^84 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



In old times iron-ore was raised and wrought in the Leinster 

 Coal-field, but when, and by whom, does not appear to be now 

 known, the first authentic records being those of the English, 

 between 1615 and 1641. At this time Christopher Wandesford 

 had extensive mines and works, principally in Idrone, Co. Carlow, 

 where, besides other things, he cast and wrought ordnance. Sir 

 Charles Coote had large workings in the Queen's Co., his furnaces 

 and mills being at Mountrath ; while in the same county Lord 

 Londonderry had a furnace and mills at Ballynakill, and Sergeant 

 Piggoth at Dysert. 1 All these appear to have been burnt down in 

 1641, but were afterwards rebuilt, and the manufacture was 

 carried on as long as the forest lasted. It is said that after 1728 

 attempts had been made to smelt the iron-ore with the anthra- 

 cyte, but none of them were successful. 



According to Boate, coal was first discovered near Wandesford's 

 furnace in Idrone, Co. Carlow, between 1630 and '40, while the miners 

 were raising the clay-iron-stone. He states that the county people 

 worked it along the edge, or basset, for their own use, but 

 suggests that when the forests were exhausted it might come in 

 handy. But the first pit opened was not till 1728, either in 

 Carlow or the adjoining portion of Kilkenny. Here the coal was 

 found to be bad, and other piie were sunk in Coolbaun Hill, 

 near Castlecomer, where three seams were found and successfully 

 worked. Besides these three coals, which are only found in Cool- 

 baun Hill, others that have been found profitable to work are 

 the Old Colliery Three-foot Coal, the Rushes or Modubeagh Coal, and 

 a curious channel called the Jarrow Coal, which occurs in connexion 

 with the Old One-foot Coal. 



The Old Colliery Three-foot is practically worked out ; what 

 little that remains would scarcely pay for the getting. The One- 

 foot Coal, which is often only five or six inches high, does not pay 

 for working ; but the Jarrow Channel, in connexion with it, has 

 been very profitable. Unfortunately it was only of limited 

 extent, occurring in a semicircle to the north of Coolbaun Hill, 

 and in a nearly straight line to the south of it. Of this coal 

 there now remains about a mile and a-half in length to the north 

 of Coolbaun, and about two miles to the south. According to 



1 See Pysert, King's Co., p. 286. 



