48 M. S. D. Westropp on 



Yxova this time the manufacture of glass in Ireland began to 

 decline. In 1829 the tax on glass produced ;^23,6i2, while in 

 1834 the amount had fallen to ;!^i 4,678. The excise duty on glass 

 was removed in 1845, t)"^ by that time the glass industry in Ireland 

 was almost dead, 



In 1785 it is stated that there were nine glass-houses in Ireland 

 viz. : — Six for flint glass, one for window glass and two for bottles- 

 In his account of the Cork Exhibition of 1852 John Francis 

 Maguire states that in 1825 there were eleven flint glass-houses in 

 Ireland ; in 1833, seven — two in Dublin, two in Cork, one in Belfast, 

 one in VVaterford, and one in Newry ; and in 1852 only two — 

 one in Dublin and one in Belfast. Immense quantities of glass were 

 imported into Ireland from England, and some also from the Rhine 

 district, during the eighteenth century, notwithstanding the amount 

 made in the country. 



From about 1719 to 1727 the average yearly imports of drink- 

 ing glasses amounted to about 133,000, and of bottles to nearly 

 55,000 dozens, besides other glass ware to the value of about 

 ^4,000. 



About 1737 the average number of glass bottles imported 

 annually amounted to nearly 79,000 dozens at is. 4d. per dozen ; 

 drinking glasses to nearly 102,000 at 2s. per dozen, and other glass- 

 ware to the value of over ;^4,ooo. From 1755 to 1761 the number 

 of bottles imported annually varied from 111,826 dozens to 28,405 

 dozens, totalling over four and a half million bottles in seven years. 

 In the years 1765 and 1766 the number ot drinking glasses import- 

 ed amounted to about 245,000 and 330,000 respectively. About 

 1773 the imports of bottles amounted to about 40,000 dozens and 

 drinking glasses to nearly 210,000, besides other glassware. 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, Stourbridge, and Bristol. From about 1730 to 1800 

 the imports include : — double and single flint drinking glasses, 

 enamelled, flowered, cut and plain wine, beer and cyder glasses ; 



