The Irish standard., 1905-05-27
COAL IN IRELAND.
Official Report on the Supply Avail
able

able.
A series of Parliamentary papers
has been issued giving the reports as
to the available coal supplies of the
various parts of Great Britain, which
were prepared for the Royal Commits
sion which recently sat upon this ques-
tion. That relating to ireland was
prepared by Prof Edward Hull, who
also reported on the subject in 1880.
In the course of his present report,
Prof. Hull says:
1 visited the only two districts in
which there are any important depos-
its of mineral fuel-namely, the Coun-
ty of Tyrone, in the North, and the
Counties of Kilkenny, Queens and
Carlow, in the South. l regret to have
to state that as regards the former
coal mining is almost thing Of the
past, while as regards the latter, the
output may be considered as practi,
cally stationary. This statement like
wise holds good for what is known as
"the Connaught coalfield," situated on
the table lands of Leitrim, Roscommon
and Sligo, except that the returns for
the years 1900, 1901 and 1902 show
tendency to increase.
Tyrone.-In this district, several val
liable seams of coal, reaching an ag-
gregate thickness of about 80 feet,
occur in the direction of the shores of
Lough Neagh. Coal was formerly
worked at the Drumglass Colliery,
with thickness of about four feet,
but owing to the influx of water from
the old workings the mine was drown
ed out, and similar fate befell a
fresh attempt by a Manchester COM
pany, with disasterous results to the
miners. The pits to the upper seams
at Coal Island are all closed, except
that of Messrs. Corr and McNally,
from which small quantity of coal
for the supply Of their pottery works
is extracted. Want Of enterprise and
capital, exceptional in Ulster, appears
to prevent the opening up of large
mineral field in this county capable of
supplying fuel for the mills and fac.
tories of the surrounding country. In
1870 estimated the available quantity
of coal in this district at $4,000 900
tons.
Kilkenny, Queens County, and Tip
perary.-The coal worked in this dis
trict is anthracite or semi-bituminous,
and is worked in several collieries
around Castlecomer. The uppermost
seam has been worked out, and the
principal workings are on the "Jar.
row" seam, which has an average
thickness of about 13 inches, but it is
traversed by a remarkable channel of
very good coal, in which the thick.
ness is about two feet to two feet six
inches. Below this are other thin
seams, to whove which under the cen
ter of the basin Mr.. Wandesforde is
putting down boreholes. The Upper
ary coalfield is disconnected from that
of Kilkenny, and is of small extent. In
1880 estimated the quantity of avail
able coal in this district at 1O2, $50, 900
tons. But we have reliable returns
sent to the Secretary by Prof. Henry
Louis for the "JarrOw' seam on the
property of Mr.. Wandesforde, amount.
ing to 3,75O,OO0 tons, as the net avail
able quantity remaining unworked.
Connaught.-This district consists
of series of disconnected coal areas
traversed by the River Arigna, and
for the most part occupyig table lands
with a thick covering of peat. The
seams are thin and difficult of access.
The main coal measures 20 inches in
thickness, and is being worked in five
places. The coal is described as mot
high Glass;" but useful where there is
a good body Of fuel and strong
draught. Mr.. Rankine, of Glasgow,
estimates the quantity of the main
seam at 4,G5O,0OO tons, of which 5000.
900 tons is "round coap available for
general use The quantity of coal
raised in 1902 was as follows: Lett.
rim, 1,4OO tons; Roscommon; 9,4S8
tons; Sligo, 1923 tons, making a total
of 1916 tons.
Antrim.-This small coal tract, oc.
cupying part of the lofty cliff which
bounds the sea coast, may be consid-
cred as practically exhausted. The
quantity of coal obtained from 1t in
1902 amounted only to 219 tons, ac.
cording to the Government returns.
Its chief Importance lies in the fact
that 1t contains a valuable seam of
"black band" ironstone, which has
been extracted by tunneling from the
face of the cliff, and has been shipped
to Scotland for smelling
Net Available Quantity Remaining.
Taking the quantity arrived at in
the year 1880 at 177,OOO,OOO, and de-
Quoting. the quantity raised down to
the year 1902 amounting to 2,541 900
tons, there remain in Irish coalfields
174,45S,0O0 tons for the supply of fu-
ture years.
For Beauty.
| Drink glass Of water when vou