THE LI3HARY 
 OF IHfc 
 
 UUIVKBSITV «* UIINQ1S 
 
 REPO RT 
 
 SUPPLY OF 
 
 OX TILE 
 
 FOEL IN IRELAND: 
 
 AN INQUIRY INTO THE CHARACTER AND EXTENT 
 
 p 
 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF. ■ >' 
 
 TEC - 3GY LSBRAR /. 
 
 IRISH COAL FIELDS, PEAT MARSHES, ETC. 
 
 BY 
 
 H. O’HARA, C. E., 
 
 AUTHOR OF “ BRITISH INDUSTRY EXEMPLIFIED IN THE DEPARTMENTS OF COAL 
 
 MINING AND IRON SMELTING 
 
 “THE COTTON PLANT, AND THE COUNTRIES ADAPTED TO ITS CULTURE;” 
 
 11 THE CULTIVATION AND MANUFACTURE OF FLAX IN IRELAND;” 
 
 ETC. ETC. 
 
 SUBMITTED TO THE ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY, AT THE SCIENTIFIC MEETINGS ON THE 
 EVENINGS OF JANUARY 18th, AND MARCH 21st, 18G4. 
 
 DUBLIN : 
 
 XRGLASHAN & GILL, 50, UPPER SACKVILLE-STREET. 
 
 1866. 
 
 
 tZco no mi c Gteoly 
 Mineral 
 
 Price One Shilling. 
 
DUBLIN: 
 
 ^rintctJ at t^c SRntbtrstty ^prcss, 
 
 BY M. H. GILL. 
 
PREPARING FOR THE PRESS, 
 
 AND 
 
 Will be issued early in January , 
 
 A STATISTICAL ACCOUNT OF 
 
 THE TRADES AND MANUFACTURES 
 CARRIED ON IN DUBLIN AND ITS 
 VICINITY.” 
 
 BY H. O’HARA, C. E., 
 
 Author of “The Cotton Plant and the Countries adapted to its 
 Culture“ The Cultivation and Manufacture of Flax in 
 Ireland “ The principles which should govern the classifi¬ 
 cation and sy’raugement of public Museums “ Characteristics 
 of Mediaeval decoration u British Industry exemplified in the 
 departments of Coal mining and Iron smelting “ The supply 
 of Fuel in Ireland,” etc. etc. 
 
 Price , One /Sltilliny, 
 
* 
 
/ 
 
 
 
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 in 2018 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Alternates 
 
 https://archive.org/details/reportonsupplyofOOohar 
 
77 077(17(7 C E. d&/. -7- 7 XaruZ&y Silk/ 
 
 TO ILLUSTRATE M« OHARA'S PAPER ONTHE. 
 
 SUPPLYOFFUEL IN IRELANO. 
 

 333 , 7^1 
 
 ON THE 
 
 SUPPLY OF FUEL IN IRELAND. 
 
 The inhabitants of most countries derive their supply of fuel from their 
 forests and their woods. It is only within a very recent period that 
 pit or “ sea coal” has come into general use ; and the people who 
 first used it were the inhabitants of the west of Europe, and of the 
 northern states of America. Ireland does not contain a single forest ; 
 and the few woods that are scattered through the country are so circum¬ 
 scribed in extent, that if they were cut down for fuel, and their produce 
 exclusively consumed, they would not, at the present rate of consump¬ 
 tion, afford the population a seven years’ supply. This scarcity of tim¬ 
 ber in Ireland is a great disadvantage, which should be overcome by 
 increasing the number of plantations in uncultivated districts. The 
 aspect which the surface of the country presents at present, with regard 
 to vegetation, is extremely different from its aspect a few centimes ago. 
 We have abundant proofs that formerly Ireland was one vast forest. 
 In times of warfare broad tracts were cleared to facilitate military 
 operations, and extensive woods were consumed by fire. Immense 
 quantities of timber were likewise consumed by the numerous forges 
 and iron furnaces which at various periods were in a state of great ac¬ 
 tivity. The remains of these ancient bloomaries, which are met with 
 in the counties of Antrim, Leitrim, Roscommon, Sligo, Tyrone, Kil¬ 
 kenny, Carlow, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, and Cork, prove that the 
 smelting of iron was very general in Ireland previous to the complete 
 exhaustion of the supply of wood. The destruction of the forests must 
 have caused a considerable change in the climate, and a still greater 
 change in the soil. Indeed, the most remarkable effect has been the 
 conversion of one-seventh of the country into a swamp. This has oc¬ 
 curred through the greater exposure of the surface of the land to the 
 moist winds of the Atlantic, which are highly favourable to the 
 growth of a species of moss known as the Sphagnum palustre. This 
 moss thrives only in exposed situations; and so favourable is the pre- 
 
4 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 sent condition of Ireland to its propagation, that if the existing arable 
 and pasture lands which have a south-western exposure were abandoned 
 to nature, most of them would be covered by peat moss to a height of 
 several inches in the course of a century. 
 
 The morasses which have been formed by the growth of this and 
 other mosses, as well as by numerous species of reeds and rushes, are 
 not confined to any particular district of the country, but are scattered 
 over the entire island. They are chiefly valuable as sources of fuel; 
 but they also contain the trunks and roots of numberless elm, fir, oak, 
 yew, ash, and willow trees, many of which are in a sufficient state of 
 preservation to be manufactured into articles of household furniture. 
 Generally speaking, the peat moss, as cut by the peasant and burnt in 
 his cabin, is not so good a fuel as wood. It contains a large quantity 
 of water, which can only be effectually removed by the action of a dry 
 current of air, as the fibrous structure of the peat causes it to retain 
 moisture so obstinately that only the brisk heat of a kiln will com¬ 
 pletely drive it off. However, large quantities of turf are sold in the 
 country towns and cities, which, having had the advantage of being 
 stored during the summer months, are comparatively dry, and make a 
 cheerful fire. Although nearly all the bogs are alike in their general 
 character, yet there are differences between them, and much difference 
 between the peat cut in different parts of the same bog. Near the surface, 
 and frequently for a depth of 4 ft. or 5 ft., the organization of the several 
 mosses is perfectly discernible; and from thence downwards to a variable 
 depth, the structure of the plant may be traced through various stages of 
 decay, until at the bottom of the morass all traces of it are lost in the com¬ 
 plete decomposition which has ensued. The dense peat which forms the 
 lower stratum of a bog makes the best fuel. Throughout the Kildare 
 and King’s County marshes the black or bottom peat has a somewhat 
 earthy appearance; but nevertheless it burns well, and large quantities 
 of it are conveyed by canal to Dublin for consumption. In Fermanagh, 
 Donegal, and many of the northern and western counties, the dense peat 
 of the numerous bogs is extremely rich in inflammable matters. It cuts 
 like cheese, is easily dried, and burns almost like bituminous coal. In 
 this peat considerable numbers of the trunks and roots of fir trees are 
 found; and the resin and turpentine which they contain impart such 
 combustible properties to the peat in contact with them, that it burns 
 rapidly with a bright flame. The country people dry the roots of the 
 fir, split the fibres longitudinally, and burn the splinters as candles. 
 The oak trees found in the bogs, being in a tolerable state of preserva¬ 
 tion, are considered too valuable to be used as fire-wood; and as they 
 are usually black at the outer rings of growth, owing to the tannic acid 
 which the bark contains being acted upon by the iron held in solution 
 by the bog waters, the wood is much prized for ornamental carvings. 
 Most of the morasses are situated in the middle of the country; and if 
 two lines were drawn,—one from Donegal to Bray, and another from 
 Galway to Arklow,—they would include between them by far the greater 
 proportion. Their situation is in no way peculiar, being found extend- 
 
0 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 ing alike over the plains and mountain summits, and resting on marl, 
 alluvium, gravel, and even upon the bare rock. The mosses' thrive 
 better, and consequently grow with greater rapidity, on low than high 
 lands; and owing to this fact, the bogs which are situated upon moun¬ 
 tain tops and slopes rarely exceed six feet in depth, whereas the bogs of 
 the lowland districts vary from a mere superficial covering to a depth 
 of forty or fifty feet. 
 
 The peat which is obtained from a mountain bog is usually much 
 denser, blacker, and more impure than the peat moss of the plains. 
 This impurity is often owing to the disintegrated portion of the rock 
 being disseminated throughout the mass, which circumstance lessens its 
 value as a fuel; and the greater density and blackness are owing to the 
 slower and more stunted growth of the moss, and to atmospheric in¬ 
 fluences. The area of the bogs which arc spread over Ireland amounts 
 to 2,830,000 acres. Of this quantity 1,255,000 acres rest upon the 
 mountainous and hilly districts near the coast; and the remaining 
 1,576,000 acres extend across the great limestone plain, and contain an 
 almost inexhaustible supply of fuel. But as the turf is at present pre¬ 
 pared for use by the peasantry, its heating power is not sufficiently in¬ 
 tense to be employed with advantage under steam-boilers. It is bulky, 
 and contains about 20 per cent, of moisture, sometimes more and some¬ 
 times less, uncording to the season in which it has been cut. 
 
