William Dargan 1799-1867

By Patrick F. Meehan
Extracted from "Laois Yearbook" 1983

William Dargan was born near Killeshin, County Laois on 28th February, 1799. When he left school he went to England and joined a surveyor's office and helped to build the main Holyhead road in 1820. He returned to Ireland and got a contract to build the main road from Howth to Dublin and he made a great success of it. He then contracted for the construction of Ireland's first railway, the Dublin to Kingstown, as the railway system spread throughout Ireland he undertook the construction, the Great Southern and Western railways, and many others, in all he laid over one thousand miles of railway. He accumulated a fortune from railway shares and other investments.

He was responsible for the Industrial Exhibition in 1853, which was opened by Queen Victoria and he declined the offer of baronetcy from Her Majesty. On the Exhibition he lost £10,000 as he had mounted the whole thing himself and the Corporation would not help him.

In 1866 he was severely injured in a fall from his horse, and not being able to give his affairs the attention they required he over strained his innumeral undertakings and became bankrupt. He died broken in spirit and body on the 7th February, 1867 and was buried in Glasnevin Cemetary. A statue was erected in his memory in front of the National Gallery of Dublin. His beautiful home Mount Anvil is now the Sacred Heart Convent and college.

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