Century of Endeavour

Log-book Series Overview

(c) Roy Johnston 2004


I have listed here the highlights of the series of log-books which are stored in the 'RJ logboxes'; Series A and B in Logbox 1, series C remaiing at present on the bookshelves, for placement later. RJ October 2004.


Series A, starts in Aer Lingus and continues until end of ARC period:

[A] Vol 1, January 68 to March 77

This book covered work done initially within Aer Lingus, then continued in a self-employed business environment. It introduced the logging procedure, and represented a learning process how to do it; it is deficient in many ways. It had not been indexed, so I had to index it retropectively. I did recall most of the events described. For this and successive volumes I give short notes on the key events noted. RJ Oct 2004.

The book starts with some notes on a round-trip flight done with an Aer Lingus pilot and crew, aimed at identifying sourcing procedures for inputs of management statistics. It continues with a listing of personal agenda for work in Aer Lingus as seen in April 1969, focused mainly on upgrading the forward planning procedures with more intelligent use of statistics and modelling. There are notes on the 'Aer Tatal' conference, the objective of which was to make the Government invest in more modern fleet.

The book then becomes a log of hours worked on various projects, after becoming freelance. It continues like this up to 1972; there are some notes on episodes in the EEC referendum campaign, mostly from Cork. These are interspersed with notes on aspects of milk production, in the context of the Bord Bainne Winter Milk project.

In September 1972 there is a report of an Institute of Physics symposium in honour of Cormac O Ceallaigh. Then in March 1973 we have the OECD 'confrontation' with the Department of Finance.

There is a long gap, and then in 1975 there is a record of a tour of Northern Ireland with Terry O'Brien, on the trail of milk production dynamics, followed by some agricultural macro-modelling. The TCD Industrial Liaison Office then begins to occur; there was an expedition to Limerick with Robert Ardill and others, training sales engineers for DEC.

Ideas for the TCD Applied Research Consultancy Group begin to emerge in 1976, and from then on this tends to dominate; there are records of a series of conferences attended, looking for business opportunities.

[A] Vol 1a, May 73 to April 76 (basically scientific and technological

This covers the period May 1973 to April 1976 in more depth than the foregoing; it is partially indexed; I have completed it retrospectively. RJ Oct 2004.

Conferences
There are detailed notes, in the first 45 pages, on the Algiers conference organised by IFORS and IFAC, dedicated to technology problems in the 'third world' (28/05/73 to 4/06/73); I wrote this up subsequently in the Irish Times.
This had a somewhat political flavour, in the post-colonial direction, so it is appropriate to group with this....
pp75-98: The Moscow conference, from which the 'Irish Peace Group' emerged (25/10/73 to 31/10/73);
Both these conferences generated significant agendas which attempted to identify postgraduate projects having third-world post-colonial dimensions.

TCD MSc student projects in Operational Research and Statistics (with FG Foster's group):
p46 car accident statistics (Foras Forbartha, 3/07/73);
p65 scientific manpower projections derived from the census (1/10/73)...

Episodes dedicated by the need for Irish Times material:
p48 Bary, oceanography in UCG, boat trip;
p71 Kendall gave the Geary Lecture in the SSISI, on lagged relationships (22/10/73);
p105 oil symposium (11/12/73);
p119 Mitrani on advanced computing in Newcastle on Tyne (22/01/74);
p129 Hobson in Aberdeen on anaerobic digestion;
p131 Aberdeen offshore oil (21-22/03/74);

Attempts to identify clients for TCD sponsored postgraduate work, primarily relating to operations research and sttistics:
p73 North Connaught Farmers had a logistics problem (23/10/73);
p101 Michael Hurley in IAWS (31/10/73);
p103 Achill quartz (Jim Gilson) (8/12/73);
p135 Scott autoanalysis in biochemistry (21/05/74);
p137 Moorepark food quality instrumentation etc (27/05/74);
p139 more Moorepark ppn various food production systems (17/06/74);
p154 Blood Bank information system (01-02/75)..

