James Clement Dooge (30 July 1922 – 20 August 2010) was an Irish

Fine Gael Fine Gael (, ; English: "Family (or Tribe) of the Irish") is a liberal-conservative and Christian-democratic political party in Ireland. Fine Gael is currently the third-largest party in the Republic of Ireland in terms of members of Dáil � ...

politician, engineer, climatologist, hydrologist and academic who served as

Minister for Foreign Affairs A foreign affairs minister or minister of foreign affairs (less commonly minister for foreign affairs) is generally a cabinet minister in charge of a state's foreign policy and relations. The formal title of the top official varies between coun ...

from 1981 to 1982,

Leader of the Seanad The Leader of the Seanad (referred to within the Seanad as Leader of the House ga, Treoraí an Tí) is a member of Seanad Éireann appointed by the Taoiseach to direct government business. Since December 2022, the incumbent is Lisa Chambers of ...

and Leader of Fine Gael in the Seanad from 1982 to 1987 and

Cathaoirleach Cathaoirleach (; Irish for chairperson; plural: ) is the title of the chair (or presiding officer) of Seanad Éireann, the sixty-member upper house of the Oireachtas, the legislature of Ireland. The current Cathaoirleach, who has held the off ...

Seanad Éireann Seanad Éireann (, ; "Senate of Ireland") is the upper house of the Oireachtas (the Irish legislature), which also comprises the President of Ireland and Dáil Éireann (the lower house). It is commonly called the Seanad or Senate and its memb ...

from 1973 to 1977. He served as a

Senator A senate is a deliberative assembly, often the upper house or chamber of a bicameral legislature. The name comes from the ancient Roman Senate (Latin: ''Senatus''), so-called as an assembly of the senior (Latin: ''senex'' meaning "the el ...

from 1961 to 1977 and 1981 to 1987. Dooge had a profound effect on the debate over

climate change In common usage, climate change describes global warming—the ongoing increase in global average temperature—and its effects on Earth's climate system. Climate change in a broader sense also includes previous long-term changes to E ...

, in the world of

hydrology Hydrology () is the scientific study of the movement, distribution, and management of water on Earth and other planets, including the water cycle, water resources, and environmental watershed sustainability. A practitioner of hydrology is calle ...

and in politics in the formation of the

European Union The European Union (EU) is a supranational political and economic union of member states that are located primarily in Europe. The union has a total area of and an estimated total population of about 447million. The EU has often been des ...

. His career spanned academia, politics and international affairs with his roles including a period as

, Acting President of Ireland ( Presidential Commission), chairman of the report that led to the

Single European Act The Single European Act (SEA) was the first major revision of the 1957 Treaty of Rome. The Act set the European Community an objective of establishing a single market by 31 December 1992, and a forerunner of the European Union's Common Foreign ...

(SEA) and the

Maastricht Treaty The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the ...

, Professor of Engineering in

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) ( ga, Coláiste na hOllscoile Corcaigh) is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of ...

and

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 ...

, President of the

International Council for Science The International Council for Science (ICSU, after its former name, International Council of Scientific Unions) was an international non-governmental organization devoted to international cooperation in the advancement of science. Its members ...

(ICSU), President of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...

and Chairman of the

Irish Film Board Fís Éireann / Screen Ireland, formerly known as Bord Scannán na hÉireann / the Irish Film Board, is the Republic of Ireland's state development agency for the Irish film, television and animation industry. It provides funds for the developm ...

. Dooge was a member of the

Fellowship of Engineering The Royal Academy of Engineering (RAEng) is the United Kingdom's national academy of engineering. The Academy was founded in June 1976 as the Fellowship of Engineering with support from Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, who became the first senior ...

, and worked as an expert consultant to a wide range of specialised United Nations agencies including

UNESCO The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization is a specialized agency of the United Nations (UN) aimed at promoting world peace and security through international cooperation in education, arts, sciences and culture. It ...

World Meteorological Organization The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) is a specialized agency of the United Nations responsible for promoting international cooperation on atmospheric science, climatology, hydrology and geophysics. The WMO originated from the Internati ...

(WMO),

United Nations Environment Programme The United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) is responsible for coordinating responses to environmental issues within the United Nations system. It was established by Maurice Strong, its first director, after the United Nations Conference on th ...

(UNEP), and the

Food and Agriculture Organization The Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)french: link=no, Organisation des Nations unies pour l'alimentation et l'agriculture; it, Organizzazione delle Nazioni Unite per l'Alimentazione e l'Agricoltura is an intern ...

(FAO). He also acted in an expert consultancy role to DGXII (Research) at the

European Commission The European Commission (EC) is the executive of the European Union (EU). It operates as a cabinet government, with 27 members of the Commission (informally known as "Commissioners") headed by a President. It includes an administrative body o ...

