THE IRISH LEATHER AND BOOT-MAKING INDUSTRY. 411 



attitude. They went with the times, adopted modern methods, and they 

 have survived. 



The manufacture of leatli^r in Ireland at present is confined to a few 

 locaUties. Limerick, which is the most important centre of the industry, 

 has two tanneries which produce over 30,000 heavy hides per annum. The 

 major portion of this is sole leather of good quality made from Irish and 

 South American hides. Harness leather of different classes is manufac- 

 tured exclusively from Irish hides, and upper leather suitable for the 

 strongest classes of boots is also produced, but not in great quantities. 

 Cork has three tanneries still manufacturing considerable quantities of 

 calf-skins, and one of these turns out a good deal of best heavy sole 

 leather mostly from South American hides. A progressive tannery is still 

 working actively in New Ross, nanufacturing Irish hides and " kips " into 

 sole and upper leathers mainly for local consumption. There are leather 

 factories also in the following towns tanning Irish hides : — Dunmanway 

 and Bantry, in County Cork ; Clonmel, in County Tipperary ; Mountmel- 

 lick, in Queen's County ; Ballytore, in County Kildare ; Dublin, Drogheda, 

 Newry, Belfast, Derry, Coleraine and Richhill, County Armagh. In 

 Dubhn one tannery produces leather for bookbinding from sheep and calf- 

 skins, also " basils " for the saddlery and harness trade. The products of 

 the only tarmery in Belfast consists mainly of upper leathers. Derry con- 

 fines itself to sole leather. New Ross, as mentioned, and Ballytore manu- 

 facture sole and upper leather. Excepting Limerick and Cork, almost the 

 entire output is in the other towrxS confined to upper and harness leathers. 

 This exhausts the list of tanning centres in Ireland at the present moment. 



The sole leather manufactured is of a superior quality for wearing, but the 

 upper leathers are mostly heavy and of a coarse finish, and harness leathers, 

 too, are not as well finished as English and Scotch goods. In justice 

 to the Irish tanner it must be remarked that much of this is not his fault, 

 because his raw materials, Irish hides — which are devoted to this branch — - 

 are generally so cut and injured by the butchers that it is almost impossible 

 for him to produce first class goods. Outside of Limerick and Dublin 

 it is difficult indeed to procure more than five per cent, of Irish hides even 

 passibly well taken off. The same remarks apply to sole leather made 

 from Irish hides, which yields not within two pence per pound of its foreign 

 made rivals of similar quality. In upper leather made from Irish hides 

 most of these knife cuts can be got rid of when the goods are being shaved 

 down to the required substance, which is always less than the natural 

 thickness of full or partly grown hides. 



The outlook of the Irish leather industry is not without its encouraging 

 aspects, for a small export trade to England and South Africa is done in 

 sole and harness leather, and Irish manufactured leather in competition 

 with the products of other countries, England and elsewhere, finds a ready 

 sale. Moreover, it is reasonable to note, that with the better flayed hides 

 which it is to be hoped the Irish Department of x\griculture and Technical 

 Instruction will cause to be obtained, the output of Irish tanneries will be 

 greatly increased. More enterprise, too, in seeking new markets could not 

 fail to bear fruit in finding an outlet for any surplus produced. It may 

 here be mentioned that it is estimated that butchers lose at present from 

 IS. 6d. to 2s. 6d. per hide, which, at a modest calculation, represents a total 

 annual loss of about i;"20,ooo per annum to Ireland. This is only the direct 

 loss ; for as the tanner cannot, with the material at his command, get more 



