John Gray (Irish politician)

Sir John Gray
Memorial statue on Dublin's O'Connell street
Born(1815-07-13)13 July 1815
Died9 April 1875(1875-04-09) (aged 59)
Resting placeGlasnevin Cemetery, Dublin
NationalityIrish
Other namesJohn Grey
TitleMP for Kilkenny City
Term1865–1875
Political partyLiberal Party
Home Rule League
SpouseMary Anna Dwyer
Children5

Sir John Gray JP (13 July 1815 – 9 April 1875[1]), sometimes spelt John Grey, was an Irish physician, surgeon, newspaper proprietor, journalist and politician. Gray was active both in municipal and national government for much of his life, and had nationalist ideals[2] – which he expressed as owner of the Freeman's Journal, chairman of the Dublin Corporation Water Works Committee between 1863 and 1875, and Member of Parliament in the House of Commons of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland for Kilkenny city from 1865 until his death. He was a supporter of Daniel O'Connell, and later of Charles Stewart Parnell, and advocated a repeal of the Act of Union.[3] Through his offices with Dublin Corporation, the Vartry Reservoir water supply works were completed, introducing a freshwater supply to Dublin city and suburbs.[4] He died at Bath in England on 9 April 1875. Shortly after his death, his contributions to the provision of the water supply, and the beneficial impact this had to conditions of public health in Dublin,[5] were recognised in a memorial statue on O'Connell Street.[6]

  1. ^ Some sources give Gray's birth year as 1816 (Burke, Leslie). Other sources note 1815 (Dublin Corporation, NZ Tablet obituary). Date shown is as per the inscription on his memorial statue.
  2. ^ Burke, Edmund (1876). The Annual Register (a review of public events at home and abroad for the year 1875). London. p. 139. Archived from the original on 27 September 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.
  3. ^ "People from Claremorris". Mayo-Ireland.ie. Archived from the original on 16 July 2011.
  4. ^ Norwood, John (1872). On the Working of the Sanitary Laws in Dublin, with Suggestions for their Amendment (PDF). Vol. VI, Part XLIII. Dublin: Journal of the Statistical and Social Inquiry Society of Ireland. pp. 230–242. Archived (PDF) from the original on 21 July 2011. Retrieved 6 May 2008."Full record". Trinity College Dublin (Catalogue record).
  5. ^ "Glasnevin-Cemetery.ie – Entry on Sir John Gray". Glasnevin-Cemetery.ie. Archived from the original on 18 November 2007.
  6. ^ Gerard Cunningham. "John Gray – Doctor Who?". Faduda.net. Archived from the original on 2 March 2021. Retrieved 27 September 2021.