Irish Glass. • 53 



glass. Cut and flowered glasses, diamond cut cruets, and glasses 

 engraved with vine borders, toasts, etc., are mentioned in 1752 as 

 having been made in the Mary's Lane glass-house, Dublin. The 

 only references I have found to enamelled glass having been made 

 in Ireland, occur in connection with the Drumrea glass-house, 

 Edwards' glass-house in Belfast, and Richard Williams' glass-house 

 in Dublin. Benjamin Edwards advertised enamelled glass as late 

 as 1801. The proprietors of these factories came from England, 

 where this kind of glass was manufactured to some extent. 



The various patterns cut on Irish glass were probably largely 

 copied from those employed in England, though possibly after a 

 time when Irish workmen learned the trade new patterns were 

 evolved. As far as can be ascertained the earlier pieces of Irish 

 cut glass had less cutting than those of later date. Pieces with 

 shallow cut wreaths, and broad, low diamond cutting are supposed 

 to be the earlier forms of decoration ; still no definite rule can be 

 laid down, as pieces of the second quarter of the nineteenth 

 century still have the broad, low diamonds, while pieces with deep, 

 sharp diamonds are usually late — about 1820 to 1840 or even later. 



A little of the Irish glass may have been gilt, as in 1786 a 

 John Grahl and a Richard Hand obtained premiums from the 

 Dublin Society for gilding on glass. In the " Proceedings " of the 

 Dublin Society it is mentioned that in 1785 lohn Giahl, a native 

 of Saxony, exhibited specimens of cut glass curiously gilt, and in 

 March, 1786, it was "ordered that thirty-five guineas be given to 

 John Grahl for gilt glass, he having disclosed all the secrets for 

 gilding on glass, and fifteen guineas to Richard Hand for ditto, 

 but he declining to give his receipt for copal or wine-spirit varnish, 

 a necessary article in his method of gilding." 



As it is almost impossible to obtain authentic pieces from 

 individual Irish glass-houses, it is very difficult to say if a particular 

 style of cutting was peculiar to any one factory. It is said, 

 however, that the sharp diamond cutting was extensively employed 

 at Ronayne's factory in Cork ; and it is certain that the very fine 

 diamond cutting, strawberry diamonds, and the large upright 

 fluting were used at VVaterford. Another fact which makes it 



