Kinahan— On Irish Arenaceous Rocks. 511 



ordinary sandstone of the country, many of the latter requiring 

 the tools to be frequently sharpened. 



Although the strength of the limestone, and the facility by 

 which it could be worked, may have led to a preference for it, it 

 should also be remembered, that as the country became occupied by 

 foreigners, the chief centre of the population— that is the towns — 

 were principally in the plains, or the valleys, on the limestone areas, 

 and the artificers, becoming cunning in the working of limestone, 

 preferred to use it, even when they had to transport it a considerable 

 distance. In many places, however, they had water-carriage ; that 

 made the transport comparatively easy and cheap. 



Or the use of limestone may have been due to fashion. At the 

 present day many rich men will only use a stone his poorer 

 neighbour cannot procure. This seems to have been a mania in 

 remote ages as well as recently, and not without a certain value, as 

 in many places the old buildings are pointed out as " not having 

 in them a stone to be got in the whole country," while in modern 

 times Eothschild's French Chateau has brought him historical fame 

 on account of the English stone and workmen used in its building. 

 Elsewhere on the Continent, in America, besides in the home 

 countries, buildings are pointed out, not for any architectural 

 beauty, but solely to record that the stones in them were brought 

 from a great distance, and at great expense. 



The mania for foreign stones appears to have been very pre- 

 valent in Ireland at the beginning of the present century, as in the 

 majority of the buildings erected between 1800 and 1840 the stones 

 for the dressed work were imported. This is very conspicuous 

 in Dublin, as hereafter exemplified in the list of places from 

 which the sandstone used in its principal buildings was pro- 

 cured. 



As previously pointed out, the early builders, in most cases, 

 seem to have selected stones on account of their durability ; but at 

 the present time there seems to be, in many cases, a running after 

 stones — not on account of their durable qualities, but that they can 

 be easily worked, and are therefore cheaper. 



[The Ballycastle stone, Co. Antrim, if it had been well selected, everywhere gave 

 good and durable work ; yet, at the present time, in the neighbouring towns it is in dis- 

 repute, while inferior sandstones are used solely because the first-cost is less. This 

 apparently is false economy ; for although the first-cost may be less, yet the after 