Attempts to identify experience relevant to technological innovation in the university postgraduate system:
p51 patent symposium (4/9/73);
p103 IIRS ultrasonics seminar (7/12/73);
p105 OR and generics workshop (11/12/73);
p121 Cunningham on DNA (13/03/73);
p123 UDIL Group in Cambridge (20/03/74);
p136 Leenane symposiun UCG/CNRS (20/05/74);
p145-146 records of TCD group meetings (11/07/74, 9/09/74);
p146 IEI seminar, engineers in public service (20/09/74);
p147-8 UDIL meeting Bangor, visit to Cardiff (25-6/09/74);
p156ff symposium held by National Science Council on European R&D policy (30/09/75), including energy (McAlister), environment (Downey), healthcare (Gault);
p177 Environmental panel (Dr Nichol IIRS, 22/01/76).

[A] Vol 2, 21 March 77 to 9 November 77

Here we follow the foregoing classification; we will adapt this as necessary in future sections.

Notes on conferences attended:
p14 college administration people at Maynooth; cost of production of an engineer etc; 31/03/77. In retrospect I should have paid more attention to this network.
p17 Operations Rearch Society of Ireland; notes on judging the papers; topics included healthcare, system integration, data collection methodology, structural design, railway scheduling, containerised freight, solar heating, corporate planning; 01/04/77.
pp55-62 ESA symposiom on satellite broadcasting; 23-5/05/77.
p65ff UMIST-Cranfield conference on industrially sponsored research; 26/05/77.
p74ff EEC DG XII symposium on Science and Society in Brussels; 31/05/77. This was dominated by Prigogine, and was quite prestigeous; the King turned up at the reception. People like Ravetz, Ziman and others were involved. I had been invited, and I discovered subsequently it was at the behest of Vincent Barry, then President of the Royal Irish Academy. I made my contribution, on the basis of such experience as I had to date of the university-industry interface; the ARC Group had then recently been set up, and I outlined its structure and activity.
p126-130 RIA meeting on engineering education, Timoney, McCabe, Crosland, Scaife involved, among others; 06/09/77.
p152ff IEI conference; Martin O'Donoghue, Timoney, Hely-Hutchinson et al; 06/10/77.
p182ff ORSI conference on multi-criteria decision making; 04/11/77.

Related to existing TCD projects:
p27 Paddy Cunningham, Joan Ryan and cattle genetics project; 21/04/77.
pp33-40 agendas and overviews; 25/04/77 to 20/05/77.
p39, p92, p108 Goffs project on computer analysis of horse-racing form; 09/05 and 08/06/73. This involved Robert Friel and Joan Ryan in a trip to the US. See also p131, 12/09/77; p162, 18/10/77.
p93 Cunningham on cattle genetics; 08/06/77.
pp95-7 overview agendas; 10-17/06/77.
p109ff overview agenda etc; 05/07 to 02/08/77.
p115 Waterford co-op; Joan Ryan's milk recording project; 11/08/77
p118 overview agenda 15/08/77.
p121 overview agenda 23/08/77.
p138 ESB and Analog Devices; Ed Richmond, Phil Burton etc; 16/09/77; see also p160ff, 14/10/77.
p140 Gerry Wardell, Brian Henderson and physics-related projects and concepts; 22-3/09/77.
p146 Tara Mines environmental project; Daphne Levinge, Jeffrey et al; 27/09/77.
p148 overview agenda; 30/09/77.
p178 Bord na Mona self-heating in milled peat; 28/10/77.

Attempted Identification of TCD clients:
p3 ESB interface project 21/03/77.
p9 cardiology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast, Geddes; 25/03/77.
p12 Jack O'Sullivan, Daphne Levinge, environmental packages; 28/03/77.
p13 Grainger et al; on-line monitoring in ecological context; 28/03/77.
p24ff exploration of schools science equipment domain; 14/04/77
p94 Environment project projected with Tara Mines; 09/06/77. Daphne had done some work on re-vegetating mine-tips for her PhD, and we had some contacts there.
p102-3 Walton physics teaching demonstration; 28/06/77.
p104 Blood Bank, possible software development project; 30/06/77.
p106-7 biology lab materials sourcing; 01/07/77.
p114 Clondalkin paper mills, 10/08/77; also p119 17/08/77.
p117 meeting with Jack O'Sullivan, 12/08/77.
p122ff misc engineering and environment concepts 30/08/77.
p136 George Reynolds, Anthony Unwin and projected geological intrumentation concepts; 15/09/77.
p141 steering committee meeting 23/09/77.
p142ff European Space Agency concepts, 23/09/77.

