XVII 



Ireland — gave a new direction to his energies. He commenced a 

 protracted investigation of the " relations of the country to the prime 

 materials of the chemical and metallic manufactures," and was led 

 much beyond the original limits of his inquiry " to discuss several 

 important statistical and moral problems affecting the industrial pro- 

 gress of Ireland." The first part of the investigation involved a large 

 amount of analytical work on native ores and raw materials, and the 

 results were embodied in a course of lectures delivered before the 

 Royal Dublin Society. In these lectures it was also pointed out that 

 foreign Governments fostered native industries with anxious care, 

 and that Continental nations were in consequence making giant 

 strides in manufacturing activity, while our own Government did 

 little or nothing to develop the resources of the country. These 

 lectures were published in 1844, and excited such interest that ' The 

 Industrial Resources of Ireland ' quickly reached a second edition, 

 and the Government of the day shortly after made one step forward 

 in the direction indicated by Kane in establishing a " Museum of 

 Irish Industry," at St. Stephen's Green, of which he was made the 

 first Director. In this office he devoted much time to the develop- 

 ment of the museum under his control, and especially to the esta- 

 blishment of evening lectures, and practical instruction for artizans 

 and others who could not attend day classes. This excellent technical 

 scientific school proved a most important adjunct to the museum, and 

 supplied a definite want ; it continued its valuable, if humble, work 

 until converted into the " Royal College of Science for Ireland." 



The honour of knighthood was conferred on the subject of this 

 memoir in 1846, and in 1849 Sir Robert Kane was elected to the 

 Fellowship of the Royal Society. In the latter year Sir Robert's 

 official connexion with the Museum of Irish Industry almost ceased, as 

 he went to Cork in the capacity of President of the Queen's College, 

 then recently established in that city. The duties of that important 

 office he zealously performed until 1873, when he resigned, and 

 returned to Dublin, where he afterwards lived in comparative retire- 

 •ment. 



Although Sir Robert Kane's official engagements prevented the 

 pursuit of his old work, he continued his connexion with the ' Philo- 

 sophical Magazine,' one of whose Editors he was from 1840. After 

 his return to Dublin, in 1873, Sir Robert became a Commissioner of 

 National Education ; he also took much interest in the work of the 

 various societies of the Irish metropolis. He was for some years 

 President of the Royal Geological Society of Ireland, and from 1877 

 to 1882 of the Royal Irish Academy; he occupied a seat on the 

 Academic Council of Dublin University, and on the Senate of the 

 Royal University. In the various public positions which Sir Robert 

 Kane filled during a long and distinguished career, his natural 



