Conflictos identificados por la ATCC y el MCC

Source: Hyland Papers

While he did not own the means of production, Laurence Hyland had access to it.

Given his local knowledge, it was understandable that Hyland entered the slate

trade. As a Catholic gentleman farmer, Laurence Hyland had a place in society that afforded him some opportunities in terms of those he was acquainted with. In particular he was well known amongst Catholics, especially those in farming and perhaps business circles. Even though Hyland’s acquaintances were important in gaining contracts, perhaps more important was the merits of the product and its provenance. Specifically, the fact that the slate was sourced from the Ormonde Quarry was surely an advantage. The connection of the quarry with the Butlers of Ormonde may have opened doors for Laurence. The destination and usage of the slate products is evidence of this. The countess of Ormonde, who lived in Castlecomer in the north of the county, was by far the best customer that Hyland had. The countess, Anne Wandesforde, was the mother of (Laurence records him as Lord Ormonde) James Butler (1774-1838) 1^st marquess of Ormonde (3rd creation).

He became marquess in 1825. Ormonde was the landlord of the quarry and succeeded to the estate in 1820, which may be significant as in that the period, 1820-38, Hyland leased the quarry.

How does the quarry compare with other quarries in the region in the country?

Comparisons will be made with other slate quarries and the position of the Ormonde quarry, competitively, within the region merits an assessment here.

Quarrying had implications for the local community within the context of the period as will be outlined. What were the factors that precipitated the ending of Hyland’s quarrying venture in 1838? What diverted his interest away from the slate trade and into what was by then a declining distilling industry will also be addressed in this chapter.

The Slate Quarries

The slate quarries are located approximately six miles north of Carrick-on-Suir;

about two and a half miles south of the village of Windgap, which in turn is five miles south of the town of Callan. Windgap was a distinct parish since 1826. It included the civil parishes of Kilamery and Tulloughout and less than one-third of the civil parish of Kilmoganny, and the townland of Búoliafliugh, in the civil parish of Coolagh.¹⁸

18 William Carrigan, The history and antiquities of the diocese of Ossory, (4 vols, Dublin, 1905), iv, p. 318.

The Lingaun River, which for several miles in this area forms the boundary between Tipperary and Kilkenny, runs through a valley of metamorphic rock which has given rise to considerable slate formation. The hard, grey and blue-grey slates which characterise this locality are part of the Ahenny geological formation, which is nearly 3,000m thick and consists of slate and some siltstone. The rocks here date from the late Silurian period over 400 million years ago.¹⁹ In many respects, this is a rather unique area, and not only in geological terms, as it combines an interesting and beautiful topography, with an ancient culture evidenced by many prehistoric monuments. The Ormonde Quarries were centred on the townland of Inchanaglogh with other quarries in neighbouring townlands. Inchanaglogh translates as the Gaelic Inse na gClogh which means ‘island /water-meadow of the stones’.²⁰ Knockroe and Baunreagh townlands adjoining make up a series of extraction points along the east of the Lingaun River on lands once owned by the aforementioned aristocratic Butler family, from whom the designation ‘Ormonde’ derives. ²¹ On the Tipperary side of the Lingaun, near the village of Ahenny, substantial slate extraction also occurred at Clashnasmut, at a site known as the Victoria Quarries.

The Victoria and Ormonde quarries are long since defunct, closing in 1911 and 1937 respectively, both having reached peak production in the last years of the nineteenth century. An absence of primary sources has meant that contemporary reference to the Ormonde Quarries has been confined largely to some brief comment in general, statistical or geographical surveys. Nevertheless, a short description in an 1837 volume to which Laurence Hyland subscribed is apposite:

Near Kilmacoliver is an extensive quarry of slate of superior quality, called the Ormond Quarry, in which about 150 persons are generally employed; the slates have an extensive sale in this and the adjoining counties, being considered nearly equal to the Welsh slates in colour and lightness…²²

19 Daniel Tietzsch-Tyler, Building stones of St. Canice's cathedral, Kilkenny an introduction to the rocks of the Kilkenny region (Dublin, 1995); J. B. Archer, A.G. Sleeman and D.C. Smith, Geology of Tipperary, (Geological Survey of Ireland, Dublin, 1996), pp 18-9.

