The Creevelea Iron Furnace is one of the few coke-fuelled ironworks in Ireland.
It was built in 1852 by a Scottish company and stood on the site of an earlier charcoal-fuelled furnace.
The first furnace, which was built by Charles Coote, Earl of Mountrath (d 1661), was sadly destroyed during the wars of the 1640s.
Circa 1852, two new blast furnaces sprung up here. The air was blasted in by a steam engine and they were supplied with ore via a horse tramway. They worked for less than 5 years though. But later, between 1861 and 62, saw further resurrections burning peat instead of charcoal. From 1896, under the Peat Charcoal Fuel & Iron Company of Ireland, an aerial ropeway to transport peat was constructed, but just one pig of iron was cast!
There has been a working furnace on this site from 1600 – 1898.
Parts of the works were demolished to provide road metals in the 1940s, but this blast furnace still stands.
Cycle Leitrim tells us that:
“From Manorhamilton, head south towards Drumkeerin. After 16km, turn left for Creevelea Church. When you reach the church (2km), turn left and then immediately right. From here the road goes straight up into the side of Boleybrack Mountain. 1km after the church the furnace tower is clearly visible on the left, and is accessible by foot across a grassy field.”
The Creevelea Iron Furnace is one of the few coke-fuelled ironworks in Ireland.
It was built in 1852 by a Scottish company and stood on the site of an earlier charcoal-fuelled furnace.
The first furnace, which was built by Charles Coote, Earl of Mountrath (d 1661), was sadly destroyed during the wars of the 1640s.
Circa 1852, two new blast furnaces sprung up here. The air was blasted in by a steam engine and they were supplied with ore via a horse tramway. They worked for less than 5 years though. But later, between 1861 and 62, saw further resurrections burning peat instead of charcoal. From 1896, under the Peat Charcoal Fuel & Iron Company of Ireland, an aerial ropeway to transport peat was constructed, but just one pig of iron was cast!
There has been a working furnace on this site from 1600 – 1898.
Parts of the works were demolished to provide road metals in the 1940s, but this blast furnace still stands.
Cycle Leitrim tells us that:
“From Manorhamilton, head south towards Drumkeerin. After 16km, turn left for Creevelea Church. When you reach the church (2km), turn left and then immediately right. From here the road goes straight up into the side of Boleybrack Mountain. 1km after the church the furnace tower is clearly visible on the left, and is accessible by foot across a grassy field.”
