George Semple (c. 1700 – 13 April 1782) was a notable

Irish Irish may refer to: Common meanings * Someone or something of, from, or related to: ** Ireland, an island situated off the north-western coast of continental Europe ***Éire, Irish language name for the isle ** Northern Ireland, a constituent unit ...

builder and

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 ...

Life

His earliest known work is the steeple, in height, of

St. Patrick's Cathedral, Dublin Saint Patrick's Cathedral ( ir, Ard-Eaglais Naomh Pádraig) in Dublin, Ireland, founded in 1191 as a Roman Catholic cathedral, is currently the national cathedral of the Church of Ireland. Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin, Christ Church Cathedr ...

, which he designed and erected in 1749. He also built St Patrick's Hospital (1749–57), which was founded in 1747 with money bequeathed by

Jonathan Swift Jonathan Swift (30 November 1667 – 19 October 1745) was an Anglo-Irish Satire, satirist, author, essayist, political pamphleteer (first for the Whig (British political party), Whigs, then for the Tories (British political party), Tories), poe ...

following his death in 1745. His best known work was Essex Bridge across the

River Liffey The River Liffey (Irish: ''An Life'', historically ''An Ruirthe(a)ch'') is a river in eastern Ireland that ultimately flows through the centre of Dublin to its mouth within Dublin Bay. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River ...

(now

Grattan Bridge Grattan Bridge () is a road bridge spanning the River Liffey in Dublin, Ireland, and joining Capel Street to Parliament Street and the south quays. History The first bridge on this site was built by Sir Humphrey Jervis in 1676. It was named ...

). This was begun in 1752, and completed in 1754, and was considered one of the best bridges in Ireland. The government awarded him £500 for his efforts. Essex Bridge was taken down in 1872 and replaced by the present Grattan Bridge, leading from Parliament Street to Capel Street. Semple later wrote a book, ''Treatise on Building in Water'', first published in 1776, which was based on this project. He constructed Headfort in the 1760s for Sir Thomas Taylour, later 1st Earl of Bective (1724–1795) (see

Marquess of Headfort Marquess of Headfort is a title in the Peerage of Ireland. It was created in 1800 for Thomas Taylour, 2nd Earl of Bective. The Marquess holds the subsidiary titles of Earl of Bective (1766), Viscount Headfort (1762), Baron Headfort, of Headfo ...

). It lies above the River Blackwater, a tributary of the River Boyne, just outside the early ecclesiastical town of Kells in the northwest of

County Meath County Meath (; gle, Contae na Mí or simply ) is a county in the Eastern and Midland Region of Ireland, within the province of Leinster. It is bordered by Dublin to the southeast, Louth to the northeast, Kildare to the south, Offaly to the sou ...

. In 1777 Semple was living in Queen Street, Dublin, where he died late in 1781 or early in 1782.

References

;Attribution * 1700 births 1782 deaths Architects from Dublin (city) 18th-century Irish architects {{ireland-architect-stub