KENNEDY, John Pitt, an Irish author, educator, and engineer: b. Donogh, Donee' County, Ireland, 1796; d. 1879. He superin tended harbor construction in many parts of the world and built lighthouses, roads and quays. He was sub-inspector of militia in the Ionian Isles (1828-31). After a long absence from the army he returned to it in 1849, serv ing as secretary to Sir Charles Napier whom he accompanied to India. There Kennedy su perintended the construction of the military road from Kallca, through Simla and Knna wur to Tibet. John Pitt Kennedy. notwith standing the importance of his public engineer ing works, is best remembered on account of his efforts to settle, in a sensible way, the Irish question. He returned to Ireland in 1831; and he was at once struck with the lamentable con dition of the people and filled with a desire to remedy it. He realized that any permanent improvement in the Irish situation must be pro ceeded by a betterment of agricultural condi tions. He seems to have got nearer the heart of the Irish people than any previous reformer and to have realized that the British methods of dealing with the people had been largely faulty if not vicious. He became convinced
that force would never conquer Ireland though it might hold her in subjection indefinitely. In 1835 he published a book which embraced his ideas on Ireland, and which bore the curious, though very suggestive title 'Instruct; Em ploy; Don't Hang Them: or Ireland Tranquil ized without Soldiers and Enriched without English Capital.' As inspector general of Irish Education, for a time; secretary of the Devon Commission (1843) ; and the Famine Relief Committee (1845) he labored to im prove agricultural and social conditions and to advance public instruction in Ireland. To this end he wrote several works, all dealing with the problems he found in Ireland and suggesting solutions. He also wrote technical engineering works and was publisher and editor of the British Home and Colonial Empire.