Diocesan News05 Nov 15

Cork Church of Ireland Marks the Bicentenary of the Birth of George Boole, Father of the Information Age

On Sunday, 1st November – All Saints’ Sunday – the bicentenary of the birth (on 2nd November, 1815) of George Boole, first Professor of Mathematics at University College, Cork, was commemorated at the Sunday morning Eucharist at St Fin Barre’s Cathedral, Cork.

Boole, who was originally from Lincoln, was a mathematical genius who was largely self–taught. As the University College Cork website attests, Boole ‘is a pivotal figure who can be described as the “father of the information age”. His invention of Boolean algebra and symbolic logic pioneered a new mathematics. His legacy surrounds us everywhere, in the computers, information storage and retrieval, electronic circuits and controls that support life, learning and communications in the 21st century.’

The Google logo (pictured below right) was transformed on 2nd November to mark the 200th anniversary of George Boole’s birth.

Boole was a member of the Church of Ireland who attended Evensong in his local Parish Church of Saint Michael, Blackrock. He is buried in the churchyard there. The rector of that parish today is the Venerable Adrian Wilkinson, Archdeacon of Cork. At Sunday’s Service attended by the President of University College, Cork, Dr Michael Murphy, the Archdeacon preached in St Fin Barre’s Cathedral to mark the bicentenary.

His sermon is available here