School: Ardcath (roll number 1903)
- Location:
- Ard Catha, Co. na Mí
- Teacher: Seosamh S. Ó Duinnithín
Archival Reference
The Schools’ Collection, Volume 0685, Page 144
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- It was always supposed that the quarry at Hands land in Cloghan was a valuable slate quarry and that a large and valuable amount of slate quarrying material was in the neighbourhood. Tradition said that slates were quarried there up to the year 1830 and that the fine slates on Brangan's house adjoining the present school, the school itself even and houses around Finglas were slated with that quarried in Cloghan.
Accordingly in 1933-34 with the ascension of Fianna Fail to office a local effort was made to get the quarry going again. The unfortunate position was that the old quarry was filled with water which had to be removed before a survey of the bottom would be made. The Gov. granted £100 towards relief of unemployment in the district and asked that it would be used to enquire into the possibilities of the quarry. Work started on the quarry. About 12 men were employed. They used hand pumps and conducted the water away in small drains. When these were not strong enough to remove the water they used an engine. After weeks of work they got down about 40 feet. The pumps had to be kept going practically all day and night. The med was then flung up out but by then no trace of suitable slate was found.
It was only a flag quarry. When the £100 was spent a couple of whist drives and ceilidhe were arranged to cover the extra cost of wages, and the mud and other materials thrown back again.
- Informant
- J. J. Dunican
