dempsey was supervisor on the bridges. His experience of working in water gained on the Brosna drainage was invaluable and I had great admiration for him. It was there also that I became acquainted for the first time with a very young Lal Daly, ­subsequently a director of the company.

Final pour on one of the bridges

"I am sure Lal and others will remember how we finished a final pour on one of the bridges one evening by the light of diesel soaked clods of turf stuck on reinforcing rods, which were inserted upright around the site. It may not have been advanced technology but it got the job completed at a time when a flood was expected.

"However difficulties were overcome and by 1960 all the bogs were linked by rail. Derrinlough briquette factory was up and running and Ferbane power station was also working well.

"It was a great time to be in the Bord. The summer of ’59 was brilliant and we harvested almost up to October. We had visits from the Russians, who photographed plenty, but language was always a problem unless Capt Brunicardi was present to translate.

"There were also visits from other organisations and individuals and we were always proud to show what we could do and outline what we were hoping to achieve in the future.

"There was a great spirit in the board where all recognised that a significant Irish enterprise was receiving international acclaim. It would be remiss in this trip down memory lane not to pay tribute to Lewis Rhatigan, the manager who was later to become managing director, for his dedication to best management practice and training and the highest standards.

"Coupled with him should be Hubert Collins, general foreman, whom I came to appreciate for his knowledge and overall ability in a demanding role. Lewis Rhatigan was promoted to assistant chief engineer in 1959 and was succeeded by Maurice Keane, former manager of Ballydemot Works.

Large-scale milled peat transportation

"Others I remember with great respect were Kieran Egan who brought such enthusiasm to the job, Dan Davy with whom I worked subsequently on the Suck bogs and Christy Doolan who was so effective in the organisation of large-scale milled peat transportation and who worked so well with his counterparts in the power station.

"There was a very good team in Boora during that period, including Tom Oliver the accountant, Joe Connolly, Jim O’Boyle in stores, Paddy Fitzpatrick, and the ever-popular Sean Meehan. Also in the administration were Breeda Sheridan (later Mrs Joe Connolly) and Maura Glynn, whom I subsequently met years later as a sister in Mount Carmel hospital in Dublin.

"Above all I remember the men and women at all levels who worked in every aspect of development, production, transport, sales and administration, and who were the heart and soul of Bord na Móna.

"However I also remember the tragedies. The first was the fatal accident to Joe Flanagan in Drinagh in 1956 and the other was the death of Sonny O’Donoghue in Tumduff a few years later. They were terrible accidents which remain in the memory of all who saw what happened. They cast a great shadow of sadness over everyone at that time.

"I had moved to Ferbane in 1957 and I was a transferred to head office in 1960 as assistant to Tommy Lee on milled and moss peat development throughout Ireland. I was sorry to depart from 'The Green Fields' round Ferbane.

"I had brought a young wife to Boora and left for Dublin with a young wife and three children and very good memories of Kilcormac and Ferbane. Life had moved on and there was a new and challenging job beckoning, which would be my challenge in life for the next 19 years." 

Retirement

At the end of March 1996, Dr Finbar Callanan retired from the position of director general of Engineers Ireland. Prior to his retirement, he had made a proposal to the Council of the IEI that an all-Ireland Academy of Engineering be set up, its membership to be made up of the most senior and eminent engineers in the island of Ireland.

The idea was that such an academy would harness the experience and wisdom of such members, many of them retired, who would provide a most useful and influential ‘think tank’ concerning matters in which engineering plays an important role. Elsewhere, such an academy had been formed in Britain in the early 1980s (the Royal Academy of Engineering).

It had been most effective in its operations and had earned an enviable reputation for the work it produced. Similar academies had also been set up throughout Europe and further afield, all with the same concept of availing of the contributions of the most eminent and experienced engineers and applied scientists in the service of their respective countries.

The proposal to set up the Irish Academy of Engineering (IAE) received enthusiastic support from former IEI presidents, Liam Fitzgerald and John Killeen, as well as from IEI Honorary Members, Sir Bernard Crossland and Sir Philip Foreman, and from Gordon Millington, OBE, Hon FICE from the north of Ireland. Killeen, who had worked very diligently to get the Academy up and running, was appointed its first president with Dr Callanan being appointed secretary. 

Loving family 

Dr Callanan was predeceased by his wife Maureen and son Barry. The loving father of Anne, John and Mary, he will be sadly missed by his family, son-in-law Jorg, grandchildren Lara, Brian, Rebecca and John, brother Noel, relatives and friends.  

Our thoughts and prayers are with Dr Callanan’s family at this time.
 

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