 One of the greatest obstacles to the more general introduction and 
 consumption of peat as a fuel, lies in the fact that the bogs are suffered 
 to remain in so swampy a condition that the turf cannot be properly 
 prepared for use without a considerable expenditure of time and labour, 
 or the aid of machinery, to squeeze out the water. In a country where 
 there is such competition for the possession of land, it is difficult to 
 account for the present neglected state of nearly 3,000,000 acres. 
 Much has been spoken, written, and proposed in connexion with the 
 subject of the reclamation of these marshes, but nothing really prac¬ 
 tical or scientific has yet been attempted on a large scale. The mode 
 of turf-cutting adopted by the peasantry is the rudest possible. JSTo 
 effort is made to drain the marsh, but the fuel is cut at the margin in 
 shallow detached pits resembling quarries, and the interior portions of 
 the bog remain unwrought, and in the condition of a quagmire. If a 
 few deep trenches were cut transversely through the entire length of a 
 bog, the whole of the superfluous water could readily be conveyed to a 
 lower level, and got rid of. By this means the surface could be re¬ 
 claimed at very little expense, and cultivated, and the peat in every 
 part of the marsh would become accessible, and considerably improved 
 in density and dryness. The climate of England is almost as favourable 
 to the growth of aquatic mosses as that of Ireland, and the peat 
 marshes are almost identical; yet vast tracts have been brought under 
 tillage at an expense of millions of money, which has long since been 
 amply repaid by direct returns, without taking into account the in¬ 
 creased salubrity of the districts so improved. To render our peat more 
 generally useful as fuel, a very important improvement might be 
 
G 
 
 Mr. O'Hara on the Supply 
 
 effected in the size of the turf sods, as their present shape and dimen¬ 
 sions are those of a brick—a form which is most unsuitable to proper 
 combustion in fire-grates and furnaces. If the turf were cut in three- 
 inch cubes, it could be used with greater convenience and economy. It 
 is not the custom to sell turf by weight in this country, but it is gene¬ 
 rally understood that in the immediate vicinity of the turbaries of the 
 western counties, the measures which are employed in the sale of the 
 commodity reduced to weight are equivalent to a rate of four shillings 
 per ton. In the central and southern counties, the present rate is about 
 5s. 3d. per ton ; and should the emigration continue, it is probable that 
 it will rise to six or seven shillings per ton. The price of turf is 
 almost exclusively made up of wages for labour and the cost of carriage, 
 and the supply of labourers in any given district regulates the expense 
 of the fuel. Thus, in 1825 the average cost of turf in the vicinity of 
 most of the turbaries was only 2s. 8 d. per ton, and in 1844 it was 
 3s. 9 d. 
 
 Peat, when properly prepared, is, in Ireland, a cheap, plentiful, and 
 excellent fuel. The vast mass of the poorer classes in the interior of 
 the country are mainly dependent upon it, and in many parts all classes 
 are obliged to rely upon it exclusively. There are many inland dis¬ 
 tricts in which bogs are scarce, and a turbary is regarded as the most 
 valuable property in the neighbourhood. In such localities the pro¬ 
 prietors have frequently allowed the moss to again vegetate after most 
 of the peat had been removed, in order that the supply might not be 
 completely exhausted. But there are very few localities so situated. 
 The bogs are so distributed over the country, the coal-fields so dispersed, 
 the seaport towns so numerous around the coast, and the inland navi¬ 
 gation and railway systems so arranged, that almost every spot in the 
 island is within reach of an abundant supply of fuel. 
 
 Although the area under bog has been estimated at 2,830,000 acres, 
 yet we may regard the extent as comprising about 2,000,000 of acres, 
 as many of the marshes have been recently reclaimed, and others com¬ 
 pletely exhausted. If we allow an average depth of 3 yards, and 
 estimate a cubic yard of dry peat to weigh 550 pounds, we shall find 
 that the quantity of available fuel from this source amounts to 
 6,338,666,666 tons. On pursuing the calculation further, and taking 
 the economic value of turf compared with that of coal, as 9 to 54, the 
 total amount of peat fuel in Ireland is equivalent in power to above 
 470,000,000 tons of coal; and estimating coal at twelve shillings per 
 ton, we find the money value of all the peat in Ireland to be £280,000,000 
 sterling. Large as this sum is, it might be greatly increased if the 
 same means were adopted in Ireland to utilize peat that are suc¬ 
 cessfully prosecuted in other countries. In Bavaria, France, and even 
 in North America, where coal and wood are in enormous abundance, 
 the bogs are converted into sources of wealth, and are not suffered to 
 remain the unproductive and unsightly swamps which they are with 
 us. The marshes are partly drained; and the effect of the removal 
 of the water from the peat is to convert it into an excellent fuel, 
 
7 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 which is denser than oak wood, and bears about the same price in the 
 market. It is preferred in those countries to any other kind of fuel, as 
 its smoke has not the irritating effect upon the eyes, nor does it 
 obstruct respiration, like the smoke of wood. Neither has it the drying 
 effect upon the air of an apartment, nor the unpleasant sulphurous 
 odour common to coal. At Rhode Island the inhabitants spend much 
 care on its preparation, and burn it in grates specially adapted to its 
 combustion, and the result is a considerable amount of domestic comfort. 
 The calorific power of our ordinary dry turf is about one-third that of 
 good English coal. Turf, being spongy, retains the water, and this 
 water often amounts to one-half of its weight, but generally the 
 quantity varies from a third to a fourth, according to density. One 
 pound weight of good dry turf will evaporate 6 lbs. of water. But it 
 must be remembered that there are several qualities of turf, even in the 
 same bog. Near the surface, peat is light-coloured and spongy, owing 
 to the fact that the decomposition of the plants has not been fully 
 effected; deeper it is brown; and at the bottom it is so dense that it 
 approaches nearly to coal, both in appearance and chemical compo¬ 
 sition. 
 
 The ash obtained from peat in these three positions varies also con¬ 
 siderably, and the following may be regarded as representing the average 
 percentage residue:— 
 
 Surface,.1'50 
 
 Middle,.325 
 
 Bottom,.. . . . . 19 00 
 
 Turf yields a considerable bulk of volatile and inflammable gases, 
 which distribute the heat evolved during combustion through a greater 
 space than most other fuels, and hence it may be found useful in many 
 operations requiring a diffused heat. In this characteristic it differs 
 remarkably from anthracite, which yields an intense and concentrated 
 heat. The want of density, which is a characteristic of turf as a fuel, 
 is probably the chief objection to its use in large manufacturing opera¬ 
 tions ; but this may be so readily overcome by subjecting it to pressure, 
 before use, that we may yet hope to see it extensively employed as 
 compressed peat. 
 
 On the southern shores of Lough Neagh we have an extensive de¬ 
 posit of fossil wood, which is known by the name of lignite. This sub¬ 
 stance is intermediate in its composition between coal and wood, and, as 
 it generally retains its woody structure, and is of a deep brown colour, 
 it is often called wood coal. The deposit in which the lignite beds are 
 enclosed covers an area of 60 square miles, and contains three large 
 layers, which vary from 15 to 25 feet in thickness, besides several 
 smaller ones. The thickness of the same beds varies in different parts of 
 the basin, and borings that have been made in several places within the 
 area prove that the lignite lies at variable depths. At Sandy Bay, in 
 Antrim, several pits were sunk, and considerable quantities raised for 
 local consumption. 
 
8 
 
 Mr. O'Hara on the Supply 
 
 When lignite is ignited, it bums well, gives off smoke, and leaves a 
 dense charcoal as residue. This fuel is of a deep brown colour, pre¬ 
 senting the structure of wood. It is far inferior to coal, as its heat is 
 less intense and more diffused. Indeed, there is no fuel which is pos¬ 
 sessed of so many advantages as coal, and our main reliance must be 
 upon it for generating the heat essential in most manufacturing opera¬ 
 tions. 
 
 There are so many varieties of coal, that it is extremely difficult to 
 classify them. Almost every separate coal-field will contain a fuel 
 differing in a marked manner from the character of the coal occupying 
 another. Even in the same field there will often be found some diffe¬ 
 rence between the coal raised from separate pits; and more remarkable 
 still is the fact, that the several beds through which the shaft of a mine 
 is sunk may yield coal of several qualities. Perhaps the best classifi¬ 
 cation would be into bituminous, semi-bituminous, and non-bituminous. 
 The bituminous varieties include cannel coal and caking coal. The 
 semi-bituminous are called steam coals, and are largely employed under 
 steam boilers, and for most smelting operations. 
 
 The non-bituminous coals are known as anthracites, and are ex¬ 
 tensively used in the manufacture of iron, lime-burning, and hop and 
 malt drying. The anthracites are heavier than common coals, and con¬ 
 tain from 80 to upwards of 95 per cent, of carbon. 
 
 Coal has been found in seventeen counties of Ireland, and in each 
 of the four provinces. The names of the counties are :—Antrim, Fer¬ 
 managh, Leitrim, Queen’s County, Donegal, Monaghan, Roscommon, 
 Kilkenny, Tyrone, Cavan, Westmeath, Carlow, Tipperary, Clare, Lime¬ 
 rick, Kerry, and Cork. 
 
