André (Andrew) Darré (1750–1833) was a French priest and academic. He was one of the four exiles from France, the others being professors Francois Anglade, Louis-Gilles Delahogue, and Pierre-Justin Delort, sometimes called the French "founding fathers" of Maynooth College in Ireland.

Life

A native of the small town of Montaut, Auch near Toulouse in Gascony, France, he was born on 5 February 1750. Darré studied philosophy and theology at the

University of Toulouse The University of Toulouse (, ) is a community of universities and establishments ( ComUE) based in Toulouse, France. Originally it was established in 1229, making it one of the earliest universities to emerge in Europe. Suppressed during the ...

, was ordained a priest in Auch in 1774, and became a professor of philosophy in Toulouse. Darré was exiled following the French Revolution and moved to Ireland in 1793, where he was appointed Professor of Logic, Metaphysics and Ethics in 1795 at the newly established Royal College of St. Patrick, Maynooth, and Professor of Mathematics and Natural Philosophy from 1801 to 1813. He succeeded fellow French exile, the Rev. Pierre-Justin Delort, who had returned to France in 1801, as Chair of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics. During the

Irish rebellion of 1803 The Irish rebellion of 1803 was an attempt by Irish Republicanism, Irish republicans to seize the seat of the British government in Ireland, Dublin Castle, and trigger a nationwide insurrection. Renewing the Irish Rebellion of 1798, struggle o ...

, which occurred close to the college, Darre helped negotiate the surrender of the local rebels. He returned to France in 1813 (and was succeeded in the Chair of Natural Philosophy and Mathematics by his former pupil Cornelius Denvir), and was serving as canon of Sainte-Marie d'Auch when he died in 1833.

Publications

A copy of his work is stored in the Russell Library, Maynooth. * ''Elements of Geometry, with both Plane and Spherical Trigonometry. Designed for the use of the Students at the R. C. College, Maynooth'', by André Darré, printed and published by H. Fitzpatrick of 4, Capel Street, Dublin 1813.

Legacy

His textbook was used by his successors in Maynooth Professors Denvir and Callan, and Rev. Dr. Callan produced a revised edition in 1844. The ''Darré Exhibitions'' prize, named in his honour, is awarded to students based on their leaving certificate results, on entry to first-year Mathematics at

Maynooth University Maynooth University (MU) (), is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland in Maynooth, County Kildare, Ireland. Maynooth University was formerly known as National University of Ireland, Maynooth (NUIM; ). It was Ireland ...

.Mathematics and Statistics
Undergraduate Annual Prizes, Maynooth University.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Darre, André 1750 births 1833 deaths French mathematicians Academics of St Patrick's College, Maynooth Catholic clergy scientists 17th-century French Roman Catholic priests 18th-century French Roman Catholic priests French expatriates in Ireland