Background experience relating to the innovation process:
p4 National Science Council meeting on technology transfer 22/03/77.
p28ff Institute of Physics (Irish Branch) Spring Meeting: polymer technology, Analog Devices, Materials Group; 23/04/77.
p32 Rabe, DG XII, EEC on R&D policy; 24/04/77.
pp41-53 EEC environmental conference: de Jong, Downey et al; 10/05/77.
p98ff DIAS seminar on the ESA scientific programme; O Ceallaigh was involved; 22/06/77.
p101 Brendan Walsh on Manpower Planning (ORSI seminar); 28/06/77.
p100 Notes for Martin O'Donoghue, then advising Fianna Fail in opposition on science policy; 29/06/77.
p149ff CREST meeting in IIRS; waste hydrolysis, fermentation etc; 03/10/77. pp164-178 UNIDO visit with UDIL group in Vienna; 19/10/77. This was an attempt on the part of the Industrial Liaison Officers of Britain to develop an export market for knowhow relevant to the 3rd world development problem; on the whole it was unproductive.

Related to 'science and society' publication, currently the Irish Times column:
By this time I had opted out of the Irish Times column, given that the ARC project was presenting many things to write about, but there was a confidentiality barrier; I had sensed conflict of interest.

[A] Vol 3, 14 November 77 to 5 September 78

Notes on conferences attended:
p64ff UDIL meeting, on Report of Vice-Chancellors committee; research costs and patents.
p72 ORSI conference, Dundalk: Donal Lyins, Tom Conlon, Barre Carroll et al, 06/04/78.
p92ff planning conference for NIHE Dublin, 19/04/78.
p100ff renewable energy conference, in IIRS, opened by Nichol, 26/04/78.
pp112-119 ITGWU conference on Energy, with an international EEC dimension; Petra Kelly was there, on the Carroll network; I have a note as follows: 'I think it is a plot engineered by the nuclear industry to discredit the trade unions by unloading phoneys on them'! 12-14/05/78.
pp165-175 RIA engineering conference, 5-6/09/78/
p177-181 UDIL meeting, 12/09/78.

Related to existing TCD projects:
p6 Bord na Mona milled peat self-heating etc; 16/11/77; see also p96, 24/04/78; p184, Dowding , Daphne, 26/09/78.
p14 geophysical instrumentation, 28/11/77.
p21 EI Shannon, ultrasonics, 13/12/77.
pp33-41 numerous routine notes, 15/12/77 to 16/01/76.
p45 EI etc 30/01/78.
p48ff ESB 01/02/78; see also p51, 09/02/78; p86-7, 14/04/78; p128-9, 23/05/78; p140-1, 30/06/78; p175, 7/09/78.
p50 Bradley lasers, 9/02/78; see also p138, 26/06/78.
pp61-64 FAO project, meeting in Edinburgh; Erna Bennett, James Fyffe; plant breeding for the food crops, 14/03/78; see also p147, 25/07/78.
p68ff overview agenda, misc minor notes, 31/03/78.
p70 Dairy processing project; McNulty et al, 03/04/78; see also pp88-9, 17/04/78; p121-7, 17/05/78; p139, 29/06/78; p148-51, 25-7/07/78; p160-61, 31/08/78; p163-4, 1/09/78.
p84 overview agenda, 12/04/74.
p98 Semperit group: Gerry Wardell, Tony Moore; there were earlier references to this, it evolved via McBrierty and he tended to handle it; my own earlet notes were somewhat marginal; 25/11/78; see also p162, 1/09/78.
p98-9 management meeting notes, Brosnan from IDA was there, Spearman, Scott et al, 25/11/78.
pp104-108 minor project notes and agenda, 28/04/78 to 04/05/78/
p108 Bord na Mona project: Flood, Callanan, Daphne, 04/05/78; see also p112, 10/05/78.
pp109-111 George Waters RTE, Ronan Scaife and the acoustics of the concert hall, 04-5/05/78.
p130-1 overview agenda, 26/05/78.
p134-7 Marine resources survey; Fergus Cahill, Daphne, 21/06/78; see also p146, 13/07/78.
p142-45 agenda-like stuff, 3-12/07/78
p153-4 Steve and his effluent rate meter, 31/07/78.
p176 Paddy Cunningham and milk recording scheme, 7/09/78/

Attempted Identification of TCD clients:
p5 Mike Peirce and Philips man (O'Sullivan) on mini and micro applications in a process control environment; 14/11/77. This was an aspect of MP researching the potential for the Mentec enterprise, which emerged subsequently.
p6 Fergus Cahill, Kinsale, Marathon; vibration analysis software; 14/11/77.
pp8-19 Dan Bradley, Wrixon, Cement, IDA, misc stuff; 2-6/12/77.
p52 Dave McConnell and genetic engineering; insulin etc, 17/02/78.
p56 Erna Bennett, FAO and UNDP; Boulder Colorado; first hint of genetic iformation project. 06/03/78.
p90 Notes for a submission to Hardiman NBST, 19/04.78.
p155 David McConnell and Distillers; 1/08/78; misc ff.

