John B. Keane (architect)

John Benjamin Keane (d. 7 October 7 October 1859) was an Irish architect of the 19th century. ^[1]

Life

Keane first appears in record in 1819-1820, as an assistant to Richard Morrison. By 1823, he was working independently. He exhibited regularly with Royal Hibernian Academy between 1828 and 1841. Older biographical works state that Keane was trained as an architect at the office of works, Dublin, but this has been questioned. He was a fellow of Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland. ^[2]

Keane entered designs for the competitions for courthouses in Tralee (1828), Carlow (1828), and successfully for Tullamore (1832). He designed the gothic style buildings in the former Queen's College, Galway. ^[3] He was engineer on the River Suir navigation from 1846 to 1848. ^[2] He worked Mabbot Street, ^[4] from various addresses on the street and later from Lower Mount Street. Towards the end of his life, it appears that Keane suffered from alcoholism, falling into debt and was jailed in Marshalsea gaol. Keane died on 7 October 1859. ^[2]

Buildings

• Mercy International Centre, Baggot Street, Dublin (c1827) ^[5]
• Ballybay House, County Monaghan (1830) ^[6]
• Belleek Manor, Ballina, County Mayo (1831) ^[7]
• Saint Francis Xavier Church, Dublin (1832) ^{[8] [9]}
• Tullamore Courthouse (1835) ^[10]
• Carlow County Infirmary, Carlow (1838) (demolished) ^[11]
• The Mausoleum at Oak Park (c 1841) ^[12]
• Nenagh Courthouse (1843) ^[13]
• St. John's Church, Waterford (1845) ^[14]
• Waterford Courthouse (1849) ^[15]
• Ennis Courthouse (1852), with architect Henry Whitestone ^[16]
• Barmouth Castle, County Louth
• Carlow Gaol
• Saint Lorcan Ua Tuathal

References

1. "John B Keane | Architecture News & Discussion - Archiseek.com". Two.archiseek.com. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
2. "KEANE, JOHN BENJAMIN". Dictionary of Irish Architects. Retrieved 30 July 2025.
3. Grimes, Brendan (2005). The Architecture of Dublin's Neo-Classical Roman Catholic Temples 1803-62. Doctoral Thesis. Dublin: National College of Art and Design.
4. Fallon, Donal (2022). "James Joyce Street". Three castles burning: a history of Dublin in twelve streets. Clonskeagh, Dublin: New Island Books. pp. 136–157. ISBN   9781848408722.
5. Published by Paul Clerkin / Archiseek.com t/a Irish-architecture.com. "Mercy International Centre, Baggot Street, Dublin (John B. Keane) - Irish Architecture". Ireland.archiseek.com. Archived from the original on 6 September 2008. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
6. Clerkin, Paul (18 February 2014). "Archiseek.com - 1830 - Ballybay House, Ballybay, Co. Monaghan" . Retrieved 30 July 2025.
7. Clerkin, Paul (15 April 2023). "1831 – Belleek Manor, Ballina, Co. Mayo | Archiseek.com" . Retrieved 30 July 2025.
8. Grimes, Brendan (2015). "Patrons and architects and the creation of Roman Catholic church architecture in nineteenth-century Dublin". Dublin Historical Record. 68 (1): 6–20. ISSN   0012-6861.
9. Clerkin, Paul (1 July 2010). "Archiseek.com - 1832 - St. Francis Xavier, Gardiner Street, Dublin" . Retrieved 30 July 2025.
10. "Tullamore Court House, Spollanstown, County Offaly". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 12 November 2019.
11. Clerkin, Paul (9 February 2017). "1838 – Carlow County Infirmary, Carlow | Archiseek.com" . Retrieved 30 July 2025.
12. "National Inventory of Architectural Heritage : Oak Park House, Oak Park Demesne, County Carlow". Buildingsofireland.ie. Retrieved 10 April 2016.
13. "Nenagh Courthouse, Nenagh North, Tipperary North". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 15 November 2019.
14. "Saint John's Catholic Church, Parnell Street, Waterford, County Waterford: Buildings of Ireland: National Inventory of Architectural Heritage". Buildingsofireland.ie. Retrieved 1 June 2010.
15. "Waterford Courthouse". Buildings of Ireland. Retrieved 22 November 2019.
16. "Buildings of Ireland" . Retrieved 31 October 2019.

"Keane, Joseph B."  . Dictionary of National Biography, 1885-1900– via Wikisource.