Kinahan — On Irish Arenaceous Rocks. 577 



coming in from the Co. Tipperary, are small tracts of similar 

 rocks ; while at the western margin there are sandstones on the 

 eastern flank of Knocksheegowna, that may extend into this 

 county. 



At the present time none of these stones are in demand for 

 cut-stone purposes, although some of them are eminently suitable, 

 and were used in the ancient structures. In the ecclesiastical 

 settlement at Clonmacnoise, although in the limestone district, and 

 close to an excellent stone of that class, sandstones of a thin, flat- 

 bedded character were used in some of the churches, while the old 

 ■crosses were wrought out of a fine-grained quartzose sandstone. 

 This is interesting, because, although in places such as Cloyne 

 (Co. Cork), Cashel (Co. Tipperary), and elsewhere, the first structures 

 were built of the local sandstone, in the subsequent ones limestone 

 brought from a distance was used. 



Carboniferous. — Kinnity. — In various places more or less 

 near this town, along the north-west flanks of Slieve-Bloom, are 

 small quarries. In some quarries the stones are from 1 to 4 feet 

 thick, and are capable of being easily worked. In other quarries 

 there are flags of a warm yellowish colour, that are excellent for 

 inside work, as they are capable of being finished so finely as to 

 give an even surface, in which the joints are scarcely perceptible. 

 At Grurteen, about nine miles from Roscrea, flags are raised for 

 use in that town ; they vary from 1*5 to 3 inches in thickness. 



The monument to the Duke of Cumberland in the public 

 square of Birr, or Parsonstown, is of sandstone from the Slieve 

 Bloom district, but whether from bad construction or bad selection 

 of the stone, it does not now give a good appearance. 



Sand and (travel. — The Eskers are numerous in this county, 

 and they supply an unlimited quantity of good sand ; also excellent 

 gravel for road metal. The limestone gravel is much used for 

 manure, the best being found in hillocks or at the foot of the hills. 

 This gravel, when burnt in heaps with the paring of the bogs, 

 gives a very rich manure for tillage. 



Glass was formerly|extensively manufactured in Birr, or Par- 

 sonstown ; but when Lewis wrote, in 1837, only the ruins of the 

 glass-house remained. 



In 1652 Boate wrote : " Several glass-houses set up in Ireland ; 

 none in Dublin or other cities, but all of them in the country ; 



