  thumb|200px|sir william wilde sir william robert wills wilde md, frcsi, (march 1815 â 19 april 1876) was an irish eye and ear surgeon, as well as an author of significant works on medicine, archaeology and folklore, particularly concerning his native ireland. he was the father of oscar wilde. ==early life and career== thumb|left|william wilde william wilde was born at kilkeevin, near castlerea, in county roscommon, the youngest of the three sons and two daughters of a prominent local medical practitioner, thomas wills wilde, and his wife, amelia (d. c.1844),mcgeachie, james (2004) 'wilde, sir william robert wills (1815â1876)' in oxford dictionary of national biography, oxford university press. and received his initial education at the elphin diocesan school in elphin, county roscommon. in 1832, wilde was bound as an apprentice to abraham colles, the pre-eminent irish surgeon of the day, at dr steevens' hospital in dublin. he was also taught by the surgeons james cusack and sir philip crampton and the physician sir henry marsh. wilde also studied at the private and highly respected school of anatomy, medicine, and surgery in park street (later lincoln place), dublin. in 1837, he earned his medical degree from the royal college of surgeons in ireland. in the same year, wilde embarked on an eight-month-cruise to the holy land with a recovering patient, visiting various cities and islands throughout the mediterranean. porpoises were flung on board the ship, crusader, and wilde dissected them. taking notes, he eventually composed a two-volume book on the nursing habits of the creatures.belford, barbara (2000) oscar wilde: a certain genius, random house, inc. isbn 0679457348 among the places he visited on this tour was egypt. in a tomb he found the mummified remains of a dwarf and salvaged the torso to bring back to ireland. he also collected embalmed ibises. once back in ireland, wilde published an article in the dublin university magazine suggesting that one of the "cleopatra's needles" be transported to england (eventually in 1878 one of the needles was transported to london, and in 1880 the other one was brought to new york's central park). in 1873 he was awarded the cunningham gold medal by the royal irish academy.  ==recognition== he ran his own hospital, st mark's ophthalmic hospital for diseases of the eye and ear, in dublin and was appointed to serve as oculist-in-ordinary to queen victoria. at one point, wilde performed surge
1815_births 1876_deaths Alumni_of_the_Royal_College_of_Surgeons_in_Ireland Anglo-Irish_people Burials_at_Mount_Jerome_Cemetery_and_Crematorium Eye_surgeons Fellows_of_the_Royal_College_of_Surgeons_in_Ireland Irish_Anglicans Irish_archaeologists Irish_historians Irish_medical_doctors Oscar_Wilde People_from_County_Roscommon