The
best known Irish Natural slates came from the old slate quarries
in the ARRA Mountains at PORTROE, near NENAGH Co. Tipperary.
The slates
were known as KILLALOE slates because they were shipped from
the Slate Jetty at the port of Killaloe on the Shannon river.
Slate quarrying was carried on in this area since the middle
ages. Indeed it was reputed that Brian Boru slated a large house
on the banks of the Shannon with KILLALOE slates.
Peak production
was reached before the famine of the 1840’s when 800 people
were employed in the Slate Quarries. The slate was again in
great demand in the 1930’s and 40’s when there was
a prohibition on Welsh slate during the “economic war”
with Gt. Britain. Schools and other Government buildings constructed
during this period are all covered with native Killaloe slates.
Large scale production roofing of slate ceased in 1945 with
very limited production by a Co-operative in 1960’s and
the McAlpine / CAPCO joint venture in the early 1990’s.
Today the
Killoran Slate Quarry is the central Depot which stocks a whole
variety of Natural Slates, Clay Tiles and Reclaimed materials.
The sheds are used for dressing and grading old slates prior
to dispatch to sites throughout Ireland for restoration and
new-build.
