238 



dered as in a thriving ftate. Kilkenny produces a confiderable quantity 

 of blankets, and this manufafture might be extended to fuch a degree, 

 as to fuperfede the neceflity of importation. The carpets of a coarfer 

 kind made in Ireland (and the quantity is very confiderable, parti- 

 ciilary in Dublin and Cork) are much fuperior, in quality to thole of 

 the fame kind, which are fabricated in Scotland. The town of Car- 

 rick-on-Suir carries on the clothing branch of the woollen bufinefs, 

 with fome fpirit ; a good deal is done, in the fame branch, both in 

 the city of Cork, and in other parts of that county ; and I have feen 

 fpecimens of fuperfine cloths produced by manufafturers in Ireland, not 

 inferior to thofe of England. The manufactures of flannel, and other 

 coarfe fabrics, which are wholly compofed of native wool, are in a moll 

 flourifliing ftate in the county of Wicklow, and the woollen market of 

 Rathdrum is already become a regular and well eftablifhed mart.* 



Where rural and domeftic manufaftures of any fabric become gene- 

 ral, through a country ; they diffufe a knowledge of the art, and ferve 

 as a kind of fchools, in which the people are trained up, in the rudi- 

 diments of the manufadlure. jThis renders it much more eafy to form 

 large eflablifliments, for the produftion of the fabrics in queftion. The 

 village and agricultural artifans acquire fuch a knowledge of the trade, 

 as, at lead, fits them to receive the inftruftions of the finiflied mafler 

 manufafturer, with profit, and fuch a competent degree of fkill, that 

 the wholefale employer may venture, to entrufl: them with his mate- 

 rials, without incurring the danger of their being fpoiled. Such is the 

 prefent ftate of the woollen manufafture in this country. I think, there- 

 fore, that although it is far, very far, from being at prefent, what we 

 may call, on the whole, a flourifliing raanufafture, it muft be confidered, 



in 



* In fpeaking of the county of WiMonu, it would be injuftice to pafs over the exertions 

 of the Aliens, who have eftabhfhed in that county a manufaftory, which employs a »a(l num- 

 ber of perfons, and promifes to vie with the great undertakings of a fimilar kind in England. 

 The reader will readily perceive, that the whole of this Effay was written long pre- 

 vious, to the late lamentable difturbances, which convulfed this country. — What //v- 

 land may hereafter become, it is hard to lay. 



