Kinahan — On Irish Marbles and Limestones. 387 



Fermanagh. 



Carrickreagh, five miles from Enniskillen. — Not a very good 

 Hack, but takes a good polish ; has been used greatly for tomb- 

 stones. At various other places there are blackish stones, that 

 have been locally used, but none of those known are of good or 

 even fair quality as black marbles. 



GrALWAY. 



The premier black limestones are now supplied from this 

 county. 



Angliham and Menlough. — The marbles from these quarries, 

 which are situated three miles north of Gralway, are world-famed, 

 and include some of the best, if not the best, examples of black 

 marble ever known. These were at one time extensively exported 

 to London and America, the stone from one bed being all kept for 

 the London market, from which it has received the name of the 

 London bed. Wilkinson, when writing of these quarries in 1845, 

 pointed out that, on account of the eastern dip of the strata, the 

 head over the marble beds was gradually increasing, while the 

 floor of the quarry was becoming of an inconvenient depth below 

 Lough Corrib, both of which circumstances were gradually adding 

 greatly to expenses incurred in removing the superfluous stone, 

 and in keeping the quarry dry. In 1868 there were 40 feet of 

 clearing over the marble beds. At that time, in the Menlough 

 quarry, there were two good beds, one 13 and the other 15 inches 

 thick, below flaggy beds, used for tombstones. At the same time, 

 in the Angliham quarry there were three beds, the Thin, 9 inches 

 thick ; the London, 12 inches ; and the Double, 14 inches. The 

 Thin bed was the purest marble, while the 12-inch got its name 

 from being kept solely for the London market, preference being 

 given to it on account of its capability of being cut most economi- 

 cally. The principal markets were London, Liverpool, Bristol, 

 and Glasgow. At the present time the clearing and pumping 

 have greatly increased, which adds much to the cost of getting the 

 stone. 



Merlin Park. About two miles S. E. of Gralway, — In this 

 quarry two sets of beds were formerly extensively worked by the 



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