. He is best known in Ireland as only the second Senator to be appointed to the cabinet. In the world of academia he is known for his numerous publications in the field of hydrology, having developed unit hydrograph theory in 1959, and is generally regarded as a pioneer in the field. His work in Europe through the Dooge Committee led to the SEA and the Maastricht Treaty. Upon his death in 2010,

UNESCO-IHE IHE Delft Institute for Water Education is the largest international graduate water education facility in the world and is based in Delft, Netherlands. Delft is a world renowned knowledge centre on water infrastructure, technology and sciences, an ...

described him as a "towering figure and pioneer in hydrology", while the Chancellor of the

National University of Ireland The National University of Ireland (NUI) ( ga, Ollscoil na hÉireann) is a federal university system of ''constituent universities'' (previously called ''university college, constituent colleges'') and ''recognised colleges'' set up under t ...

Maurice Manning Maurice Manning (born 14 June 1943) is an Irish academic and former Fine Gael politician. Manning was a member of the Oireachtas (Irish Parliament) for 21 years, serving in both the Dáil Éireann, Dáil and the Seanad Éireann, Seanad. Since Aug ...

, described him as "that rare phenomenon in Irish life, a public intellectual whose life was devoted, without posture, to the public service". John Sweeney, one of the scientists as part of the

Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is an intergovernmental body of the United Nations. Its job is to advance scientific knowledge about climate change caused by human activities. The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) a ...

honoured with the

Nobel Peace Prize The Nobel Peace Prize is one of the five Nobel Prizes established by the will of Swedish industrialist, inventor and armaments (military weapons and equipment) manufacturer Alfred Nobel, along with the prizes in Nobel Prize in Chemistry, Chemi ...

in 2007, described him as "perhaps one of the most important, prolific and distinguished scientists of the past generation".

Early life, career and academia

James Dooge was born in

Birkenhead Birkenhead (; cy, Penbedw) is a town in the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral, Merseyside, England; historically, it was part of Cheshire until 1974. The town is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the south bank of the River Mersey, opposite Liver ...

England England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Wales to its west and Scotland to its north. The Irish Sea lies northwest and the Celtic Sea to the southwest. It is separated from continental Europe b ...

, in 1922. He was educated in

Liverpool Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough in Merseyside, England. With a population of in 2019, it is the 10th largest English district by population and its metropolitan area is the fifth largest in the United Kingdom, with a popul ...

before moving to

Dún Laoghaire Dún Laoghaire ( , ) is a suburban coastal town in Dublin in Ireland. It is the administrative centre of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown. The town was built following the 1816 legislation that allowed the building of a major port to serve Dubli ...

and was educated by at Christian Brothers College. Dooge's father was an

engineer Engineers, as practitioners of engineering, are professionals who invent, design, analyze, build and test machines, complex systems, structures, gadgets and materials to fulfill functional objectives and requirements while considering the l ...

, and so were other relatives. At school Dooge convinced the authorities to bring in an

applied mathematics Applied mathematics is the application of mathematical methods by different fields such as physics, engineering, medicine, biology, finance, business, computer science, and industry. Thus, applied mathematics is a combination of mathematical s ...

teacher in to tutor him on the subject. He went on to

(here he was awarded the Pierce Malone Scholarship in Theory of Structures and Strength of Materials) and qualified as an engineer. In 1942 he obtained a job with the

Office of Public Works The Office of Public Works (OPW) ( ga, Oifig na nOibreacha Poiblí) (legally the Commissioners of Public Works in Ireland) is a major Irish Government agency, which manages most of the Irish State's property portfolio, including hundreds of ow ...

and in 1946 he began working with the

Electricity Supply Board The Electricity Supply Board (ESB; ga, Bord Soláthair an Leictreachais) is a state owned (95%; the rest are owned by employees) electricity company operating in the Republic of Ireland. While historically a monopoly, the ESB now operates as ...

(ESB). Between 1954 and 1956 he was research associate at the Department of

Civil engineering Civil engineering is a professional engineering discipline that deals with the design, construction, and maintenance of the physical and naturally built environment, including public works such as roads, bridges, canals, dams, airports, sewage ...

at the University of Iowa, and obtained a master's degree. Back working for the ESB in Ireland in 1956, he worked on a number of projects on the

River Shannon The River Shannon ( ga, Abhainn na Sionainne, ', '), at in length, is the longest river in the British Isles. It drains the Shannon River Basin, which has an area of , – approximately one fifth of the area of the island of Ireland. The Shan ...

. In 1958 Dooge became Professor of Civil engineering at

. In 1970 he became a professor at University College Dublin. Between 1984 and 1987 Dooge worked at the Department of Engineering Hydrology at

University College Galway The University of Galway ( ga, Ollscoil na Gaillimhe) is a public research university located in the city of Galway, Ireland. A tertiary education and research institution, the university was awarded the full five QS stars for excellence in 201 ...