 Sir Richard Griffith, who was the first to publish a general descrip¬ 
 tion of the Irish coal-fields, grouped the areas occupied by the coal 
 deposits into four great fields, which he named after the four provinces 
 into which the country is divided. The coal found in Leinster and 
 Munster burns without flame, and receives the names of anthracite, culm, 
 and stone coal; that found in Ulster and Connaught burns, for the 
 greater part, with flame, and is consequently known as blazing coal. 
 The Leinster coal-field occupies portions of the Queen’s County, and 
 the counties of Carlow, Kilkenny, and Tipperary, but it is divided into 
 three distinct and detached portions by the limestone rock upon which 
 the coal beds rest. The Munster coal district is the most extensive in 
 Ireland. It occupies large portions of the counties of Clare, Limerick, 
 Kerry, and Cork. The Connaught coal-field occupies portions of the 
 counties of Roscommon, Leitrim, and Sligo. The Ulster coal district 
 is of small extent. It occupies portions of Antrim, Monaghan, and 
 Tyrone. There is also a small patch of coal in the county of Cavan, 
 which is remarkable from the fact that it occurs in rocks of the Silurian 
 age, and not in the true coal measures, or Carboniferous group common 
 to the rest of Ireland. The sum of the areas of all these coal-fields, or, 
 in other words, the extent of country beneath which coal spreads, is 
 1,881,600 acres. 
 
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 TO IL LUSTRATE M<? 0 HARASPAPER ON THE 
 
 SUPPLY OF FUEL IN IRELAND. 
 
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9 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland . 
 
 The coal district of Antrim is situated on the north coast of the 
 county, and extends for four miles along the shore between Murlough 
 Bay and Ballycastle. Its average breadth, southwards, is about one 
 mile and a half. The upper portions of the strata composing the 
 Antrim coal formation are visible in the precipitous cliffs of the coast, 
 and exhibit a thickness of basalt, sandstone, shales, and coal, which 
 amounts in some places to upwards of 350 feet. Inclosed in the strata, 
 at Murlough Bay, there are six beds of coal, four of which are 
 highly bituminous ; and the other two, which are nearly in contact with 
 a trap dyke, are carbonaceous. The strata are very much deranged by 
 the numerous dykes of basalt which traverse the district ; and in such 
 places as the coal has been cut through by one of these volcanic veins, 
 the coal is charred, and otherwise altered for a short distance, which is 
 usually in proportion to the size of the dyke. 
 
 The Ballycastle collieries are considered the most ancient workings 
 in the British Islands. Their area is about 120 acres ; and although the 
 greater part of the coal has been extracted long since, considerable 
 quantities of the ironstone are raised at present, and exported to Scotland. 
 A considerable number of pits were sunk here in the early part of the last 
 century, and the works were vigorously carried on, as they were stimu¬ 
 lated and sustained by large grants of money from the Irish Parliament. 
 About that period, as the workmen were driving some new galleries, 
 they broke into several extensive works, in which were found antique 
 implements, and other remains, which led to the conclusion that these 
 mines must have been excavated a great many centuries ago by a people 
 who were as expert at their calling as the coal miners of the present 
 day. The Murlough Bay collieries have been worked to a very limited 
 extent, and there are several seams throughout the Antrim district that 
 have never been opened. 
 
 The coal district of Tyrone is situated a few miles to the west of 
 Lough Neagh. The coal area of the district is very small, but the beds 
 are of the most valuable kind. The coal is highly bituminous, and has 
 been largely wrought. It resembles Whitehaven coal in appearance, 
 burns rapidly, and gives out a strong heat. Several collieries have been 
 for a long time established at Drumglass, Coal Island, and Annahone. 
 Four of them have ceased working, and the only colliery at present in 
 operation in the district is that situated at Drumglass. The “ large” 
 coal raised at this colliery is consumed to a considerable extent in the 
 neighbourhood, and supplies the mills, distilleries, and dwelling-houses 
 with an excellent fuel at 135. per ton. The “ small” coal is disposed 
 of at 7s. per ton, and is employed for burning lime and bricks. The 
 superior quality and thickness of the coal seams of this district, coupled 
 with the fact that they occur in a neighbourhood which is thickly in¬ 
 habited by an industrious population, give them much interest. The 
 district is separated into two divisions, called respectively the Coal 
 Island and the Annahone districts. The Coal Island district, which is the 
 larger of the two, is of an oval form, about six miles long by two broad, 
 and contains an area of about 7000 acres. The Annahone district is 
 
 B 
 
10 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 not more than a mile long, and half a mile broad, having a superficial 
 area of about 300 acres, but supposed to be much greater, and to extend 
 for a considerable distance beneath the sandstone rocks which lie to the 
 south-east. In a part of the district, called Annagher, there are five 
 workable beds of coal, some of which have been partly wrought at va¬ 
 rious times. The thickness of each seam is as follows :— 
 
 Ft. In. 
 
 V. Coal, containing a seam of cannel coal, . 6 0 
 
 IV. Coal,.3 0 
 
 III. Coal (Brackaveel coal),.5 0 
 
 II. Coal,.4 6 
 
 I. Coal, slaty and impure,.2 2 
 
 Making a total thickness of nearly 21 feet. 
 
 There is a small detached coal basin in the county of Monaghan, near 
 Emyvale, which contains a few narrow seams of impure coal, which 
 would hardly repay the cost of extraction. These, and the locality in 
 which anthracite is found in the Silurian rocks of Cavan, are the whole 
 of the coal-fields which exist in the Ulster district. In the county of 
 Antrim there are two collieries, those of Ballycastle and Murlough Bay, 
 neither of which is at present working. In the county of Tyrone there 
 are three, namely, Annahone, Coal Island, and Drumglass, only one of 
 which is at present in operation. The colliery of Kill, in the county of 
 Cavan, is not at present working. 
 
 The province of Connaught contains the extensive district of Arigna, 
 which is situated to the west of Lough Allen. This district contains 
 three beds of bituminous coals. One of the two beds, which extend 
 through Kilronan Mountain, is at present wrought on the northern 
 slope, and the coal is sold in the neighbouring towns for 10s. a ton, 
 and the culm sells at 8s. The bed is 18 inches thick ; but the lower 
 bed, which is separated from it by about 40 feet in depth of sandstone, 
 is only 8 inches thick, and yields culm of very inferior quality. The 
 coal extracted from the upper bed is of excellent quality, and, including 
 the culm, is raised to the pit mouth at a cost of 5s. 6 cl. per ton. The 
 various coal deposits which have received the appellation of the Con¬ 
 naught coal-field form a group around Lough Allen, which forms a 
 basin in the centre of the district. The most productive deposits are 
 two which are situated in the counties of Leitrim and Roscommon, 
 within little more than a mile of each other. The coal of the entire 
 district is bituminous, and of good quality. The total area of the 
 Carboniferous rocks which surround Lough Allen on all sides, and on 
 which the coal deposits rest, is about 320 square miles. Throughout 
 this area there are numerous bands of ironstone of excellent quality, 
 but the ore is now only valuable when in the immediate neighbourhood 
 of a bed of coal. Before coal was applied to the smelting of iron, wood 
 was the only fuel employed, and several extensive forests which flou¬ 
 rished around the banks of Lough Allen were entirely consumed to 
 supply the furnaces which were formerly in a state of great activity in 
 the district. The Arigna coal-field is the largest in the Connaught 
 
11 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 group, and has hitherto been the most productive. Its area is 5760 
 acres, and it contains one bed of coal and one bed of culm. The Alta- 
 gowlan coal-field, which is situated about one mile to the north of the 
 Arigna deposit, has an area of 2500 acres, and contains two seams of 
 good coal, one of which is 1 foot 9 inches, and the other 2 feet thick. 
 The thickness of these seams is not constant over the whole area. In 
 some places the beds become gradually thinner, and in other places 
 their thickness increases. Towards the county of Sligo it is well 
 known that the “ two-foot” seam increases considerably. The Meneask 
 colliery is situated on the summit of Lugnaquilla Mountain, six miles 
 north of Lough Allen, and on a field of 840 acres of slaty coal, 
 which is 10 feet thick, including an 8-inch seam of good coal. One 
 mile to the east of the lake there is a large oval tract of 4480 acres of 
 coal, which covers the summit of Bencroi Mountain. There are also 
 two or three small detached coal fields within the district, whose areas, 
 added to the areas of the others in the same district, make a total of 
 17,550 acres, representing a weight of over 18,000,000 tons of bitumi¬ 
 nous coal. As in all other coal-fields, the strata of this district are dis¬ 
 located by several faults; but, on the whole, the seams are tolerably 
 regular, and their dip seldom inclines at a greater angle than 10° from 
 the horizon. 
 
 The most important division of the Leinster coal district measures 
 21 miles north and south, and 14 miles east and west. The coal strata 
 are conformable to the limestone rock upon which they rest, and which 
 surrounds this and the other divisions of the district. The general stra¬ 
 tification is, however, extremely irregular, and the surface of the ground, 
 in the interior of the coal country, uneven. This division contains an 
 area of over 230 square miles. Sir Bichard Griffith, who made a 
 careful survey of the district, considers that it contains eight beds of 
 coal, all of which are workable. The following list gives the local name 
 of each seam, and its thickness:— 
 
 Ft. In. 
 
