Thomas William Moffett
Encyclopedia
Sir Thomas William Moffett (3 June 1820 – 6 July 1908) was an Irish scholar and educationalist, who served as President of Queen's College Galway.
Moffett was born at Castleknock
, County Dublin
, on 3 June 1820. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin, where he was a Berkeley Gold Medallist in Logic and Metaphysics, a gold medallist in Greek, and a prizeman in Divinity and Modern History. He graduated in 1843 as Senior Moderator in Ethics and Logic. He was awarded the degree of L.L.D. by the University of Dublin
in 1852.
From May 1848, he held the position of Headmaster of the Classical Department and Professor of Logic and Belles Lettres at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
. The first professors were appointed to the newly-established Queen's Colleges at Belfast
, Cork
and Galway
in 1849, and Moffett became the foundation Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the Galway College. In 1863, in addition to his original chair, Moffett took over the duties of Rev. Joseph O'Leary as Professor of History and English Literature, the offices being combined into a single chair of History, English Literature and Mental Science. Moffett was to occupy this chair until his retirement from academia in 1897.
In 1870, Moffett succeeded William Lupton as Registrar of Queen's College Galway. On the death of Edward Berwick
in 1877, Moffett was appointed to succeed him as President of the College.
Moffett was noted for his skill and power as an orator, and his ability to quote at will long extracts from the poems and sagas of antiquity, as well as more modern verse. Believing as he did in well-rounded education, Moffett was instrumental in the incorporation of the existing Literary and Scientific Society of Galway into the Queen's College as a debating society between 1852 and 1856. Moffett drafted the first rules for the governance within the college, and presided at the first college meeting, of the society which subsequently became the Literary and Debating Society.
Moffett never believed in the restriction of education and intellectual discourse to within the walls of a college. Between 1849 and 1856, he served as Barrington Lecturer for the Dublin Statistical Society (later known as the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland). The Barrington Lectures, endowed by the Dublin businessman John Barrington from 1834, had as their objective the teaching of the principles of political economy to the lower classes in Ireland. Moffett delivered popular lectures in Ardee
, Armagh
, Belturbet
, Clonmel
, Coleraine
, Derry
, Downpatrick
, Dublin, Dundalk
, Dungannon
, Galway
, Holywood
, Kilkenny
, Lisburn
, Lurgan
, Trim
and Waterford
. He was also a stalwart of the Royal Galway Institution, an organisation set up to promote intellectual discourse among the people of Galway; he frequently delivered lectures to the Institution, and served as its president for many years up to the time of his death.
Moffett was knighted
in 1896, in recognition of his many years of work for the cause of education in Ireland. He was awarded the degree of D.Litt. (honoris causa) by both the Queen's University and the University of Dublin. He was a member of the Senate of the Queen's University, and, on its foundation, he was appointed to the Senate of the Royal University of Ireland
. In 1899, he was nominated the last High Sheriff of Galway Town
.
Sir Thomas retired in 1897, having served as President of the College for twenty years, and subsequently moved to Dublin. After an illness of several weeks' duration, during which he was attended by his old student and lifelong friend Sir William Thomson, he died at his home there on 6 July 1908.
Moffett was born at Castleknock
Castleknock
Castleknock is a suburb of Dublin, Ireland. It is in the west of the modern administrative county of Fingal within the traditional county of Dublin. It is located west of the centre of Dublin....
, County Dublin
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, on 3 June 1820. He was educated at Trinity College Dublin, where he was a Berkeley Gold Medallist in Logic and Metaphysics, a gold medallist in Greek, and a prizeman in Divinity and Modern History. He graduated in 1843 as Senior Moderator in Ethics and Logic. He was awarded the degree of L.L.D. by the University of Dublin
University of Dublin
The University of Dublin , corporately designated the Chancellor, Doctors and Masters of the University of Dublin , located in Dublin, Ireland, was effectively founded when in 1592 Queen Elizabeth I issued a charter for Trinity College, Dublin, as "the mother of a university" – this date making it...
in 1852.
From May 1848, he held the position of Headmaster of the Classical Department and Professor of Logic and Belles Lettres at the Royal Belfast Academical Institution
Royal Belfast Academical Institution
The Royal Belfast Academical Institution, is a Grammar School in Belfast, Northern Ireland. Locally referred to as Inst, the school educates boys from ages 11–18...
. The first professors were appointed to the newly-established Queen's Colleges at Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
, Cork
Cork (city)
Cork is the second largest city in the Republic of Ireland and the island of Ireland's third most populous city. It is the principal city and administrative centre of County Cork and the largest city in the province of Munster. Cork has a population of 119,418, while the addition of the suburban...
and Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
in 1849, and Moffett became the foundation Professor of Logic and Metaphysics at the Galway College. In 1863, in addition to his original chair, Moffett took over the duties of Rev. Joseph O'Leary as Professor of History and English Literature, the offices being combined into a single chair of History, English Literature and Mental Science. Moffett was to occupy this chair until his retirement from academia in 1897.
In 1870, Moffett succeeded William Lupton as Registrar of Queen's College Galway. On the death of Edward Berwick
Edward Berwick
Edward Berwick was an Irish lawyer and educationalist, and served as President of Queen's College Galway from 1850 until 1877.Berwick was the son of the Rev. Edward Berwick, a Church of Ireland clergyman who was rector of the parish of Esker, County Dublin. Given personal tuition by Dionysius...
in 1877, Moffett was appointed to succeed him as President of the College.