Background experience relating to the innovation process:
p8ff COST seminar, European participation; Liam Downet involved; 22-25/11/77.
p16 milk seasonality seminar, 30/11/77.
p20 ORSI seminar on situation in Poland, 09/12/77.
p22ff David Walton took a historic look at the development of the theory underlying digital electronics, 12-14/12/77; strong critical philosophical dimension.
p42 Gerry Foley on Energy (ACE), 23/01/78.
p43 ESA Montecatini, 24/01/78.
p53 Prof Sir Charles Frank, pressure changes in Earth's mantle, 17/02/78. p54 UCD SPRU seminar on R&D and consultancy, ~20/02/78.
p57 Mike Matthews on possible civil applications of optical fibres, 06/03/78.
p59 seminar of material group of Inst of Physics; Imbusch et al, also Farmer and Ken Eng; this was an attempt to bridge the physics-engineering divide; 16/03/78
p80 Dan Bradley, at some depth, on lasers, 10/04/78.

[A] Vol 4, 4 June 78 to April 79

Notes on major projects undertaken in the TCD ARC context:

pp3-72 UNFAO project, on the problem of how to keep track of the genetics of the world food crops, using information technology.
p101 Erna Bennett on UNFAO project.
pp204-210 Rome meetings at end of project.

pp82-3 Meeting with Fergus Cahill, exploring the international marine scene; this would have been a precursor of the subsequent marine project.
pp88-89 briefing with Bary in UCG oceanography; identification of sources,
pp92-94 outline approach to the 'marine and oceanographic data centre' project, in the form of a draft letter to various sources.
pp115-6 Ray Keary on offshore data.
pp210-1 Daphne and Robert on hydrographic data. p148ff notes on marine project; Brest visit.

pp109-10, p112 Energy from biomass; preliminary meeting and draft terms of reference, 1/11/78
pp165-6 meeting re biomass progress, 20/01/79
pp237-8 further progress meeting 4/04/79

pp144-5 Bord na Mona milled peat heating project, 5/12/78.
pp239-40 further progress meeting.

Records of various seminars and contacts with the NBST, IEI, IDA etc.
p78 Record of meeting with Liam Downey re export consultancy 27/09/78
pp79-81 NBST meeting in the UNCSTD context, export consultancy again.
pp90-91 seminar in the IEI with Hardiman participating.
p95 IEI event on the technician scene, arising from the emergence of the RTCs.
p121 exploration of remote sensing with NBST.
pp123-8 Offshore engineering as seen from Aberdeen; Jim Brown seminar.
pp222-5 IDA manpower seminar 26/03/79
pp230-4 NBST industrial liaison seminar 30/03/79
pp241-3 spring meeting of Inst Physics (Irish Branch) in Killarney 7/04/79.

Currently perceived agendas in the ARC context.
pp98-9 as seen on 11/10/78
pp139-43 as seen on 4/12/78
p167 23/01/79 p172, 174, 181 summary listings of current projects, seen from ARC and ILO angles, we tried to distinguish these distinct roles.
p189 as seen on 19/02/79
p235 as seen on 30/03/79

[A] Vol 5, 24 April 79 to 21 March 80

In what follows the order of the groupings is dictated be the page on which the first member of a group is encountered. Most of the routine day-to-day notes are passed over; I concentrate on entries which relate to a report or something published, or publishable.

Current ARC projects:
pp3-5 draft notes towards a marine project report.

pp18-9 notes on biomass fuel production process (Robert Friel) 7/05/79
pp22-5 preliminary biomass conference in Ireland, 9/05/79.
pp45-75 biomass conference in Golden, Colorado, 5-9/06/79; this was in some depth and could be an important soub>Researchrce, of current relevance. Follow-through pp76-81.
pp141-9 energy conference, 8-10/10/79
pp158-60 energy conservation conference, AFF, 31/10/79
pp223-5 NBST/EEC seminar on hydrogen (in energy context) 24/01/80.

