Westropp — Glass-Malting in Ireland. 55 



Ten years later the imports had altered very little, except that the number 

 of drinking-glasses had fallen to about 22,000. 



Numerous advertisements appear in the old newspapers announcing the 

 importation of English glass, chiefly from London, Newcastle, and Bristol. 

 From about 1730 to 1800 the imports hiclude : — double and single flint 

 drinking-glasses; flowered and plain wiae and beer-glasses; water-glasses and 

 saucers, diamond-cut salts, diamond-cut and scalloped bowls and dishes ; gilt, 

 cut, flowered, and plain decanters ; diamond-cut beer, cider and wine-glasses ; 

 cut and plain salad-bowls ; water plates, candlesticks, cmious cut salts, etc. 



In 1754 a Belfast glass merchant imported cruets moimted with Stour- 

 bridge glass. 



After 1780 a good deal of glass was exported from Ireland, chiefly to 

 America, Spain, and Portugal. In 1784 the exports to America amoiinted to 

 532 dozen bottles, and 20,736 drinking-glasses ; while in 1785 it is said that 

 one of the Dublin glass houses had received orders from America which would 

 keep it fully employed for two years. 



In 1788 a record exportation of flint glass was made to Cadiz by Chebsey's 

 factory at Ballybough Bridge, and in the same year a large quantity of window 

 glass was also exported. 



In Wallace's "Essay on the Manufactures of Ireland," published in 1798, 

 it is stated that much of the glass consumed in Ireland was imported, while 

 that made in the coimtry was largely exported to America; so that very 

 probably a large proportion of the glass now found in Ireland is really of 

 English origin. 



At the present day it is often very difficult to say whether a particular 

 piece of glass is Irish or English ; and it is still more difficult to differentiate 

 between the products of the various Irish glass houses, unless pieces bear 

 marks indicating the place of manufactui'e. It may be mentioned that the 

 glass-fittings of Shefiield plated epergnes, cruets, &c., are almost always of 

 English glass, Birmtugham, Dudley, and Whittington, near Shefiield, having 

 been the chief sources of supply. 



Pieces which became broken may, however, have been replaced by those of 

 Irish manufacture. In 1772 Benjamin Edwards of Belfast advertised epergnes 

 and epergne saucers. 



A good deal of the old cut glass now found in Ireland has a decided blue 

 tint, which is commonly said to indicate that it was made in Waterf ord, though 

 on what authority no one seems to know. The blue tint is simply caused by 

 a little too much oxide of lead in the composition ; and as this might occur in 

 any pot of metal, glass with this tint may have been made in any of the Irish, 

 or even English, factories. 