 VIII. The upper 3-foot coal, . 
 
 ... 3 
 
 0 
 
 VII. The double seam, .... 
 
 ... 2 
 
 6 
 
 VI. The lower 3-foot coal, . 
 
 ... 3 
 
 3 
 
 V. The Drummagh foot coal, . 
 
 ... 1 
 
 0 
 
 IV. The 4-foot coal,. 
 
 
 0 
 
 III. The upper slate coal, 
 
 ... 3 
 
 0 
 
 II. The lower slate coal, 
 
 ... 3 
 
 0 
 
 I. The Rossmore foot coal,. 
 
 . . . 0 
 
 10 
 
 The limestone, which underlies the coal measures, rests imme¬ 
 diately upon the granite, and the strata are consequently much con¬ 
 torted, a circumstance which renders the search for coal a matter of 
 considerable difficulty. Many of the bands of ironstone, associated 
 with the coal seams, are very rich, and in several places there are the 
 remains of ancient excavations and forges, which attest the former in¬ 
 dustrial activity which existed in the locality. The manner in which 
 the rocks are bent and dislocated in this district, renders the working 
 of the coal seams troublesome and expensive. Notwithstanding this 
 
12 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 disadvantage, the extraction of coal and culm has been carried on during 
 a great number of years, with varying degrees of success. 
 
 Over the entire of the Leinster coal area an incredible number of 
 shafts has been sunk, and an examination of the district proves that no 
 means have been left untried to turn the coal beds lying beneath the 
 surface to profitable account. The upper 3-foot coal occupies but a 
 small area, as it only occurs between two slips in the strata of Coolbawn 
 Hill. It is almost worked out. The double seam, as its name implies, 
 consists of two beds of coal, separated by a bed of fireclay, 18 inches 
 thick; each coal bed is about a foot in thickness, and the superficial 
 extent of both is small. The lower 3-foot coal furnishes the valuable 
 fuel known as the “ Kilkenny anthracite.” Its quality is far superior 
 to the anthracites of Scotland and South Wales, and it is remarkable for 
 its hardness, durability in the furnace, and intense heat when ignited. 
 Its extent is not very great, as it only occurs in detached patches 
 throughout the county of Kilkenny and the Queen’s County. Several 
 important collieries have at various times been established on this 
 valuable seam, the most important of which was commenced 150 
 years ago by Sir Christopher Wandesforde, at Castlecomer, over an area 
 of nearly 3000 acres. This colliery, and most of the others situated 
 upon the seam, are almost exhausted; for such has been the activity 
 with which mining operations have been conducted over the district, 
 that Sir Richard Griffith, who wrote his Report in 1814, stated that 
 “ the appearance of the surface in every part where the coal was wrought 
 bore a strong resemblance to a rabbit warren, there being a continued 
 succession of hillocks and holeshe said, “ The number of pits that 
 have been sunk may justly be compared to the perforations in a co¬ 
 lander.” 
 
 The Drummagh foot coal has been found in a great number of 
 places, and numerous attempts have been made to work it along the 
 line of its outcrop. The estimated area of the 4-foot coal is about 5000 
 acres. This coal has the disadvantage of containing a good deal of sul¬ 
 phur, as several bands of iron pyrites are interstratified and dissemi¬ 
 nated throughout the mass. The kelves which accompany this bed 
 are extensively used for many agricultural purposes, as well as for the 
 burning of lime. The kelves usually sell at the mouth of the pit for 
 3s. or 4s. per ton, according to quality. The solid coal of the seam, 
 known as the “upper slate-coal,” varies in thickness from 18 inches to 
 24 inches, and the soft coal from 10 inches to 20 inches. This coal has 
 been extensively wrought at the Ardategle and Tollerton collieries; and 
 it is now generally believed not to be an independent seam, but a con¬ 
 tinuation of that into which the Firoda shaft was sunk many years ago. 
 The lower slate coal has long been wrought at the Wolf Hill, Clogren- 
 nan, Hushes, Moira, and numerous other collieries. The quality of this 
 coal varies considerably at different places; and so numerous are the dis¬ 
 locations of the strata, that the expense of working it has been greatty 
 increased. The thickness of 3 feet which this bed averages is made 
 up of a scam of solid coal which lies at the top, and is 18 inches thick; 
 
13 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 3 inches of culm; and a band of kelves, or slate coal, 15 inches thick. 
 The solid coal is said to be an excellent fuel; it is generally free from 
 sulphur, and yields an intense heat if burned when newly raised. Al¬ 
 though the Bossmore coal is termed the “foot” coal, it is not of uniform 
 thickness, hut, being the lowest seam, it is of considerable extent. It 
 was worked on Bossmore Hill a great number of years ago, but did not 
 pay the expense. It is of a brown colour, and when exposed to the air it 
 becomes reddish. Many attempts have been made to work it, with vary¬ 
 ing degrees of success. 
 
 Throughout the Leinster district there are thirty-one collieries. 
 They are scattered through the counties of Carlow and Kilkenny, and 
 the Queen’s County. At present but eighteen of them are at work. 
 They are the Curragh, Massford, Coolbawn, Bock, Monteen, Jarrow, 
 Broompark, and Skehana collieries, near Castlecomcr. In the Queen’s 
 County there are ten of them at work, namely, the Wolf Hill, Augha- 
 mafa, Mullaghmore, Holly Park; Meeragh, Geneva, Glen, Kilgorey, and 
 Coorlaghan collieries. The anthracite which is raised from the pits of 
 the district is a hard, glistening fuel, intermediate in colour between 
 dark brown and black. It sometimes contains a little sulphur and iron, 
 and when ignited it gives out an intense heat; but the disengagement 
 of the sulphur during the progress of combustion often causes an un¬ 
 pleasant odour, and on this account many persons are prejudiced against 
 its use for general domestic purposes. But, notwithstanding this, it is 
 largely employed for cooking, malting, and the manufacture of iron, 
 and is universally regarded as the best fuel for these purposes. At the 
 pits the average price is 20s. per ton for the best quality, and the second 
 quality readily sells at 8 d. and 9 d. per cwt. Immense quantities of the 
 inferior coal, called culm, are consumed by the country people, as well 
 as by lime-burners and brick-makers. It k a soft and scaly coal, which 
 crumbles on exposure to the atmosphere, although it is raised from the 
 mine in large flakes. When offered for sale, about one-third of its weight 
 of broken anthracite is added to it, and disposed of at 3^. and 3 \d. per 
 cwt. When consumed for domestic purposes, it is usual to mix this 
 culm with clay and water, and knead the whole mass together, and 
 then to form it into a number of balls, which are laid upon the top of the 
 fire. The kelves are a very inferior description of slate coal, only used 
 by the poor when no other fuel can be had; they are of several quali¬ 
 ties, but nearly all of them contain over 20 per cent, of sulphuret of 
 iron. These are the three chief varieties of coal which occur in the 
 Leinster district. 
 
 The Slieveardagh coal-field, which is a detached area in the county 
 of Tipperary, is included in the coal district of Munster. 
 
 In the Slieveardagh coal field there are several collieries at present 
 working, and throughout the neighbourhood there are numberless 
 shallow pits, shafts, and abandoned workings. The Glengoole colliery 
 is situated on the outcrop of the second, or 20-inch seam, a con¬ 
 siderable portion of which is already exhausted, but at a short distance 
 towards the south-east there occurs a basin containing five workable 
 
14 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 beds, through which the shafts of the Earl's Hill colliery have been 
 sunk. The coal raised at this colliery is a very superior fuel, and 
 readily sells at £1 3s. 4 d. per ton, the price of the culm being 6s. 8 d. 
 per ton. There are several detached basins of small area throughout 
 this district, a few of which have been wrought, and others remain 
 unopened. On one of these small basins the Mardyke colliery was 
 situated, and continued in active operation until the “ 2-foot seam,” 
 into which the shaft was sunk, became exhausted. The beds which 
 lie below this seam are known to extend over a considerable area, and 
 have hardly been worked, although they rise up to the surface in 
 several parts of the district. At Knocknaglass, however, a shaft has 
 been sunk through them, and screened coals, of the best quality, sell at 
 17 s. 6d. per ton. There are three other qualities, which sell at 15s., at 
 12s. 6d ., and at 10s. per ton, respectively. The pits at Boulea, Knock - 
 alonga, and Ballingarry Wood, are sunk into the second coal, which 
 varies from 16 to 20 inches in thickness; but as the strata which en¬ 
 close the seam are much contorted, the expense of extracting the coal 
 is greatly increased. The Old Hill, and the Commons collieries are not 
 at present working. 
 