ARC agenda and related overview snapshots:
p13 current agenda as seen on 1/05/79; p90 as seen 1/07/79; p130 as seen on 1/10/79; p200 as seen on 11/12/79; p236 as seen on 11/02/80; p251 as seen on 7/03/80..
pp152-3 outline draft of financial scene over the 3 years of ARC existence.

Attempts to develop new business:
pp35-7 outline proposal to IAOS for development of computer support for the pig production process.
pp39-43 expansion of this concept in support of added value in food production, getting away from simply butter and powdered skim. This meeting included people fromIAOS, AFT, CII, IIM and NCEA; it took place in Wexford, 29/05/79.
pp191-195 ICOS seminar 3/12/79 pp43-6 some follow-through from the earlier FAO project, with UNDP and the Boulder Colorado people, June 79. See also pp111-6 for EEC dimension.

Conferences, seminars etc:
pp133-7 UDIL meeting in Gregynog, 2/10/79
pp165-71 ORSI conference, 7/11/79.
pp178-87 computer users meeting, 21/11/79.

[A] Vol 6, 22 March 80 to 19 November 80

This book has alphabetic indexing, and we take advantage of this by numbering the pages A1, A2.. etc.

Conferences, seminars etc:
A3-B4 Inst Physics (Irish Branch) spring meeting, 22-3/03/80.
B9-C5 ICTU conference on new technology asnd industrial relations, 26-7/03/80.
C8-9 Pierce Ryan (AFT) inTCD science faculty, this was oriented towards EEC funding and closer TCD-AFT co-operation, 31/03/80; follow-up draft paper D1-5, 2/04/80.
F6-H5 OECD international seminar on the market for specialised training for industry, 21-3/04/80.
J4-5 US air force presentation to TCD science faculty of research areas of interest (!), 13/05/80; all projects said to be for open publication; presumably this is the way they try tokeep the global academic research community well-disposed to US politics!.
K7-8 solar energy seminar, 22/05/80.
U4-V6 IIRS biotechnology conference, 8/10/80.
W4-5 Biomass workshop, with international inputs, 30/10/80.agenda and related overview snapshots:
B5 agenda as seen on 24/03/80.
G6-7 RJ's contribution to OECD seminar, 21/04/80, see below.
H6 agenda arising from OECD event, 24/04/80.
K1-3 meetng of IUDIL group in Galway, 19/05/80.
P6-7 agenda 8/08/80, with cash flow outline.
R7-8 overview notes in the state of the units in the group, 26/08/80.
S9 indications from Spearman of impending closedown, 9/09/80.
S12-T1 fightback memo, referencing Stan Nielsen, and countering with an outline expansion plan, 16/09/80. U3 agenda 7/10/80.

Attempts to develop new business:
There were many minor encounters in this category; I instance only some major ones.
M8-9 introductory outline of Essco-Collins project for a solar energy generator, 7/07/80.
N2 VBR encounter in energy context, 22/07/80.
N6-P1 record of interaction with Al Cohen of Essco-Collins regarding 3rd-world solar energy project, 28/07/80.
Q3-R1 outline of an 'applied software unit' concept bridging DCS and Statistics, with an Engineering dimension, 13/08/80.
R9-S3 update of Essco-Collins proposal, 28/08/80.

Series B, decoupled from ARC activity:

[B] Vol 1a, 12 November 1980 to 15 May 1982

Conferences, seminars etc:
pp3-7 ORSI Limerick 12/11/80
pp11-15 Academy Foreign Affiars 29/11/80
pp35-39 Inst Phys Patents seminar in London, 16/01/81
pp55-63 Foster's international informatics conference;INIDO input; 9/03/81
pp69-71 UDIL in Bath, 7/04/81.
pp96-97 Academy Foreign Affairs seminar 6/05/81.
pp94-95 IUNA projected renewable energy conference participation, 5/05/81;
pp98-99 IUNA notes on meeting 14/05/81
pp99-105 Prague seminar, World Peace Council, environment, energy; 16-19/05/81.
pp142-149 IACHEI meeting in Chelmsford, 14/09/81.
pp196-202 ATE conference; technology in education, 16/12/81, in RDS.
pp218-226 Education for Innovation conference (Mike Peirce, Angela Collins et al), 30/03/82.
pp277-8 IEI computer division, 16/11/82

