Obituary

George Marshall Harriss, M.A., who died at Monkstown, Co. Dublin, on the 31st January, 1947, at the age of 82, was for many years one of the prominent figures in the Irish engineering world. He lectured on electric traction in Trinity College and was an M.A. of Dublin University.

He was educated at Power's School, Dublin, and Conway College, North Wales, and was apprenticed to the late Mr. Thomas Tomlinson, B.E. He subsequently went to Australia, where he remained for six years, being mainly engaged on rail- way construction work. On his return to Ireland he joined the staff of J. E. H. Gordon and Co., and whilst with them he was responsible for installing the electric generators in the Bray station, which was one of the first hydro-electric stations in Ireland. He remained at Bray for some years as Township Electrical Engineer and left there to go to Carlow as Manager of the Carlow Electricity works. In this position he was the representative of Professor Forbes, the well known hydro- electric consulting engineer, whom he also assisted in other electrical consulting work.

He was appointed Engineer to the Irish International Exhibition which was held in 1907 on the ground which afterwards became Herbert Park. Here he made the acquaintance of the late William Martin Murphy, who engaged him as Resident Engineer on the construction of the Accra railway on the Gold Coast, for which Mr. Murphy was the contractor. On his return to Dublin he was appointed Electrical Engineer to the Dublin Tramways Co. On the death of Mr. Gordon he was made General Manager of the company, a position which he held until his retirement in 1935. In 1923 he resumed his old connection with water-power development when he became a director of the Anna Liffey Power Development Co.

He had the reputation of being a very shrewd business man who generally succeeded in reaching his objective by reason of a pertinacity and perseverance which refused to be defeated. He was of a kindly and amiable disposition, and this contributed not a little to his success. He was particularly happy in his relations with all who worked under him, and he is still spoken of with appreciation and affection by the old employees of the Dublin Tramways Co.

He is survived by his son, George Sidney, and by his daughter, Marjorie. His second son, Dermot, was killed in an accident in Africa six years ago.

He became a Member of The Institution in 1911. He served the Irish Centre (originally the Dublin Local Section, and now the Irish Branch) as an ordinary member of the Committee for various periods between 1912 and 1935, as Hon. Secretary 1915-17, and as Chairman 1916-17. He was also a Member of The Institution of Civil Engineers of Ireland, to whose Proceedings he contributed a number of papers, most of which dealt with electric traction.

Probate for Rosetta Hennessey (nee Corri) London 23 July 1926. Effects £375 5s 1d