Dr Fergus J. O'Rourke, K.M., M.R.I.A. (1923–2010) was an Irish scientist whose publications included contributions to

myrmecology Myrmecology (; from Greek: μύρμηξ, ''myrmex'', "ant" and λόγος, ''logos'', "study") is a branch of entomology focusing on the study of ants. Ants continue to be a model of choice for the study of questions on the evolution of social ...

and

medical entomology The discipline of medical entomology, or public health entomology, and also ''veterinary entomology'' is focused upon insects and arthropods that impact human health. Veterinary entomology is included in this category, because many animal disease ...

. Educated at

Belvedere College Belvedere College Society of Jesus, S.J. (sometimes St Francis Xavier's College) is a fee-paying voluntary secondary school for boys in Dublin, Ireland. Formally established in 1832 at Hardwicke Street in north inner city Dublin, the school was ...

, and subsequently at

University College Dublin University College Dublin (), commonly referred to as UCD, is a public research university in Dublin, Ireland, and a collegiate university, member institution of the National University of Ireland. With 38,417 students, it is Ireland's largest ...

, he graduated from University College Dublin both as a medical doctor and with a Masters in Science. He subsequently earned a PhD in Zoology. O'Rourke's 1948 survey of Irish ants was built on the earlier work of Stelfox and provided an authoritative description of Irish ants. O'Rourke (1956) provided an early consideration of the importance of ants as disease vectors. He was appointed Professor of Zoology at

University College Cork University College Cork – National University of Ireland, Cork (UCC) () is a constituent university of the National University of Ireland, and located in Cork (city), Cork. The university was founded in 1845 as one of three Queen's Universit ...

and was elected a Member of the

Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the natural sciences, arts, literature, and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned society and one of its le ...

and Fellow of the

Royal Entomological Society of London The Royal Entomological Society is a learned society devoted to the study of insects. It aims to disseminate information about insects and to improve communication between entomologists. The society was founded in 1833 as the Entomological S ...

. He was a nephew of

Horace Tennyson O'Rourke Horace Tennyson O'Rourke (21 March 188030 December 1963) was Dublin city architect for Dublin Corporation, now Dublin City Council, from 1922 to 1945. Biography O'Rourke was born in Dublin, the son of Francis P. O'Rourke and Martha Rafferty. He w ...

. On 1 September 2023 Met Éireann, along with the national weather services of the UK (Met Office) and the Netherlands (KNMI), released the list of new storm names for the 2023/2024 storm season, which included eminent Irish/Northern-Irish scientists, to honour their important contributions to science and benefits for humankind. Fergus O'Rourke was included in this list for his work on providing an authoritative description of Irish ants and an early consideration of the importance of ants as disease vectors.

Publications

* Corridan, J. P., F. J. O'Rourke and M. Verling (1969). 'Trichinella spiralis in the Red Fox (Vulpes vulpes) in Ireland', Nature, 222, p. 1191. * Griffiths, R. B. and F. J. O'Rourke (1950). 'Observations on the Lesions Caused by Cnemidocoptes mutans and their Treatment, with Special Reference to the Use of 'Gammexane' ', Annals of Tropical Medicine and Parasitology, 44, pp. 93–100. * Haen, P. J. and F. J. O'Rourke (1968). 'Proteins and Haemoglobins of Salmon-Trout Hybrids', Nature, 217, pp. 65–67. * Keenan, E., E. MacWhite and F. J. O'Rourke (1944). 'An extended burial at Fassaroe, Co. Wicklow. ' Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, p. 146–54. * O’Rourke, F.J. (1970a) The Fauna of Ireland. Cork: Mercier * O'Rourke, F. J. (1970b). 'Rheotanytarsus Bause (Diptera: Chironomidae), A Genus Not Previously Recorded From Ireland, with Notes on the Question of the Species Occurring in Great Britain and Ireland', Entomologist's Gazette, 21, pp. 285–288. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1968). 'A New Host for the Metacercaria of the Fluke Bucephalopsis Gracilescens (Rudolph)', Irish Naturalists' Journal, 16. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1961). 'Presence of Blood Antigens in Fish Mucus and its Possible Parasitological Significance', Nature, 189, p. 943. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1960a). '

Zoonoses A zoonosis (; plural zoonoses) or zoonotic disease is an infectious disease of humans caused by a pathogen (an infectious agent, such as a virus, bacterium, parasite, fungi, or prion) that can jump from a non-human vertebrate to a human. When h ...

: The Diseases of Animals Transmissible to Man', Irish Journal of Medical Science, pp. 443–452. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1960b). 'The Future of Insect Control: Biological or Chemical', The Journal of the Institute of Chemistry of Ireland, 5, pp. 28–41. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1956). 'The medical and veterinary importance of the formicidae', Insectes Sociaux, 3, pp. 107–118. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1952). 'A preliminary ecological classification of ant communities in Ireland', Entomologist's Gazette, 3, pp. 69–72. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1955). 'Arthropods and human health ', Irish Journal of Medical Science, 30, pp. 78–82. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1950). 'Myrmecological notes from Narvik, northern Norway',

Norsk Entomologisk Tidsskrift The ''Norwegian Journal of Entomology'' is a biannual peer-reviewed scientific journal covering entomology, and arthropodology more in general, with an emphasis on Norway. It was established in 1920 as the ''Norsk Entomologisk Tidsskrift'', obtaini ...

, 8, pp. 47–50. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1948). 'The Distribution and General Ecology of the Irish Formicidae', Proceedings of the Royal Irish Academy. Section B: Biological, Geological, and Chemical Science, 52, pp. 383–410. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1945a). 'A Further Extension of the Range of Myrmica Schenki, Emery', Entomologist's Record, VII, pp. 85–86. * O'Rourke, F. J. (1945b). 'A kitchen-midden at Dog's Bay, Roundstone, Co. Galway (note)', Journal of the Royal Society of Antiquaries of Ireland, 75, p. 115–8

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Orourke, Fergus Irish entomologists 1923 births 2010 deaths Myrmecologists Irish scientists Alumni of University College Dublin Members of the Royal Irish Academy People educated at Belvedere College People from Cobh Scientists from County Cork Academics of University College Cork