74 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



"Within the past few years, however, a great improvement has 

 taken place in the Irish-made bricks put on the Dublin market ; 

 and it is gratifying to state that the manufacturers' efforts have 

 not been unappreciated, most of the brick buildings erected of late 

 having been built of them. Comparing most favourably, both as 

 to solidity and appearance, with the imported article heretofore 

 employed, it is to be hoped that the enterprises now being so 

 energetically carried on at Kingscourt, Kill-o'-the-Grange, Harold's- 

 cross, and other places, will lead to the opening of works of a 

 similar nature in many districts hereinafter referred to, where 

 material of a likely character exists, and that ere long, at least, the 

 Irish demand for the various descriptions of brick will be supplied 

 from home sources. 



Much will, of course, depend upon causes more or less apart 

 from control of either the manufacturer or the buyer, foremost 

 amongst which may be mentioned the rates of carriage, where it 

 may be necessary to either transport the bricks from a distance to- 

 a good market, or to bring the fuel necessary to the fields. The 

 railway rates are undoubtedly in many instances prohibitory to 

 the development of the brick and slate trade, amongst many 

 others ; and it is to be hoped that steps will be taken to remove 

 such a detrimental obstacle to the progress of a revival of Irish 

 trade — a change which could not but be beneficial to the railway 

 companies equally with the manufacturers. 



A perusal of the evidence on this subject, given before the 

 Parliamentary Committee on Irish Industries during the Session 

 of 1885, would be interesting and instructive. 



Pottery, Fire-clay Gtoods, etc. — As with the slates and 

 bricks, so also with this very important class of goods, an abun- 

 dance of suitable material lies in this country, but, with few excep- 

 tions, it remains undeveloped ; and the goods of Stafford, Chester, 

 and Glasgow supply the wants of even the most remote districts 

 in Ireland. 



As previously mentioned, the manufacture of pottery dates in 

 Ireland from a very early period, and must have been extensively 

 carried on judging by the abundance of the remains of sepulchral 

 urns, cooking utensils, &c, met with. 



The potters' trade, if it did not die out all together, at all events 

 did not flourish or improve with the times, as already pointed 