20 Art Ó Maolfabhail, Liostaí logainmneacha contae Cill Chainnigh (Baile Átha Cliath, 1993), p.

76; Deidre Flanagan and Laurence Flanagan, Irish place names (Dublin, 2002), pp 99-100.

21 With reference to ‘Ormonde’, Ordnance Survey of Ireland (O.S.I.) maps and the Hyland ledgers use this spelling.

22 Samuel Lewis, A topographical dictionary of Ireland (2 vols, London, 1837), ii, 402.

History

The Kilkenny quarry workings may be dated from 1337.²³ In 1348 a grant by Matthew Fitz Oliver was given to the Priory and Convent of St. Mary’s at Kells (County Kilkenny) ‘to dig and quarry Slate stones at Melagh’.²⁴ Inchanaglogh was probably a subdivision of this townland. In 1374, the earl of Ormonde received these lands from Walter Fitz Oliver.²⁵ There was small scale quarrying on the Tipperary side of the district prior to the year 1860 when a large scale operation began. A William Mercer operated the Ormonde site certainly in the 1880sbut well after Hyland’s involvement ended.²⁶ Indeed the Irish Builder reported that Mercer had held a thirty year lease from about 1854.²⁷ Later in the century, Mercer would complain of the underuse of indigenous slate in Ireland.²⁸ He did so complaining that ‘all the government buildings in our poor country are roofed with Welsh slates’.²⁹

Local families are known to have worked the Ormonde quarry and these included

‘Purcells, Lonergans, Loughlins, Mahers and Murrays’.³⁰ According to the same local source, John Dalton ‘worked at the quarry before 1840’. Detailed records prior to that date have not survived, and the Hyland family’s involvement has not been noted or recalled until now though ‘Hyland’ antecedents remain in the locality.³¹ Cartographicevidence from c. 1817, illustrates the quarry at ‘Incheennaglu’ with the particular legend ‘quarries working’.³²

23 ‘Slate Quarries annual book’ (Slate Quarries festival committee, 1999), p. 10.

24 Ormonde Papers (hereafter OP) National Library of Ireland (hereafter NLI) (NLI MS D. 909).

25 P.C. Power, Ahenny and district (Carrick on Suir, 2005), p. 29.

26 G. H. Bassett, Kilkenny city and county guide and directory 1884 (2nded., Kilkenny, 2001), p.

265.

27 Irish Builder (hereafter IB), xxvi, no. 600, (1884).

28 Report from the select committee on industries Ireland: together with the proceedings of the committee, minutes of evidence, and appendix, H.C. 1884-5 (288) ix, 743 [725] ‘Appendix, no. 3 Letter from Mr. William Mercer to the chairman ... Sir John Eardley-Wilmot, 6 Jun 1885’

(http://parlipapers.chadwyck.co.uk.jproxy) (1 Mar. 2010).

29 Ibid.

30 ‘Slate Quarries annual…’, p. 10.

31 Interview with Margaret Doyle, Curraghnadimpaun, Tullahought, Piltown, Co Kilkenny (21 Nov.2009).

32 J. H. Andrews ‘David Aher and Hill Clements’s map of county Kilkenny, 1812-24’ in William Nolan and Kevin Whelan (eds), Kilkenny history and society, (Dublin, 1990), p. 447; David Aher and Hill Clements grand jury map Kilkenny county, barony of Kells (1817) Kilkenny

Archaeological Society (hereafter KAS) Library, Rothe House, Kilkenny.

An advertisement in the Leinster Journal of 1808 stated that the quarry was to be let for seven years.³³ Proposals were to be addressed in writing to John A. Power Esq, The Castle, Kilkenny, and the quarry was to be viewed on application to Mr Pringle, Garryricken House. It also stated that the quarry, near Garryricken, was in the neighbourhood of Callan and Carrick-on-Suir where the demand for slates was very considerable. Laurence Hyland, as will be demonstrated, sold slate well beyond these local towns. Undoubtedly, the quarries were being worked in the years immediately before 1820 and it is not inconceivable that the Hylands were in some way involved.