Robert Ball (naturalist)

Robert Ball, an Irish naturalist, was born in Cobh, County Cork in 1802. Robert had a brother and two sisters. His sister, Anne Ball, was a well-known phycologist, and Mary Ball, an entomologist. He and his family lived in Youghal, County Cork and there, Ball attended a Quaker school where his interest for natural history was developed. After leaving his career of 20 years in the civil service, Ball then became a Director of the Dublin University Museum in 1844. Later on that year he was appointed Director of the Museum in Trinity College. In 1838, Ball developed a dredge net, also known today as "Ball's dredge," to collect marine organisms, which was often used among others. The rectangular net or dredge is connected to a frame, furnished with rods, and connected to a dredge rope. On March 30, 1857, Ball died as a result of a ruptured aorta.

He was born at Queenstown (today known as Cobh), County Cork. The Ball family lived in Youghal, County Cork. Robert had a brother, Bent, and two sisters Anne, a well-known phycologist, and Mary, an entomologist. The family was Protestant and "involved in trade".

After a career in the civil service he became Director of the Dublin University Museum in 1844. He was a Member of the Royal Irish Academy and President of the Geological Society of Ireland

Dublin University conferred on him the degree of LL.D. He became Secretary of the newly founded Queen's University of Ireland in 1851, and was a Fellow of the Royal Society.

Robert Ball was the father of the Astronomer Royal Sir Robert Stawell Ball, Valentine Ball (1843-1895) C.B., BA,MA, LL.D., F.R.S. a geologist and naturalist, Professor at Trinity College Dublin, and Sir Charles Bent Ball (1851–1916) BA, MB, M.Ch., FRCSI, a surgeon and botanist.

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