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THE COLLIERIES IN THE COUNTY OF TIPPERARY

22, Richmond Hill, Rathmine: Road, Dublin
10th June 1841.

1. THE Mining Company of Ireland have three collieries in this county, situated from about two, to SIX miles from Killenaule. I first visited Mardyke Colliery, which is the nearest to Killenaule and where the agent for all of them, Mr. Robert Nicolson, resides. At this pit there are no children employed, and but two or three young person, and no females at all; indeed females are not employed in any of the collieries in this county.
2. Mr. Nicolson stated that they had a few young boys who were employed under ground, merely opening and shutting the doors after the waggons had passed throuah in order to keep the fresh air in its regular course round the mine; that for the other work, as “ hurries,” they required strong able young men of from about 18 years old and upwards.
3. The hurries, fillers, and colliers are generally partners in the same bargain.
4. At the Sleive Ardagh Colliery, which is about six miles distant, but under the same management and direction, there are about 20 young men under 18 years of age employed, but no children; but the day I visited it was fair-day at Ballingarry, close by, and the people were not at work. There also were two or three little boys employed as at the other pit, opening and shutting the doors, after the waggons had passed.
 5. At the Mardyke Colliery is a temperance hall, a lending library and reading room, a saving society, and a school-room about to be built by subscription of the company. and colliers.
6. There are also neat ranges of buildings built by the company as residences for the colliers.

In 1824 the Mining Company of Ireland was formed by an Act of Parliament. In 1826 the Mining Company opened extensive collieries at Mardyke, in the parish of Killenaule. The Company leased the land for 21 years from three landowners, Palliser, Tighe and Ponsonby . At this time a steam engine was providing power for the workings and the company built an engine house and 9 dwellings for workmen. In 1829, 10 additional houses were built for workers. In 1831 the lease was extended for 41 years and in 1832, 6 more houses were built for the miners. Offices, a police barracks and a school were also built and Mardyke became the first mining village in Ireland.

The Primary valuation of Tenements for the area reports, that, by 1848 there were 33 houses in this village, three were vacant at the time of the survey. The families who occupied the houses were;- Alice Rochford, William Hunt, William Gleeson, Patrick Walsh & James Walsh, Thomas Stapleton, Eliza Hogan, Richard Morris, John Carroll, Patrick Hackett, Patrick Condon, Michael Gleeson, James Sweeney, John Pemberty, Thomas Gorman, Thomas Morris, Edward St John, John Hogan, Timothy Gleeson, Thomas Heffernan, Thomas Sweeney, James Delaney, Charles Power, Michael Power, Thomas Morris, Edward Russell, John Brien, Patrick Power and Richard Power.
All the houses had slate roofs, the village was divided into three streets, Puddle Street also known as River Street, Middle Street and High Street.
The area was then known as ‘The Found’ and still is today.

7. Altogether, at the company’s pits, there are about 400 people employed. There is a great deal of sulphur amongst the coal, so much, that, at that used for the steam-engines, I found it almost impossible to enter the engine-house from the suffocating smell.
8. In this neighbourhood, between the two principal pits of the company, there is a very extensive colliery, called the Coolbrook, belonging to — Langley, Esq., which I visited, but, being fair-day close by, the people were not at work ; thie machinery connected with the pumping was also so much out of order that they expected to stop work for a week or two.
9. Mr. Nasmyth, the agent, told me they did not employ children—that they were of no use ; they required strong able lads of 17 or 18 years old to do their work, of whom about 80 were employed. They work from eight to twelve hours daily, and, as the work is all task-work, there are no regular meal-times ; but he informed me that the people generally took bread with them when they had their meals under ground.
10. There are about 400 people employed at this pit.
11. There is no school attached to the works, neither is there a sick-fund, or doctor’s fund.
12. On my remarking upon the high price of the coal at the pit mouth (lOd. a cwt. for the best), Mr. Nasmyth said, in consequence of the great difficulty in getting the coal, it hardly paid a remunerating price, not more than 2. per cent. interest on the capital employed ; that the seam of coal was generally very small, and the rock they had frequently to work through was exceedingly hard.
13. There are in all directions hereabouts small shafts opened, which are worked only until they come to the water, for the sake of the culm or small coal, used for burning limestone, and by the poorer people for fuel.
14. I believe there are two or three other rather extensive collieries hereabouts but I had not time to visit them all.
15. It is a subject worthy of remark, that at all the mines I have visited the managing directors are Englishmen, generally Cornishmen ; and at the collieries in Tipperary the managing agents are Scotchmen.
16. I am told the Irish are not clever at sinking shafts, but are pretty good miners, so long as they have some experienced Cornishmen working with them, or to direct them—being comparatively a new field for them, they do not generally understand the operations of mining, except the simple one of getting the ore or coal.
I have the honor to be, Gentlemen,

Your very obedient humble servant,
FREDERICK ROPER,
Sub-Commissioner