13 Facts About Richard Kirwan

Richard Kirwan was one of the last supporters of the theory of phlogiston.

Richard Kirwan was widely known in his day, corresponding and meeting with Lavoisier, Black, Priestley, and Cavendish.

Richard Kirwan was a descendant of William O Ciardhubhain and a member of The Tribes of Galway.

Richard Kirwan married "Miss Blake" in 1757, but his wife only lived eight more years.

In 1766, having conformed to the established religion two years previously, Richard Kirwan was called to the Irish Bar, but in 1768 abandoned practice in favour of scientific pursuits.

Richard Kirwan was elected a foreign member of the Royal Swedish Academy of Sciences in 1784 and a member of the American Philosophical Society in 1786.

In 1787, Richard Kirwan moved to Dublin, where, in 1799, he became president of the Royal Irish Academy until his death.

Richard Kirwan was one of the last supporters in Britain and Ireland of the theory of phlogiston, for which he contended in his Essay on Phlogiston and the Constitution of Acids, identifying phlogiston with hydrogen.

Richard Kirwan attempted to refute their arguments, but they proved too strong for him, and he acknowledged himself a convert in 1791.

At the time of the Union, Richard Kirwan refused a baronetcy, died in Dublin in June 1812, and was buried there in St George's Church, Lower Temple Street.

Richard Kirwan disliked late visitors and had his door-knocker removed each evening at seven o'clock.

Richard Kirwan lived on an exclusive diet of ham and milk.

Richard Kirwan heated his living room all year round with a fire and always wore an overcoat indoors.