Thomas Newenham Deane
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Sir Thomas Newenham Deane (1828-1899) was an Irish architect, the son of Sir Thomas Deane, and father of Sir Thomas Manly Deane, who were also architects.
Born in Cork, he joined his father's practice in 1850 and in 1851 became a partner along with Benjamin Woodward. Their work was a Gothic style influenced by the principles of John Ruskin, and included the Museum at Trinity College, Dublin, the Oxford University Museum of Natural History, Oxford, and the Kildare Street Club, Dublin. He is also known as a conservation architect, involved in the restoration (including the incorporation of the original twelfth-century Romanesque chancel) of the Protestant Cathedral of Tuam, which was praised by George Petrie. His work on the conservation of St Canice's Cathedral, Kilkenny, was less successful, and brought him into conflict with the dean and chapter, and in particular with the Treasurer James Graves. It may have been due to his interest in the restoration of medieval buildings which led to his appointment as the first Inspector of National Monuments under the Irish Board of Works after the Disestablishment of the Church of Ireland brought ruined buildings under their care.
In contemporary circles, Deane's partner Woodward was seen as the creative brains behind the business, and their practice suffered after his early death. Nevertheless, Deane continued to work with his son, Thomas Manly Deane, designing the National Museum of Ireland and National Library of Ireland in Kildare Street, Dublin. Thomas Newenham Deane was knighted in 1890.
[edit] Bibliography
- Frederick O'Dwyer, The architecture of Deane and Woodward, Dublin, 1997.
- Rena Lohan, Guide to the archives of the Office of Public Works, Dublin, 1994.
