Kinahan — On Irish Arenaceous Rocks. 527" 



except those of the Fermanagh series, are not in repute, although, 

 as displayed by some of the ancient structures, they are capable 

 of good and durable work. This will be hereafter mentioned in 

 connexion with the respective counties. 



In the West Munster Coal-fields the stones are nearly inva- 

 riably hard and chippy, and although they can be dressed on the' 

 face of the beds, they cannot be worked across, as they chip and 

 fly at the edges. In places they produce excellent flags, but to- 

 give good joints, the edges of them generally require to be sawn, 

 as they chip on the face if dressed. These flags, if the edges are 

 sawn and the surface planed, make a beautiful even flooring. In 

 the East Munster (Tipperary) and Leinster Coal-fields there are 

 some good stones for dressed work, as hereafter mentioned. In the 

 Tyrone or Ulster Coal-field some quarries have been worked, but 

 the stones are not in request, as better can be procured in the ad- 

 joining calp ; while in Monaghan and Fermanagh are the well- 

 known Lisnaskea stones ; and in the Connaught Coal-field' 

 there are stones said to be good ; but as they are very inaccessible,. 

 and far from any market, very little seems to be known about 

 them. Grood flags, however, have been sent from this field into' 

 the market ; at one time extensively. 



[The flag trade has peculiar features. About fifty years ago, according to the 

 records left by Lewis, the footpaths of very few towns were flagged ; but just at that 

 time it seemed to have become the fashion, and the different towns were looking out 

 for places in which to procure flags. This general demand caused many flag quarries 

 to be opened up, and in some places instituted a large industry. But after the towns 

 were flagged the demand decreased, some of the quarries having been scarcely 

 worked since, while in those places where a trade had been for a time established, 

 it has since died out, on account of asphalt being now more generally used than flags. 

 However, there seems to be a slight reaction in the favour of flagging, as the asphalt 

 in many places seems to be getting into disrepute. In various places in Ireland- 

 there are large flag quarries, where hundreds of hands were employed, that now 

 are quite idle. Belgium sends into the market a large quantity of chimney-pieces, 

 made of flag very like that of our Coal-measures ; and fifty years ago a large trade 

 in somewhat similar work was carried on at Killaloe, Co. Clare, and other places, the 

 Killaloe chimney-pieces " being in very general request." Now a " Killaloe chimney- 

 piece ' ' is not heard of, the trade having totally died out ; while in the Moneypoint 

 flag quarry, on the Lower Shannon, from which the flags came, instead of hundreds of 

 workmen, you will rarely find half a dozen. Very superior work of this class used 

 also to be turned out from quarries near Mountmellick, Queen's County, and other 

 places hereafter mentioned. The Belgians do their work "by the piece." A man is 

 paid so much for the job ; and he, his wife, and his children, down to a child that can 

 scarcely walk, are put to do something, at which they work early and late. In Ireland, 



