Acknowledgements

This book would have languished in my laptop but for the initiative and perseverance of two friends, Professor Seán Sheridan of University College Dublin and that  most energetic and erudite Canadian-born, Irish-based academic and entrepreneur, Dr. Norman McMillan. Mac and Seán, I am forever in your debt. I am also deeply grateful to Dr Paddy Prendergast, Provost of Trinity College, Dublin, for writing such a wonderful Preface.

I am also very grateful to Ben Ryan, who helped with the layout, advised on best presentation for publication, tracked down the sources of most of the images of the scientists (most found originally by myself, by Googling, but some better ones found by Ben) and obtained permission from the copyright holders. A few sources eluded us and we apologise for that and hope to have the opportunity to correct it in the future.

I am also very grateful to Enterprise Ireland for permission to republish here 17 of these Limericks which appeared first in their now-defunct journal, Technology Ireland, in February, 1982.

The book design and cover--which shows the Limerick Treaty Stone---were done by artist and designer Steven Bateman, who has also earned my gratitude.

The cartoons have been very kindly drawn by my friend and former student, Dr Jane Courtney, and I thank her most sincerely here. Many hundreds of students suffered under my supervision of their work for the National University of Ireland degrees of B.E., MEngSc and PhD, and their equivalents at the University of Salford, UK—and I thank them all for enriching my life—but only four of them had the resilience to endure me for all three. Jane is one of that quartet.