Casey, John

John Casey 1820-1891                       
Mathematician

John Casey was born in Kilbehenny, Co. Limerick and was educated locally in Mitchelstown Co. Cork.  He became a teacher under the Board of National Education and became the headmaster of the Central Model Schools in Kilkenny City.  He became a mature student at Trinity College, Dublin and obtained a BA degree in 1862.  He became a mathematics master at Kingstown School (1862-1873).  He was appointed Professor of Higher  Mathematics and Mathematical Physics at the Catholic University of Ireland (1873-1881) and Lecturer in Mathematics at University College, Dublin in 1881.

John Casey was the author of a number of mathematical papers and in 1881 he began writing a series of mathematical textbooks.
 

Honours:

John Casey was awarded many honours including Honorary Doctorates of Law from Dublin University and the Royal University of Ireland.  He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1875 and he was elected a Member of the Royal Irish Academy in 1880 and was a member of its council.  He was awarded the Cunningham Gold Medal of the Royal Irish Academy in 1878.  He was also honoured by the Norwegian Government and was elected to membership of the Society Mathematique de France in 1885.

John Casey died in 1891 and is buried in Glasnevin cemetery.
 

Further reading:

Mollan, C.  2007.  It’s Part of What We Are. Dublin, Royal Dublin Society.

Gow, R.  2000.  John Casey, 1820-1891, in Houston, K. Creators of Mathematics:  The Irish Connection, Dublin, University College Dublin Press.