Agenda as seen at the time, related overviews
pp16-17 24/11/80 p64 arising from Foster event, 16/03/81.
pp90-91 ILO and ARC events in 1980, 29/04/81.
p127 15/07/81, p137 31/08/81, p151 18/09/81, p169 20/10/81.
p187 'ARC Services' concept, 2/12/81.
p189 3/12/81; p195 survival concepts 15/12/81; p202 ctd, 21/12/81.
p210 options assessment, 15/02/82.
p216 Dusty Miller 18,23/03/82; again p230 15/04/82; again p235-6 10/05/82; again p260-61 1,15,30/07/82; p264 17/09/82; p279 2/12/82; p282-3 2/02/83, 10/04/83.
p248 options assessment, 26/05/82; cf also Bradley p259, 28/06/82.
p263 agenda 7/09/82.

Significant Contacts p39 Eileen Bernal in London, leading to Brenda Swann and Ann Synge, 19/01/81/
p40 Crotty and Foster 19-20/01/81.
p43 Spearman and the IIRS/ARC arrangement, 23/01.81.
p68 Brenda Swann, on the way to Bath UDIL, 5/04/81.
p72 Stafford Beer in Wales, 9/04/81.
p123 Bill Watts (Provost-elect), 6/07/81.
p150 Provost 18/09/81.
p192 Dan Bradley and ARC death-knell, 7/12/81.
p205 Bradley 13/01/82; MacBride 15/01/82.

Research etc
pp73-82 Bernal papers in Cambridge; Magda p82; 10-11/04/81.
112-116 Bernal trail: Earl of Ross, Bunbury (Grubb), Kevin Bernal, Tom Nevin, 29/05/81.
p209 RDS science minutes 1956-62 re RJ early contacts etc 10/02/82.


[B] Vol 1b, August 1981 to Feb 84

Conferences, seminars etc:
pp2-54 UN conference in Nairobi on renewable energy, August 1981.
pp75-81 Academy conference on European co-operation, 20-26/11/81.
pp88-90 Euronet seminar, 21/01/82.
pp202-219 Prague peace movement event, 21/06/83
pp273-5 Gorta/FAO World Food Day, 14/10/83.
pp276-80 SESI conference in Glencree, 16/10/83
pp297-311 Berlin meeting on IACHEI network, 24/11/83.
pp312-5 ORSI conference, 1/12/83.
pp330-342 European conference on S&T at Toulouse (courtesy Brendan Halligan), 9/02/84.

Agendas, project outlines etc
pp82-87 Renewable Energy Centre concept, arising fromthe Nairobi episode. pp92-166 Many renewable energy concepts and events, up to Dec 82.
p189 abstract of 1a agendas, 13/05/83.
p218 agenda arising from Prague event, 27/06/83.
p221 general agenda on 1/07/83.
p311 agenda arising from Berlin meeting, 29/11/83.
p344 list of current job applications, 20/02/84.
p371 agenda 4/04/84.

Research etc
pp169-171 Crotty peasant agriculture model, 27/02/83; pp180-3 1/05/83.
pp226-261 British Association meetings in Ireland, 5/09/83.
pp316-323 indexing of Irish Times columns for projected book, 15/12/83.
pp344-352 outline of Crotty model, 20/02/84; see also pp354-5, 3/03/84; pp358-60.

Networking, contacts etc
pp168, 172-178 Inst Physics technology group, seminar, conference, Feb-Mar 83.
p200 Dusty Miller 3/06/83; p223 12/07/83.
pp262-3 Physics open day in UCG, 22/09/83.
p283 Dusty Miller overview of Techne project, 19/10/83.
p296 misc Techne contacts, Nov 83.
p352 Dusty Miller 1/03/84.

[B] Vol 1c, Political notes, 1 Jan 84 to 13 March 86; small book hard cover.

This could be a source for the study of the politics of the period, but I do not regard it as being of high priority, it being a singularly barren political period. I simply list the events noted in it, such as they were.