. From 1988 he worked at University College Dublin at the Centre for Water Resources Research. From 1987 to 1990 he was also President of the

. Dooge received an Honorary Doctorate from

Heriot-Watt University Heriot-Watt University ( gd, Oilthigh Heriot-Watt) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. It was established in 1821 as the School of Arts of Edinburgh, the world's first mechanics' institute, and subsequently granted univ ...

in 2000.

Contributions to science and hydrology

Hydrology

With numerous publications on the subject, he is credited with turning hydrology from an empirical technology into the science it is today. Alongside fellow Irishman Eamon Nash, he was the founder of what today is called systems hydrology in the early sixties. In the 1960s, Dooge was active in developing an international network of hydrology scientists and engineers that stretched from the US to the then USSR: "These contacts were very beneficial, enabling research taking place from all over the world to link up in meaningful ways and, in a sense, helping establish an international hydrological community. Initially, we were an informal group of six. This grew to the point where we had a committee of 12". Eventually this led to the establishment of the International Commission on Water Resource Systems within the International Association for Hydrological Sciences (IAHS). He served as its president for several years.

Climate change

Dooge was involved in some of the earliest work done to identify the causes of climate change. He was heavily involved in the discussions within WMO in 1978 that eventually led to the first World Climate Conference being held in Geneva in 1979. At the discussions a group of four were given two questions; Is there such a thing as a climate problem? And, if there is, is it serious enough to call a world conference of scientists to discuss it? He served as chairman of the Scientific Advisory Committee of the World Climate Impact Advisory Committee and, on behalf of the UN secretary general, on the International Decade of Natural Disasters Advisory Board. He witnessed first-hand the phenomenal growth in climate change awareness: "At that first conference the attendance was almost exclusively made up of scientists and engineers whereas, when the second World Climate Conference took place in 1990, the scientists and engineers were joined by a strong contingent of politicians, a sign that interest in the issues had broadened considerably." In 1990, WMO launched the idea of an International Conference on Water and Climate that would be held as a preparatory meeting for the Rio Summit on the environment and development. Dooge arranged for the Conference to be held in Dublin in January 1992. References are still made at international gatherings to the "Dublin Conference" as the most influential international conference in the field of water. Under his chairmanship the conference adopted the "Dublin Principles" that have been influential in shaping water management policy over the last 20 years.

Political career

As well as having a distinguished career as an academic, Dooge led a very active political life. His great-grandfather had been the first chairman of the elected Kingstown County Borough Council. Dooge was a member of

Dublin City Council Dublin City Council ( ga, Comhairle Cathrach Bhaile Átha Cliath) is the authority responsible for local government in the city of Dublin in Ireland. As a city council, it is governed by the Local Government Act 2001. Until 2001, the council wa ...

from 1948, and gained notice from the Taoiseach of the time, John A. Costello. From 1961 to 1977 Dooge was a Senator in

, serving as its

(chairperson) from 1973 to 1977. He worked closely with his colleague

Garret FitzGerald Garret Desmond FitzGerald (9 February 192619 May 2011) was an Irish Fine Gael politician, economist and barrister who served twice as Taoiseach, serving from 1981 to 1982 and 1982 to 1987. He served as Leader of Fine Gael from 1977 to 1987, and ...

from the 1960s onward in establishing the so-called Just Society wing of the

party. As Cathaoirleach, Dooge was a member of the commission – which also includes the

Ceann Comhairle The (; "Head of heCouncil"; plural usually ) is the chairperson (or speaker) of , the lower house of the (parliament) of Ireland. The person who holds the position is elected by members of the from among their number in the first session a ...

(or Speaker of the Dáil), and the Chief Justice – established by the Constitution to discharge the duties of the President in the event of the absence or incapacity of the President or during a vacancy in the office as a consequence of the death or resignation of the President. This happened twice during Dooge's term as Cathaoirleach. The first (only the second time in the history of the creation of the office in 1937) followed the death of

Erskine Hamilton Childers Erskine Hamilton Childers (11 December 1905 – 17 November 1974) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who served as the fourth president of Ireland from June 1973 to November 1974. He is the only Irish president to have died in office. He also ...

. The second in 1976 followed the resignation of

Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh Cearbhall Ó Dálaigh (; 12 February 1911 – 21 March 1978) was an Irish Fianna Fáil politician, judge and barrister who served as the fifth president of Ireland from December 1974 to October 1976. His birth name was registered in English as ...

in 1976. In 1977 Dooge retired from politics, choosing to "devote more time to academic concerns and international cooperation in science and engineering". In 1981 he made a return to politics, and was appointed by the then

Taoiseach The Taoiseach is the head of government, or prime minister, of Republic of Ireland, Ireland. The office is appointed by the president of Ireland upon the nomination of Dáil Éireann (the lower house of the Oireachtas, Ireland's national legisl ...