 The district which has been named the Munster coal-field is of enor¬ 
 mous superficial extent, and occupies considerable portions of the counties 
 of Clare, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary, and Cork. The area of the coal-mea¬ 
 sure formation which spreads over this great district is upwards of 640 
 square miles, and throughout the extent there are several large basins and 
 outcrops of coal, many of which have been wrought at different periods, 
 and others remain unexplored. The division of the district which ex¬ 
 tends into the county of Clare is very little known, as the country is in 
 many places covered by large tracts of bog, and the rocks are concealed 
 by drift and other superficial accumulations. In those parts of Clare 
 which have been examined by the officers of the Geological Survey, 
 particularly the parts near the sea coast, several small seams have been 
 observed, two of which are workable, being 18 inches, and 2 feet 7 inches 
 in thickness, respectively. The Munster coal district has been, for con¬ 
 venience, divided into the Clare, Limerick, and Kanturk districts. The 
 Slieveardagh district has been already described. As it is situated in 
 the county of Tipperary, it is regarded as an outlier. It has long been 
 the scene of active mining operations ; there are nineteen collieries in it, 
 fourteen of which are at present working—ten of them being owned by 
 the Mining Company of Ireland. 
 
 In the Kanturk district, situated in the county of Cork, there are 
 three collieries at work, two of which belong to the same Company. In 
 the Limerick district there are seven collieries, but only two of them 
 are now in a state of activity. South of the Shannon three coal seams 
 have been proved and partly wrought; they are the six-inch seam of 
 good coal, locally known as the “hard scam;” the Ko. II. coal, or 
 two-foot-six bed, which was worked at the Knocknaboola, Glen, and 
 Itock collieries; and the one-foot-six seam, which is identical with the 
 eighteen inch coal, which occurs in the county of Clare. It is chiefly 
 
15 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 culm which is obtained from these seams; but when good coal occurs in 
 the same pit with a seam of culm, both are mixed together by the 
 owner of the colliery, and sold as culm. 
 
 The coals of the Limerick district are exclusively anthracite, culm, 
 and kelve. The anthracite is a hard, glistening mineral, which burns 
 well, but occasionally gives off an offensive odour during combustion, 
 in consequence of the disengagement of the sulphur which it contains. 
 The culm is a soft flaky coal, which burns well when mixed with the 
 anthracite. 
 
 In the Kanturk district there are six good workable seams, the re¬ 
 lative thickness and position of which are— 
 
 Ft, In. 
 
 VI. Coal (Harris’s seam), .3 0 
 
 V. Coal (Bulk seam),.,46 
 
 IV. Coal (Hock seam),.13 
 
 III. Coal (Sweet seam),.16 
 
 II. Coal (Fourpenny seam),.12 
 
 I. Coal (Castle seam),.0 10 
 
 The upper coal of this district, which is locally known as “ Harris’s 
 seam,” has not been as yet much worked. Like most of the coal 
 seams in this district, the bed thins out in some places, and increases to 
 considerable thickness in others. The next bed, or “bulk seam,” is a 
 most remarkable deposit, as it has been found, in the course of a few 
 yards’ distance, to “bulk,” or attain a thickness of 10, 20, and 
 even 30 feet. The “rock seam,” or fourth coal, is an excellent 
 bed of anthracite, almost free from sulphur; like the other beds, its 
 thickness frequently varies in short distances, and it has been found to 
 diminish to 9 inches, and to increase frequently to 2 feet. 
 
 The most valuable bed in the district is the “sweet seam,” from 
 which is obtained an anthracite entirely fi^c from sulphur, and of great 
 heating power. The other two beds are the “ fourpenny ” and “ castle” 
 seams ; the former is an anthracite, containing iron pyrites, and has 
 been worked to a small extent, but the latter has not been much touched, 
 as it is an inferior culm. 
 
 From this rapid sketch of the character and extent of the Irish 
 coal-fields, we learn that there are 73 collieries at present in Ireland, 
 of which number 31 are in the Leinster district; 29 in Munster; 7 in 
 Connaught; and 6 in the Ulster coal-fields. But of the 73 collieries 
 thus distributed over Ireland, only 46 are at present working. The 
 quantity of coal raised by the Irish collieries is about 120,000 tons an¬ 
 nually. In 1863 the exact quantity was 127,570 tons. Although the 
 quantity of coal raised in Ireland is small when compared with the 
 productiveness of the English and Scotch collieries, yet the number of 
 collieries in Ireland is steadily increasing; for in 1853 there were but 
 19 at work, and in 1856 there were 22 in operation. Small quantities 
 of anthracite and pyritous kelves are shipped occasionally from the ports 
 of Dublin, Cork, Dundalk, and Belfast, to foreign countries. In 1862 
 the quantity thus exported amounted to 2257 tons, the declared value 
 being £1215. 
 
16 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 Of the total quantity of fuel raised by the Irish collieries in 1862, 
 73,000 tons were anthracite and small coal, and 54,570 tons were bitu¬ 
 minous coal. 
 
 The fuels consumed in Ireland are chiefly the native peat, coal, and 
 culm, together with large quantities of imported coals. The imports of 
 British coal are considerable, and are increasing, but we cannot state 
 the annual increase exactly. Fuel is one of the primary elements of 
 industry and comfort, and its abundance or scarcity will regulate the 
 extent to which manufactures can be conducted. It is therefore con¬ 
 sidered one of the great necessaries of life, whether as an article of 
 domestic economy or of national industry. The high price in Ireland 
 of fuel suited to steam-boilers and to many industrial processes has 
 hitherto been supposed to be one of the greatest obstacles to the exten¬ 
 sion of manufactures. At Glasgow, Leeds, and many other great seats 
 of industry, coals are delivered at the factories for about 5s. or 6s. 
 per ton, whereas at Dublin and its neighbourhood, the coals cannot 
 be delivered, even at contract' rates, under 13s. or 14s. per ton. 
 This disparity in price affects the interests of a Dublin manufac¬ 
 turer in a manner that will be at once obvious, if we contrast the 
 yearly cost of fuel to a Glasgow manufacturer who consumes 3000 
 tons of coal annually with the cost to a manufacturer at Dublin who 
 uses the same quantity. The Dublin man pays £2100 annually for his 
 coal, but the man at Glasgow obtains it for £900, and this difference of 
 £1200 a year holds out to the manufacturer a premium for settling at 
 Glasgow in preference to Dublin. The question is often asked, “ Why 
 are not the coal mines of Ireland more extensively worked, and their 
 produce brought into competition with the imported coals?” The 
 answer is, that the Irish collieries are worked to as great an extent as 
 local circumstances will adifcit of, and in their neighbourhood coal may 
 be obtained in as much abundance, and almost as cheaply, as in the 
 most favoured districts of England, "Wales, or Scotland. The subsequent 
 increase in the price of the fuel is owing to the cost of the carriage; 
 and whether the system of transit from the collieries to the places of 
 consumption be by road, water, or railway, the additional cost will be 
 influenced by the traffic arrangements of the respective districts. The 
 most expensive mode of conveyance is by horse and dray on the ordi¬ 
 nary roads. The charges for this mode of transit are regulated by a 
 great number of local circumstances, such as the state of the roads, the 
 season of the year, the supply of horses above those required for agri¬ 
 cultural work, and mainly by having or not having a return load when 
 coming back after the completion of the journey. These and many 
 other circumstances so influence the rates charged for land carriage by 
 horse and dray, that considerable differences exist throughout Ireland, 
 and even in different parts of the same county, in the cost per ton per 
 mile for the conveyance of fuel or other heavy goods. The highest rate 
 that I am acquainted with is Is. 8cl., and the lowest, 3^r/. It there¬ 
 fore becomes difficult to strike an average; but, after careful inquiry, I 
 believe that 6cl. per ton per mile may be regarded as the most usual rate for 
 
SECTIONS OF THE IRISH COLLIERS. 
 
 2 Coal Island Collieries. C9 Tyrone. 
 
 3. Bencroi Mountain. C? Leitrim. 
 
 4. Kilronan Mountain. C? Sligo. 
 
 i 
 
 } 
 
 ! 
 
 5. Alta^owlan Mountain. C? Leitrim. 
 
 6. Castlecomer Colliery. C? Kilkenny. 
 
 J.Z’ astdey ZstSA 
 
 /J. (97/smt' CJ). tfel 
 
 TO ILLUSTRATE O’HARAS PAPER ON THE 
 SUPPLY OF FUEL IN IRELANO. 
 
17 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 carriage by this mode of transit. By the principal lines of railway, the 
 cost of carriage is only 1 d. per mile for each ton of coals conveyed upon 
 them. The charge upon the Grand Canal is also but Id. per mile for 
 short distances, and for long distances it is as low as f d. Extremely 
 cheap as all of these rates are, they are sufficient to render it impossible 
 that coal from the Connaught or Munster districts can be conveyed from 
 distances of 80 and 120 miles and sold for less than 2 5s. per ton. If 
 all of the Irish collieries were to send their coals to Dublin for sale, 
 there would be great difference in their price. They would probably 
 range from 24s. to 30s. per ton ; for it must be borne in mind, that the 
 best quality of coals is dearer at the mouth of an Irish pit than coals of 
 a corresponding quality are at the pits in England or Scotland. The 
 cause of the difference is chiefly owing to the fact that in the Irish 
 collieries the seams of coal average about 3 feet in thickness, whereas in 
 the English and Scotch collieries the seams are more numerous, and of 
 much greater thickness. In working a narrow seam of coal there is 
 more outlay and less return for the labour, because a considerable quan¬ 
 tity of rock must be excavated from the passages through the mine, in 
 order that the workmen may have sufficient headway. But the inferior 
 coals, including culm and kelves, although their extraction is equally 
 as expensive, are generally sold at about the same rate as ordinary coals 
 at the English pits. There is always a brisk demand for the good coal 
 raised from an Irish colliery, because within a radius of several miles 
 around the pit it is much cheaper than the imported coal. The colliery 
 owner may be a monopolist in his district if he choose, and may regu¬ 
 late the price of his coal to the state of the local market. The culm is 
 an inferior fuel for household purposes; it is chiefly used for burning 
 limestone ; but when purchased for domestic consumption, a certain pro¬ 
 portion of good coal is added to it. Many of the collieries of Leinster 
 are situated within 50 miles of Dublin, and they send to the metropolis, 
 by the Grand Canal, about 2000 tons annually. The coal of the 
 Leinster district, being anthracite, is not suited for domestic consumption 
 in the fire-grates at present in use, but it is a most valuable fuel for 
 many processes connected with the fashioning of iron work, and that 
 which comes up to Dublin is chiefly used by smiths and maltsters. 
 