Labour Left: 9/01/84, 20/01/84, 14/03/84, 17/06/84, 25/07/84, 24/03/85, 1/02/86
Rathgar Labour Party branch meetings (George Jeffares's house): 14/01/84, 10/04/84, 25/09/84, 6/11/84, 4/12/84, 15/01/85
Labour Party International Affairs: 14/01/84, 25/07/84, 4/09/84, 9/10/84, 13/11/84, 9/01/85, 12/02/85, 20/03/85, 1/08/85, 4/09/85, 8/09/85 (commission draft notes), 6/11/85, 4/12/85, 9/12/85 (ICND),
NI sub-cttee: 24/09/84 (NI), 3/10/84, 18/11/85
Labour Party Dublin SE Constituency Council: 19/01/84, 18/10/84
Labour Party Regional Council: 25/02/84, 16/07/84, 14/11/84

Irish CND: 21/01/84, 4/02/94, 24/03/84 (Cork), 8/09/84, 20/10/84, 8/12/84, 12/01/85, 23/02/85, 15/01/86 (TU),
CND in Britain: 24/11/84 (EP Thompson, David Blunkett, major international event in London)
Irish Sovereignty Movement: 1/03/84, 17/05/84 (Coughlan), ?7/07/84, 3/10/85
Irish Association: 25/02/84 this perhaps was a significant forum-related event; Una O'Higgins O'Malley presided, it included TP Hardiman, Tomas Mac Giolla, (John?) Cooney, Chris McGimpsey etc. There was a call for the Forum to go on indefinitely as a focus.
Irish United Nations Association: 24/04/84, 30/05/84, 9/09/84, 23/02/85, 25/03/85, 17/07/85, 31/01/86 (Colm O Briain UNESCO), 13/03/86

GEDCo group (renewable energy): 20/01/84
4S Group: Alan Matthews 12/03/84, 3/12/84 (Des Geraghty)
Divorce Action Group: 29/08/84 this was an all-party event, 27/01/86
Quakers: Yearly Meeting (Eustace St) 4/05/84, QPS Richhill 13/10/84, peace group 7/12/84, 8/01/86 Peace Committee revival,
ASTMS (SSB): 16/01/86 (WFSW Bernal event)
Celtic League conference: 24/08/85
Belgrave Residents: 5/11/84

One gets an impression of the varying priorities and levels of activity, under the influence of local, NI and global affairs. It could be a source for a paper, perhaps.


[B] Vol 2, April 84 to April 85

Conferences, seminars etc:
pp4-8, co-operative education conference, at Termonfeckin, led by Paddy Bolger, 11/04/84.
The meaning of 'co-operative education' used here has totally vanished, due to the decline of the movement; the term now means having a spell working with a firm during your degree course, and the co-operative movement as such has vanished.
pp9-15 Inst of Physics conference, Rosapenna; technology group meeting p9ff; 13/04/84.
pp30-38 ISA conference in RDS; Instrument Society of America; first outside US; founded 1945; this could have been a McMillan initiative; 15/05/84 pp46-49 ICTU energy conference, 5/06/84
pp72-77 FAST meeting, 5-6/07/84, includes Petrella, Patrick Lynch, Liam Downey, Frank Convery et al.
pp95-104 HEA conference, 17/18/09/84, includes TP Hardiman, Ed Walsh, Bill Watts et al.
pp106-111 UCC innovation conference, 20/09/84, Joe Lee, Niall Greene, Hugh Logue, Connell Fanning
pp112-122 IEI conference, 27-8/09/84, Finbar Callanan, Sean Barrett, Padraig White, Brendan Kearney, Ed Walsh
pp132-6 EEC Environment conference 12/10/84.
pp171-4 ORSI conference 29/11/84.
pp186-197 NBST/EEC seminar, 11/01/85.
pp276-283 Inst Phys (IB) in Kilkea Castle, 30/03/85.
pp288-293 Society for Co-operative Studies, in Grianan, 19/04/85

Agendas, project outlines etc
p15 agendas arising from co-op and physics conferences, 15/04/84/
p24 agenda arising from London visit, 27/04/84.
p65 overview agenda, 22/06/84.
p91 agenda 24/08/84, see also p93 11/09/84, p105 19/09/84.
pp138-9 17/10/84, prospect list; p158 9/11/84; p198 14/01/85.

Research etc
From November 1984 the record is one of frantic job search, without much success; I am placing on record only a few highlights.
pp202-224 RTC project, beginning with Dundalk, 19-25/01/85; Athlone and Tralee up to p275.
p299 to the end: notes on the Brittany project, from 5/05/85, in IUT Rennes.

