Shale/Brick making

Shale Deposits for brick making

1. Rathdrina: Tully’s Brick Works

1907 Invoice – bricks used to build the porch of Red House, Rathdrina (see map)

1923 Invoice. Bricks used to build coach house at Red House Rathdrina

Rathdrinagh Brick Works (Tully’s) per Ordinance Survey map 1836, revised 1909 (Dwyer family archive)

2. Grangegeeth, Slane

Unknown, Bill Fleming, unknown, Nicholas Carpenter, unknown, unknown – photo c. 1930 . (Eddie Fleming)

Fleming’s brick works, Grangegeeth, Slane operated between 1910 and early 1930’s.

Fleming’s bill head

Fleming’s Bricks were hand made between 1910 and early 1930’s

Christopher Dunne, Slane, provided a transport service for Fleming’s bricks. Flemings had a truck in earlier years.

Slane Brick Co Ltd succeeded Flemings between 1934 and 1970’s when the business was taken over by Peter Doggett and became Doggett Brick. The shale deposits in Grangegeeth ran out in time and new deposits were found at Mullaghdillon about 2km south.

Machine formed brick 1930-40s

Machine made brick of Slane Brick Co. Ltd. This brick was recovered by Thomas (Tommy) Byrne at the demolition of McDonagh’s house, Balrenny, Slane. This was one of a consignment used to frame a cooker in the kitchen and hence one end is rounded. Dominic McDonagh was featured outside his home in the RTE documentary on Slane referred to elsewhere on this website.

Probably a Spring Show stand at the RDS by the Slane Brick Co. Ltd. The gentlemen in the photograph may have been directors of the company.

Jack Smith who was a manager in Slane Brick Co

3. Shale deposit at Balrenny

Thomas (Tommy) Byrne of Balrenny House, Slane believes that bricks were made from shale on his farm which were used in the construction of houses in Mell, Drogheda. Apart from a small quarry, no other evidence of brick making here exists.