FitzGerald as

in the short-lived Fine Gael-led government. The appointment was suggested by FitzGerald's wife who believed only Dooge could stop him frequently interfering in this area. When a new coalition government was formed in December 1982 (which would last until 1987), Dooge declined re-appointment to the post owing to the decline of his sight. Between 1982 and 1987 he returned to Seanad Éireann. He rejected an offer from FitzGerald of becoming a

European Commissioner A European Commissioner is a member of the 27-member European Commission. Each member within the Commission holds a specific portfolio. The commission is led by the President of the European Commission. In simple terms they are the equivalent ...

. Dooge was a delegate of

at the

New Ireland Forum The New Ireland Forum was a forum in 1983–1984 at which Irish nationalist political parties discussed potential political developments that might alleviate the Troubles in Northern Ireland. The Forum was established by Garret FitzGerald, then T ...

in 1985.

European Integration-Dooge Report

He had a primary role in the intergovernmental building of a report into improving the co-operation of the

European Economic Community The European Economic Community (EEC) was a regional organization created by the Treaty of Rome of 1957,Today the largely rewritten treaty continues in force as the ''Treaty on the functioning of the European Union'', as renamed by the Lisb ...

(EEC) in 1984 during Ireland's presidency. His appointment was not without controversy: Garret FitzGerald insisted on the appointment of Dooge despite German pressure for West Germany's former president,

Karl Carstens Karl Carstens (, 14 December 1914 – 30 May 1992) was a German politician. He served as the president of West Germany from 1979 to 1984. Early life and education Carstens was born in the City of Bremen, the son of a commercial school teacher, ...

, to be given the role. This work, the Dooge Report, is credited as helping form the basis of the

and the

Treaty of Maastricht The Treaty on European Union, commonly known as the Maastricht Treaty, is the foundation treaty of the European Union (EU). Concluded in 1992 between the then-twelve member states of the European Communities, it announced "a new stage in the p ...

; those documents use much of the same language.

Awards

He was hailed as one of the founding fathers of modern hydrology.

Publications

Books

Hydrology

*(1973) Dooge, J.C.I., ''Linear theory of hydrologic systems (Technical bulletin / United States Department of Agriculture)'' Publisher: Agricultural Research Service, US Dept. of Agriculture (1973) *(2003) Dooge, J.C.I., and O'Kane, J.P., ''Deterministic Methods in Systems Hydrology: IHE Delft Lecture Note Series'' (UNESCO-IHE Delft Lecture Note Series) *(2004) Young, Gordon J., Dooge, J.C.I., and Rodda, John C., ''Global Water Resource Issues''

European politics

*(1999) Dooge, J.C.I., and Barrington, R., ''A Vital National Interest: Ireland in Europe 1973–1998'' *(2002) Dooge, J.C.I., ''What the Treaty of Nice Means''

Irish politics

*(1986) Dooge, J.C.I. (ed.), ''Ireland in the Contemporary World: Essays in Honour of Garret Fitzgerald''

Selected scholarly articles and reports

European politics

* (Brussels, 29—30 March 1985
''Report of the Ad Hoc Committee for Institutional Affairs to the European Council''
(commonly called the Dooge Report)

Hydrology

*(1986) Dooge, J.C.I., "Looking for hydrologic laws", ''Water Resources Research'', 22(9), 46S–58S. *(1997) Dooge, J.C.I., "Searching for Simplicity in Hydrology", ''Surveys in Geophysics'', 18: 511–534, 1997. *(2003) Dooge, J.C.I., "Linear Theory of Hydrological Systems", EGU Reprint Series, 1, 2003. *(2005) Dooge, J.C.I., "Bringing it all together", ''Hydrol. Earth Syst. Sci.'', 9, 3–14, 2005

Death

Dooge died at his home in Dublin on 20 August 2010.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dooge, James 1922 births 2010 deaths People from Birkenhead Alumni of University College Dublin Academics of University College Cork Academics of University College Dublin Cathaoirligh of Seanad Éireann Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Foreign Members of the Russian Academy of Sciences Fine Gael senators Ministers for Foreign Affairs (Ireland) Hydrologists Members of the 10th Seanad Members of the 11th Seanad Members of the 12th Seanad Members of the 13th Seanad Members of the 15th Seanad Members of the 16th Seanad Members of the 17th Seanad Members of the Royal Irish Academy Members of Seanad Éireann for the National University of Ireland Nominated members of Seanad Éireann People educated at C.B.C. Monkstown