Networking, contacts etc
pp16-16 Ronan Breslin, Sean Marlow, Walsh, Flahive, Ross Cooper, 16-19/04/84.
pp18-24 visit to Greater London Enterprise Board, Mike Cooley et al, 25-27/04/84.
p38 meeting with Arbuthnot re TCD scene, 17/05/84; pp39-45 misc contacts 13/05/84 - 1/06/84. includes Ronan Breslin, Mike Cooley, Gordon Foster and a few others.
pp50-64 misc contacts 7-21/06/84, includes Bolton St seminar, Dermot O'Doherty, Dusty Miller, Mel Healy, John Long, DIT Cathal Brugha St, John Hayden HEA...
pp68-71 misc contacts 26/06/84 to 5/07/84, includes Futures on Cooley aftermath, Tom Hardiman, Arbuthnot, Paddy Lynch..
pp78-90 misc contacts arising from FAST event, 9/07/94 to 2/08/84, including Sean Marlow, Ronan Breslin, ECIRN concept, Joe Watson, Joe Haughton on post-Bradley situation..
pp90-95 more misc contacts 3/08/84 to 14/09/94, including McBrierty, Foster and UNU, Paddy Lynch, Ross Cooper, Ronan Breslin, Donal Nevin..
pp123-131 misc contacts 2-11/10/84 - including Michael Sexton, Dave Scott, Ed Walsh, IEI Energy Division, Ross Cooper...
pp137, 15-16/10/84, Dusty Miller, Eoghan O'Neill, World Wood Day.
pp140-157, 17/10/84 to 9/11/84, Annraoi de Paor, Tony Farmer, Rea O'Neill, John O'Loughlin Kennedy, Noel Mulcahy, Gordon Foster, Niall Greene, Mel Healy, Paddy Lynch, Ross Cooper, Dusy Miller.

[B] Vol 3, June 85 to October 85

Up to p81 in this log we have a detailed record of the Brittany trip in June 1985; pp82-85 has an overview report draft, dated 5/07/85.
pp86-98: Academy Centenary Conference, 8/07/85; there are contributions from Whitaker, Weaire, Hankin, Scott, Jarrell, O'Hara and others, on various aspects of the history of science in Ireland. These proceedings alas were never published, on the grounds that each paper had its own publication outlet elsewhere (!).
p108ff: Here we have a Limerick encounter 23/07/85; the relationship between the NIHE and the Innovation Centre comes up. There are also a UCD and DIT dimensions; on p116 there is a status summary of the Youth Employment Agency work, 8/08/85. On p131 there is an index of the various notes relating to the YEA project, which related to the job-generating capacity of the 3rd-level entrepreneurial spin-off process.
p121: we have a note of an encounter with Tarlach de Blacam on Inis Mean, 30/08/85.
pp134-6: we have a DIT seminar, 10/09.85, on job generation; Rea O'Neill, Ray Ryan, Cathal Brugha amdothers involved.
pp137-144: IACHEI meeting in Limerick, 12/09/85; was not a fruitful event.
p146 short note on the WFSW meeting in Dublin 21/09/85, with Dittmann, Engelhardt et al; there was an ASTMS presence via Michael Sharp.
pp148ff more RTC contacts, Carlow, Sligo; Sept-Oct 85.
p162ff: misc industry and 3rd-level contacts; continuation of YEA RTCs project..

[B] Vol 4, October 85 to July 86

[B] Vol 5, July 86 to November 86)

[B] Vol 6, November 86 to May 87

[B] Vol 7, June 87 to November 87

[B] Vol 8, 11/87 to 5/88

[B] Vol 9, 5/88 to 11/88

[B] Vol 10, 11/88 to 4/89

[B] Vol 11, 4/89 to 9/89

[B] Vol 12, 9/89 to 5/91


Series C, strong IMS component:

[C] Vol 1, 6/91 to 4/93

[C] Vol 2, 11/93 to 4/94

[C] Vol 3, 4/94 to 3/95

[C] Vol 4, 5/95 to 8/96

[C] Vol 5, 8/96 to 9/97

[C] Vol 6, 10/97 to 11/98

[C] Vol 7, 10/98 to 8/99

[C] Vol 8, 11/99 to 2/2001

[C] Vol 9, 4/2001 to 6/2003



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