Griffith, Richard John (1784–1878)

Irish soldier, geologist, and engineer, who was responsible for publishing the first complete geological map of Ireland in 1838, with a major revision in 1855. He also carried out extensive studies of carboniferous limestone fossils, identifying many new species.

Griffith was born in Dublin, joined the Royal Irish Regiment in 1800, but resigned shortly afterwards to study chemistry, mining, and geology in London and Edinburgh. He returned to Ireland in 1808, and surveyed the coalfields and bogs of Leinster on behalf of a government commission. As commissioner of valuations after the Irish Valuation Act of 1827, he created Griffith's Valuations for country rate assessments. He was knighted in 1858.