 The Irish Parliament made strenuous exertions to stimulate and 
 encourage the working of the coal mines of Ireland, and the local con¬ 
 sumption of their produce. Large grants were given for the construc¬ 
 tion of roads and the erection of machinery, to render them accessible 
 and efficient, and a bounty of 2s. per ton was awarded to all Irish coal 
 brought coastwise to Dublin, at the same time that a duty of 1 0^d. per 
 ton was imposed upon all British fuel imported. There is now no coast¬ 
 ing trade in Irish coals, but there is a very extensive cross-channel trade 
 in British coals, which employs a considerable amount of shipping. The 
 vessels engaged in the trade are numerous brigs, and a few steamers. 
 Owing to the prevalence of westerly winds during nearly nine months 
 of the year, the coal brigs employed in this import trade are subject to all 
 the delays and hazards incidental to the channel navigation ; but beyond 
 
 c 
 
18 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 occasional detention by adverse winds there is no interruption to the 
 traffic, which is a most lucrative one, and in which is invested nearly 
 £2,000,000 sterling. 
 
 In 1821 an Act of Parliament was passed which imposed a duty of 
 Is. 7 \d. per ton on Irish coal brought coastwise to Dublin. The trade 
 soon afterwards ceased, but the coal from the Ballycastle collieries con¬ 
 tinued for a few years to be exported to Scotland. In 1825 the duties 
 on the cross-channel trade were abolished, and since that period we 
 have no returns, nor the means of estimating the exports and imports 
 to and from Great Britain; consequently, we cannot by the usual direct 
 and reliable means of official returns tell precisely what quantity of 
 British coal is consumed in Ireland. The coasting duty on coal was 
 shortly afterwards abolished in 1830. "When we consider the enormous 
 extent of the coal area of the British Islands, an area of upwards of 
 12,000 square miles, 2,000 of which are in Ireland, we observe at 
 once the great national advantages which these stores of fuel confer upon 
 the country. The produce of the English collieries amounted last year 
 (1863) to 72,431,144 tons; the produce of the collieries of Scotland, to 
 11,081,000 tons; those of Ireland yielded 127,570 tons; and the total 
 quantity of coal raised in the United Kingdom was 83,635,214 tons. 
 The most productive counties in England are Durham and Northum¬ 
 berland, which yield yearly upwards of 19,000,000 tons. Lancashire is 
 the next, yielding considerably more than 12,000,000, and in York¬ 
 shire about 10,000,000 tons were raised during the past year. In 
 England and Wales there are 2555 collieries at present in activity, 
 and 424 in Scotland, the total number in the United Kingdom being 
 3052. Erom some cause or other, probably the stoppage of many of 
 the cotton mills, the total quantity of coals raised in 1862 fell in Eng¬ 
 land and Wales about 2,000,000 tons, but in Ireland during the same 
 year there was an increase of about 4,000 tons. The total exports of 
 coal from Scotland is considerably over a million and a half of tons. 
 The exports from English and Welsh ports is still more considerable, 
 and the coasting trade enormous. This will be seen from a glance at 
 some of the returns. Erom Whitehaven, in 1862, there were exported 
 194,432 tons; from Workington, 144,294; and from Maryport, 382,725 
 tons. The value of the coal raised and consumed in the United King¬ 
 dom amounts to £21,000,000 sterling annually, and the capital invested 
 in the trade is about £10,000,000. 
 
 The importance of this trade is at once understood when we learn 
 that the coal raised within the United Kingdom during the past few 
 years represents more than ten times the money value of any of the 
 metallic mines, or any mineral substance raised within the same area, 
 and that the number of men employed as miners in the coal pits is con¬ 
 siderably over 240,000. 
 
 It is less than a century ago since coal began to be regularly im¬ 
 ported into Ireland. In 1783 the quantity was 230,140 tons, and in 
 1804 it amounted to 417,030 tons. These importations have increased 
 amazingly, not only for consumption in the seaport towns, but to meet 
 
19 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 the requirements of many of the inland districts. During the past year, 
 57,487 tons of imported coals were conveyed from Dublin to the inte¬ 
 rior by the Grand Canal Company’s boats, being an increase over the 
 previous year, in which the quantity was 54,523, and this again an in¬ 
 crease over 1861, in which year the quantity was but 48,533 tons. 
 I am indebted for these instructive figures to the kindness of the Directors 
 of the Grand Canal Company, and, as they have never before been made 
 public, they have a peculiar value. 
 
 "With regard to fuel, London is similarly circumstanced to Dublin. 
 The bulk of the coal consumed in London is sea-borne, and the re¬ 
 mainder is conveyed by railways. Coal is much dearer in London than 
 in Dublin, and, notwithstanding the fact, the number of trades and 
 manufactures carried on with profit in that gigantic city is truly asto¬ 
 nishing. The transit arrangements for the supply of the city with coal 
 are of a very superior character, and the activity of competition has re¬ 
 duced the cost of carriage to the lowest remunerative amount ; but in 
 the London coal market there are several dues and charges imposed upon 
 the article which are unknown in Dublin. In London the market or 
 ship price includes— 
 
 5. d. 
 
 City dues,.11 
 
 Factorage,.0 4 
 
 Half weighing,.0 1§ 
 
 Total,. 
 
 1 
 
 
 To the London market price is added— 
 
 
 s. 
 
 d. 
 
 Lighterage from ship, .... 
 
 . 0 
 
 6 
 
 Porterage from barge, .... 
 
 . 0 
 
 10 
 
 Loss on small coal,. 
 
 Cartage and shooting, .... 
 
 . 1 
 
 6 
 
 . 2 
 
 6 
 
 Wharf and office,. 
 
 . 0 
 
 6 
 
 
 5 
 
 10 
 
 Less discount to buyer, .... 
 
 . 0 
 
 6 
 
 Total, .... 
 
 . 6 
 
 lOi 
 
 These charges bring the cost of many kinds of house coal up to 
 18s. 6 d. per ton. The cheapest are the Newcastle and Sunderland coals, 
 which range at about 16s. per ton, and the dearest are the Welsh, which 
 sell retail at 23s. 6d. per ton. 
 
 A considerable impetus would be given to the consumption of Irish 
 coal if the transit arrangements now existing were improved. This 
 could be effected by connecting the collieries and railways by special 
 tramway lines, and adopting generally the efficient transit systems so 
 successful in England. According to the modern plan of sending the 
 produce of a coal mine to market, the fuel, as soon as it is hoisted up 
 from the pit, is screened and tumbled into a train of waggons at one 
 operation, and then rolled off upon a tramway to the nearest railway. 
 
20 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 The gauge of the tramway and the railway is the same, and, both being 
 in connexion, there is not a moment’s delay in the shunting of the wag¬ 
 gons. The train then proceeds towards its destination; and if the rail¬ 
 way does not exactly pass through the premises of the manufacturer to 
 whom the coals are to he delivered, or proceed all the way to the side of 
 the ship in which they are to be exported, the train leaves it by a short 
 tramway, similar to that by which it entered, and quickly drops its load 
 at the door of the workshop, or into the hold of the ship. By such 
 arrangements, the cost of carriage is reduced to the lowest amount, and 
 the tedious, costly, and wasteful system of loading and unloading half a 
 dozen times in the course of a single journey dispensed with. 
 
 For many years past it has been the custom with the principal Irish 
 railway companies to import British coal, and from it to make the coke 
 used by their locomotives engines. This coke is prepared in two ways— 
 by burning in heaps in the open air, and by conducting the operation in 
 ovens built for the purpose. About 40,000 chaldrons of coke are avail¬ 
 able for consumption annually from the two gas companies in Dublin. 
 The coke from the gas works, being light and porous, is not suitable for 
 steam-engines, but it is an excellent and cheap fuel for stoves and cook¬ 
 ing purposes. The railway companies are beginning to give up the 
 manufacture of their own coke, as they find the "Welsh, or steam, coal 
 better adapted to their engines. 
 
