Desmond Rea O’Kelly (7 November 1923 – 18 February 2011) was the

architect An architect is a person who plans, designs and oversees the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to provide services in connection with the design of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the buildings that h ...

Liberty Hall Liberty Hall ( ga, Halla na Saoirse), in Dublin, Ireland, is the headquarters of the Services, Industrial, Professional, and Technical Union (SIPTU). Designed by Desmond Rea O'Kelly, it was completed in 1965. It was for a time the tallest b ...

in Dublin. Liberty Hall was formerly the tallest office building in Ireland, rising to 59.4 metres (195 feet). Technologically innovative for late 1950s Ireland, the building was largely constructed in reinforced concrete. He graduated from

University College Dublin University College Dublin (commonly referred to as UCD) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile, Baile Átha Cliath) is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland ...

with a BE in civil

engineering Engineering is the use of scientific method, scientific principles to design and build machines, structures, and other items, including bridges, tunnels, roads, vehicles, and buildings. The discipline of engineering encompasses a broad rang ...

in 1945. In 1977, he was admitted to membership of the

Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland The Royal Institute of the Architects of Ireland ( ga, Institiúid Ríoga Ailtirí na hÉireann) founded in 1839, is the "competent authority for architects and professional body for Architecture in the Republic of Ireland." The RIAI's purpose ...

(RIAI) and was elected a fellow in 2002. He was also elected to fellowship at the

Institution of Engineers of Ireland The Institution of Engineers of Ireland ( ga, Cumann na nInnealtóirí) or the IEI, is the second oldest Engineering Society on the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, and was established in 1835. The institution primarily represents mem ...

in 1985. In later years, he was commissioned by Dublin Tourism to carry out work on

Malahide Castle Malahide Castle ( ga, Caisleán Mhullach Íde), parts of which date to the 12th century, lies close to the village of Malahide, nine miles (14 km) north of central Dublin in Ireland. It has over of remaining parkland estate, forming the ...

, ingeniously strengthening its Georgian staircase in a way that could not be seen. He also worked on the

Dublin Writers Museum The Dublin Writers Museum was opened in November 1991 at No 18, Parnell Square, Dublin, Ireland. The museum occupies an original 18th-century house, which accommodates the museum rooms, library, gallery, and administration area. The annexe behin ...

in Parnell Square, where he managed to save plasterwork that had become saturated from the activities of thieves and vandals. In addition to

architecture Architecture is the art and technique of designing and building, as distinguished from the skills associated with construction. It is both the process and the product of sketching, conceiving, planning, designing, and constructing building ...

, Desmond Rea O’Kelly was also involved with

golf Golf is a club-and-ball sport in which players use various clubs to hit balls into a series of holes on a course in as few strokes as possible. Golf, unlike most ball games, cannot and does not use a standardized playing area, and coping wi ...

References

External links

Desmond Rea O'Kelly Obituary , Paddy Cahill
{{DEFAULTSORT:OKelly, Desmond Rea 1923 births 2011 deaths 20th-century Irish architects Alumni of University College Dublin