Moffett was noted for his skill and power as an orator, and his ability to quote at will long extracts from the poems and sagas of antiquity, as well as more modern verse. Believing as he did in well-rounded education, Moffett was instrumental in the incorporation of the existing Literary and Scientific Society of Galway into the Queen's College as a debating society between 1852 and 1856. Moffett drafted the first rules for the governance within the college, and presided at the first college meeting, of the society which subsequently became the Literary and Debating Society.
Moffett never believed in the restriction of education and intellectual discourse to within the walls of a college. Between 1849 and 1856, he served as Barrington Lecturer for the Dublin Statistical Society (later known as the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland). The Barrington Lectures, endowed by the Dublin businessman John Barrington from 1834, had as their objective the teaching of the principles of political economy to the lower classes in Ireland. Moffett delivered popular lectures in Ardee
Ardee
Ardee is a town and townland in County Louth, Ireland. It is located at the intersection of the N2, N52, and N33 roads. Ardee is on the banks of the River Dee and is approximately 20 km from Dundalk, Drogheda, Slane and Carrickmacross...
, Armagh
Armagh
Armagh is a large settlement in Northern Ireland, and the county town of County Armagh. It is a site of historical importance for both Celtic paganism and Christianity and is the seat, for both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of Ireland, of the Archbishop of Armagh...
, Belturbet
Belturbet
Belturbet is a town in County Cavan, Ireland. It is from Cavan town from Dublin city. Belturbet lies on the N3 road. It is from the border with Northern Ireland between the counties of Cavan and Fermanagh and is south of Enniskillen.- History :...
, Clonmel
Clonmel
Clonmel is the county town of South Tipperary in Ireland. It is the largest town in the county. While the borough had a population of 15,482 in 2006, another 17,008 people were in the rural hinterland. The town is noted in Irish history for its resistance to the Cromwellian army which sacked both...
, Coleraine
Coleraine
Coleraine is a large town near the mouth of the River Bann in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is northwest of Belfast and east of Derry, both of which are linked by major roads and railway connections...
, Derry
Derry
Derry or Londonderry is the second-biggest city in Northern Ireland and the fourth-biggest city on the island of Ireland. The name Derry is an anglicisation of the Irish name Doire or Doire Cholmcille meaning "oak-wood of Colmcille"...
, Downpatrick
Downpatrick
Downpatrick is a medium-sized town about 33 km south of Belfast in County Down, Northern Ireland. It is the county town of Down with a rich history and strong connection to Saint Patrick. It had a population of 10,316 at the 2001 Census...
, Dublin, Dundalk
Dundalk
Dundalk is the county town of County Louth in Ireland. It is situated where the Castletown River flows into Dundalk Bay. The town is close to the border with Northern Ireland and equi-distant from Dublin and Belfast. The town's name, which was historically written as Dundalgan, has associations...
, Dungannon
Dungannon
Dungannon is a medium-sized town in County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. It is the third-largest town in the county and a population of 11,139 people was recorded in the 2001 Census. In August 2006, Dungannon won Ulster In Bloom's Best Kept Town Award for the fifth time...
, Galway
Galway
Galway or City of Galway is a city in County Galway, Republic of Ireland. It is the sixth largest and the fastest-growing city in Ireland. It is also the third largest city within the Republic and the only city in the Province of Connacht. Located on the west coast of Ireland, it sits on the...
, Holywood
Holywood
Holywood is a town in County Down, Northern Ireland. It lies on the shore of Belfast Lough, between Belfast and Bangor. Holywood Exchange and Belfast City Airport are nearby. The town hosts an annual jazz and blues festival.-Name:...
, Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Lisburn
Lisburn
DemographicsLisburn Urban Area is within Belfast Metropolitan Urban Area and is classified as a Large Town by the . On census day there were 71,465 people living in Lisburn...
, Lurgan
Lurgan
Lurgan is a town in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. The town is near the southern shore of Lough Neagh and in the north-eastern corner of the county. Part of the Craigavon Borough Council area, Lurgan is about 18 miles south-west of Belfast and is linked to the city by both the M1 motorway...
, Trim
Trim, County Meath
Trim is the traditional county town of County Meath in Ireland, although the county town is now Navan. The town was recorded in the 2006 census to have a population of 6,870....
and Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. He was also a stalwart of the Royal Galway Institution, an organisation set up to promote intellectual discourse among the people of Galway; he frequently delivered lectures to the Institution, and served as its president for many years up to the time of his death.
Moffett was knighted
British honours system
The British honours system is a means of rewarding individuals' personal bravery, achievement, or service to the United Kingdom and the British Overseas Territories...
in 1896, in recognition of his many years of work for the cause of education in Ireland. He was awarded the degree of D.Litt. (honoris causa) by both the Queen's University and the University of Dublin. He was a member of the Senate of the Queen's University, and, on its foundation, he was appointed to the Senate of the Royal University of Ireland
Royal University of Ireland
The Royal University of Ireland was founded in accordance with the University Education Act 1879 as an examining and degree-awarding university based on the model of the University of London. A Royal Charter was issued on April 27, 1880 and examinations were opened to candidates irrespective of...
. In 1899, he was nominated the last High Sheriff of Galway Town
High Sheriff of Galway Town
The High Sheriff of Galway Town was the Sovereign's judicial representative in the county of the Town of Galway. Initially an office for lifetime, assigned by the Sovereign, the High Sheriff became annually appointed from the Provisions of Oxford in 1258. Besides his judicial importance, he had...
.
Sir Thomas retired in 1897, having served as President of the College for twenty years, and subsequently moved to Dublin. After an illness of several weeks' duration, during which he was attended by his old student and lifelong friend Sir William Thomson, he died at his home there on 6 July 1908.