 The return which I have obtained from the Grand Canal Company 
 of the fuel traffic on their canals states the quantity of turf brought 
 from the interior to Dublin to be 24,638 tons in 1863, and to average 
 about 23,000 tons annually. The cost of carriage on turf is 1 \d. per 
 ton per mile, which is higher than the rate charged for coal. The turf 
 •which is brought to Dublin by the Grand and Boyal Canals is consumed 
 chiefly by the poorer classes. Around the city, and along the banks of 
 the canals, there are numerous depots for the sale of the turf. It is sold 
 retail by bulk, and the rate at which it is sold is equivalent to 10s. 9f£. 
 per ton. The poor who consume it purchase it in very small quan¬ 
 tities ; but if large quantities were ordered, the vendors could sell it at 
 9s. 8 d. per tou, and have a reasonable profit. The burden of the open 
 boats, or barges, which bring the fuel to Dublin is usually 55 tons. 
 As the turf is at present prepared and sent to the Dublin market, it is a 
 very inferior fuel. Being, for the most part, spongy and porous, it re¬ 
 tains the moisture which it imbibes from constant exposure to the 
 atmosphere. It is bulky, and the shape of the “ sods,” although very 
 convenient for transit, is unsuitable for general use. Our distinguished 
 countryman, Mallet, has calculated that eighteen or nineteen sods of turf 
 are equivalent as fuel to a cubic foot of wood. The quality of turf as a 
 fuel could be greatly improved if it were kiln-dried, and afterwards 
 kept under cover from the inclemency of the weather. In every im¬ 
 provement which has to be effected in any process, there is always some 
 old prejudice to be overcome. Any improvement which may hereafter 
 be made in the cutting and saving of turf must be commenced by the 
 landowners, and carried out under their own superintendence, or that of 
 
21 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 their stewards. Turf-making- is like sea-fishing. Dependence for em¬ 
 ployment upon the state of the weather has a tendency to induce lazy 
 habits. In Ireland we have wet seasons frequently, and during their 
 continuance a considerable amount of labour is wasted by the poor 
 peasant in the most wretched endeavours to procure a supply of fuel 
 for the winter. A crop of turf gleaned under these circumstances is in 
 the worst possible condition for use, and the cheerless hearth of a damp 
 cabin is too gloomy a subject for a picture. Unfortunately, in nearly 
 all of the attempts hitherto made at improving the quality of turf and 
 reclaiming the bogs, expensive machinery formed a feature of the 
 various plans, and materials had to be brought from considerable dis¬ 
 tances. Mr. Mallet, in a valuable paper on the preparation of turf, 
 which he published in 1845, recommends the construction of a simple 
 and .cheap form of kiln, the walls and roof of which are built exter¬ 
 nally of turf sods. This form of kiln has been tried by several landed 
 proprietors, and found to answer its purpose admirably. There is 
 another process for the preparation of peat, which is at present prac¬ 
 tised in a few rural districts by the poor; it is similar in principle to 
 the plan adopted in Holland for making hand turf. A hole or open 
 drain is dug in a wet portion of the bog, and the muddy matter which 
 settles at the bottom is lifted up, trodden upon with the feet until re¬ 
 duced to a pulp, dried in the sun, and shaped into cubical or spherical 
 forms by the hands. The peat thus prepared dries much faster, and is 
 more than twfice the density of the peat cut from the turf bank in the 
 ordinary way. The introduction of the Dutch method of turf-making 
 into this country would be fraught with many advantages; a better 
 fuel would be produced, irrespective of the state of the weather; women 
 and children could be employed in its preparation; and the material 
 being plastic in the hands of the operator, it could be moulded into 
 suitable shapes for any special purpose. The Dutch cut through the 
 centre of the marsh a canal of sufficient width to allow a large raft to 
 float upon the surface. The denser particles of the peat sink to the 
 bottom of the water, and the sediment so formed is lifted up with 
 a kind of scoop by a man on the raft. The matter is deposited upon 
 the banks in a row of small heaps, where it remains for a few days 
 to drain. After the heaps have been trampled upon by a number of 
 boys, who wear wooden shoes, it becomes plastic, and is then moulded 
 into suitable forms for use. Prepared in this way, the peat dries 
 rapidly in a current of air, and becomes extremely dense. The only 
 objection to this mode of preparing peat for fuel is, that the boys ex¬ 
 pend a good deal of labour. I do not intend to advocate the exact 
 imitation of the Dutch method in Ireland, but I suggest that the prin¬ 
 ciple involved in the process may be taken advantage of, and applied to 
 machinery. I have been favoured by Mr. John Kelly, C. E., lioscom- 
 mon, with a number of samples which possess considerable interest, as 
 they are of a useful character, and have been produced under circum¬ 
 stances which fulfil the conditions essential to the successful production 
 of a cheap and abundant fuel. Mr. Kelly’s samples are further 
 
22 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 interesting from the fact, that amongst them are drainage pipes made of 
 the peat itself. The idea of making these pipes of peat is, I believe, 
 original. They are made independent of skilled labour, without ma¬ 
 chinery, and can be produced in endless quantity at a very cheap rate. 
 Rude as they appear, they are well adapted to their purpose. I have been 
 informed by an eminent engineer, who has conducted extensive drainage 
 works in the west of Ireland, that peat is an excellent material for con¬ 
 structing drains. The ordinary stone drains frequently become choked 
 by roots and other obstructions penetrating through their interstices, but 
 peat appears to possess some property not yet investigated, of resisting 
 the growth of roots through its substance. The cheap rate at which 
 these pipes may be produced, and the simple mode of their manufacture, 
 entitle them to much notice, as one of the chief objections to the re¬ 
 clamation of bogs arises from the apprehension of a considerable outlay. 
 The other samples produced by Mr. Kelly are remarkable, as they show 
 that a dense peat may be obtained without pressure, skilled labour, or 
 expensive machinery. The idea of making drainage pipes of peat in¬ 
 stead of terra cotta, is novel; and if after trial these pipes be found to 
 answer their purpose, we may hope to see many thousand acres of pro¬ 
 fitless wastes reclaimed and added to the tillage lands of the country. 
 There is, probably, no subject on which such diversity of opinion 
 exists as on the reclamation of bog lands. Some persons advocate 
 drainage, and others assert that drainage will not prove beneficial. In 
 some districts the bogs are valued at \d. an acre, in others they bring a 
 rent varying from 5s. to £1 an acre. As turbaries, £6 per acre yearly 
 is considered a reasonable rent, and instances are common of £80 per 
 acre being obtained as purchase money for small tracts of bog. Such 
 being the facts, we must bear in mind that local circumstances will not 
 only influence the value of a peat marsh, but will modify the plan 
 which should be adopted for its reclamation. As a general rule, it may 
 be stated that all peat marshes will be benefited by being intersected 
 by a wide and deep drain to remove the surface and bottom waters. In 
 a great many instances minor drains may be introduced with advantage; 
 but it often happens, owing to the spongy and retentive nature of 
 peat moss, that much of the moisture which saturates the bog will not 
 be discharged by the drains, because it will not leave the peat. This is 
 a character common to nearly all of the morasses in Ireland; but there is 
 a wide range of variation in the extent to which each exhibits it. The 
 most successful system of reclamation has been found to be partial 
 drainage, and a surface covering of earth and limestone gravel. But so 
 diverse are the local conditions, that a system which may have been 
 adopted with success in one district will often be found inapplicable in 
 another. AVith partial drainage and a surface covering of clay the peat 
 contracts, and, becoming more dense, the level of the surface falls about 
 three inches for every foot of depth. The quality of the peat for fuel is 
 thus very much enhanced; and as the surface is capable of cultivation, 
 much good may be effected by any improvements undertaken with a 
 view to turn these bogs to profitable account. From the varied con- 
 
23 
 
 of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 ditions of their extent, wetness, and local value, no system of recla¬ 
 mation can safely be recommended as generally applicable, and what¬ 
 ever course may be adopted in their treatment must be the result of 
 local knowledge influenced by local considerations. The fact, however, 
 is certain, that a most valuable fuel is not economized, and that 2,000,000 
 acres are lying neglected. 
 
 In closing this investigation, I have to state that I have arrived at 
 the following conclusions :— 
 
 1. That there is a great scarcity of timber in Ireland, and that this 
 scarcity should be overcome by increasing the number of plantations. 
 
 2. That the quantity of peat in Ireland is enormous, but that the 
 manner of preparing it for fuel, as practised by the peasantry, is ex¬ 
 tremely rude and expensive. 
 
 3. That the coal mines of Ireland are far from being exhausted; 
 that they are worked to a very large extent; and from their present 
 condition, there is every prospect that increased supplies will be obtained 
 from them. 
 
 4. That the proximity of the eastern coast of Ireland to the British 
 ports from whence immense quantities of coal are shipped, and the low¬ 
 ness of freight between the British and Irish ports, offer facilities for 
 supplying Ireland with British coals, and competing at present with 
 the produce of the Irish collieries. 
 
 5. That the trade in coals between Great Britain and Ireland is now 
 free from legislative restrictions, and that the competition between the 
 produce of the two countries is of a purely commercial character. 
 
 6. That in the immediate neighbourhood of many of the Irish 
 collieries coal and culm are extremely cheap and abundant; in the 
 neighbourhood of the bogs turf is likewise abundant; and at the prin¬ 
 cipal Irish seaports every description of British coal is regularly deli¬ 
 vered by fleets of vessels engaged in the trade. 
 
 7. That a considerable impetus would be given to the consumption 
 of Irish coal, if the improved machinery and systems of transit applied in 
 England were adopted in Ireland. 
 
 I have also to make the following recommendation :■— 
 
 That as the supply of fuel which may be obtained from the peat 
 marshes is almost inexhaustible, and capable, when skilfully treated, 
 of being rendered a most valuable addition to the national wealth, that 
 attention should, be directed— 
 
 1. To the partial drainage of the bogs in localities where bog lands 
 are numerous and of great extent. 
 
 2. To the necessity and advantage of landed proprietors erecting the 
 cheap and useful kilns for drying turf which were designed by Mr. 
 Mallet and the late Mr. Tredgold. Kilns erected in suitable localities 
 may not only serve the use of several tenants, but also the use of the 
 proprietor himself. 
 
 3. The encouragement and assistance of every person interested in 
 the prosperity of the country, to carry into effect such feasible and in- 
 
24 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 expensive plans for the compression of peat by machinery as are likely 
 to prove successful. 
 
 4. The general introduction into populous localities of the Dutch 
 method of making turf. By this process an immense amount of em¬ 
 ployment may be afforded to women and children at nearly all seasons 
 of the year, and the labour of men, which under the existing system of 
 turf-cutting is much wasted, economiezd. By this process, also, a 
 better fuel may be obtained, at less cost than at present. 
 
SECTIONS OF THE IRISH COLLIERIES. 
 
 7. Coolbawn Hill, C? Kilkenny. 
 
 8. pueeiCs County Collieries. 
 
 9. Limerick Collieries 
 
 S/ux rz rt-OTi^ 
 
 10. Earl’s Hill Collieries C? Tipperary. 
 
 11. n»e Common "s C ollieries: C 9 Ti 
 
 IPPEMRY. 
 
 12. Bilb oa Colliery. Oijeeivs County. 
 
 13. Kil^orey Collieiy. Queens County. 
 
 Jf tf J/ara' ciU 
 
 TO ILLUSTRATE M R O HARA'S PAPER ON THE 
 SUPPLY OF FUEL IN IRELAND. 
 
 7T jE/OJz ok-y TtUA' 
 

of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 25 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 No. I. 
 
 “ Grand Canal Harbour, March 21, 1864. 
 “ Sir,— We beg to note the prices of Kilkenny coals :— 
 
 Per Ton. 
 
 s. d. 
 
 First quality, delivered at Athy or Carlow,.25 0 
 
 Second do., do., do., 23 4 
 
 Third do. (Jarrow), do., do., 17 6 
 
 Fourth do. (Wolfhill), do., do., 13 6 
 
 For prices in Dublin, add 5s. 6d. per ton to the above prices. 
 
 “John Kelly and Sons. 
 
 “ H. O'Hara, Esq., 51, Stephen’s-green.” 
 
 No. II. 
 
 COLLIERIES OF IRELAND. 
 
 I. Ulster Coal-Field. 
 
 Co. Antrim. 
 
 Name. Proprietors. 
 
 1. Ballycastle,.— Boyd, Esq. 
 
 2. Murloiigh Bay, not W.*.J. M‘Donnell, Esq. 
 
 Co. Tyrone. 
 
 1. Annahone, not W.,. — 
 
 2. Coal Island,.Messrs. Staples. 
 
 3. Drumglass, W.,.T. Hughes, Esq. 
 
 Co. Cavan. 
 
 1. Kill, notW., .Moore and Co. 
 
 II. Connaught Coal-Field. 
 
 (Lough Allen District.) 
 
 Counties of Leitrim , Sligo, and Roscommon. 
 
 1. Tullynaha, W.,.P. Buchanan, Esq. 
 
 2. Tullymurry, W., 
 
 3. Seltanaskeagh, W., 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 4. Meenashammer, W.,.W. Cronyn, Esq. 
 
 5. Gobarudda, W.,.E. McDermott, Esq. 
 
 6. Geevagh, W.,. \ Different Colliers, on their 
 
 7 . Greagnageeragh, W.,.J own account. 
 
 * W. signifies that the colliery is at present working ; and not W. implies that it 
 was not in operation at the time this list was prepared. 
 
 D 
 
26 
 
 Mr. O’Hara on the Supply 
 
 III. Leixstee Coal-Field. 
 
 (Castlecomer District.) 
 
 Co. Kilkenny. 
 
 Name. 
 
 1. Curragh, AY., . . 
 
 2. Massford, AY.,. 
 
 3. Coolbawn, AY.,. 
 
 4. Rock, AY.,. 
 
 5. Monteen, AY.,. 
 
 6. Jarrow, AY.,. 
 
 7. Upper Reisk, not AY.,. 
 
 8. Broom Park, AY.,. 
 
 9. Crntt, not AY.,. 
 
 10. Monala, notK., . 
 
 11. Skehana, AY.,. 
 
 12. Firoda, not AY.,. 
 
 13. Banshafea, not AY.,. 
 
 14. Coolcullen, not AY.,. 
 
 Proprietors. 
 
 Hon. Mr. AYandesforde. 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Pat. Fenlon. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Hon. Mr. AYandesforde. 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 — Freyke, Esq. 
 
 Lord Ormonde. 
 
 M. Phillips. 
 
 Carlow and Queen's County Collieries. 
 
 1. Bilboa, AY., . 
 
 2. Agkarne, not AY, 
 
 3. Ridge, . . . 
 
 H. Rochfort, Esq. 
 Sir J. Butler. 
 
 Mr. Phillips. 
 
 Queen's County. 
 
 1. AYolfhill, AY., . 
 
 2. Aughamafa, AY., . 
 
 3. Mullaghmore, AV., 
 
 4. Kingscote, not AY., 
 
 5. Modnbea, not AY., 
 
 6. Rushes, not AY., . 
 
 7. Holly Park, . . 
 
 8. Meeragh, AY.,. 
 
 9. Geneva, AY., . . 
 
 10. Glen, AY., . . . 
 
 11. Towlerton, not AY., 
 
 12. Kilgorey, AY., . . 
 
 13. Ardataggle, not AY., 
 
 14. Coorlaghan, AY., . 
 
 Perrot and Co. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Rev. Sir H. AYalshe. 
 Perrot and Co. 
 
 Rev. Sir H. AYalshe. 
 B. B. Edge, Esq. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Do. 
 
 AY. Edge, Esq. 
 
 B. B. Edge, Esq. 
 
 T. Fitzmaurice, Esq. 
 Do. 
 
of Fuel in Ireland. 
 
 27 
 
 1 . 
 
 2 . 
 
 o 
 
 O. 
 
 4. 
 
 5. 
 
 6 . 
 
 7. 
 
 8 . 
 
 9. 
 
 10 . 
 
 11 . 
 
 12 . 
 
 13. 
 
 14. 
 
 15. 
 
 16. 
 
 17 . 
 
 18. 
 19. 
 
 IY. Mttnstek Coal-Eields. 
 
 (Slieveardagh District.) 
 
 Co. Tipperary. 
 
 Name. 
 
 Coalbrook, AY.,. 
 
 Boulea, AY.,. 
 
 Knockalonga, AY.,. 
 
 Earl’s Hill, AY.,. 
 
 Ballynastick, AY.,. 
 
 Ballynahinneen, notW., . . . . 
 
 Mardyke, AY.,. 
 
 Coolquill, not AY.,. 
 
 Glangoole, AY.,. 
 
 Lickflinn, not AY.,. 
 
 Garranacole, AY.,. 
 
 The "Wood Colliery, AE., . . . . 
 
 Ballincurry, AY.,. 
 
 Eoyleacamin, not AY.,. 
 
 Knockin glass, AY.,. 
 
 Kilcooly, AY.,. 
 
 Ballynenty, AY.,. 
 
 Manslat, AY.,. 
 
 Graigue, AY.,. 
 
 Proprietors. 
 
 ► Mining Company of Ireland. 
 
 Beatty and Co. 
 
 Mining Co. of Ireland. 
 Meadows and Co. 
 
 Do. 
 
 Mining Co. of Ireland. 
 Do. 
 
 Meadows and Co. 
 
 Do. 
 
 (Kanturk District.) 
 Co. Cork. 
 
 1. Dromagh, AY., . 
 
 2. Lisnacon, AY., . 
 
 3. Drumskehey, AY., 
 
 H. P. Leader, Esq. 
 Mining Co. of Ireland, 
 
 1. Tulligoline, AY., 
 
 2. Crataloe, AY., 
 
 3. Sugarhill, not AY., 
 
 4. Kockaboula, not AY 
 
 5. Coalhill, not AY., 
 
 6. Roekview, not AY., 
 
 7. Glin, not AY., 
 
 (Limerick District.) 
 
 Co. Limerick . 
 
 . Lord Devon. 
 
 Archdeacon Gould. 
 . Mr. Maunsell. 
 
 . Lord Clare. 
 
 . Do. 
 
 . Do. 
 
 . Knight of Glin. 
 

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