 |
| The old quarry at Ballyknockan |
On
the last day of my short tour of southern Ireland, to survey some building
stone quarries that were listed as County Geological Sites, my plan was to
visit Ballyknockan and Ballybrew which, historically, were very important
producers of granite.
 |
| A boundary wall at Ballyknockan Quarry |
Staying
overnight at Blessington, having driven from Kilkenny the previous day, I was
situated on the edge of the Wicklow National Park, where the hard granite was
sculpted into spectacular landscapes by glaciers in the Quaternary Period.
Ballyknockan
overlooks the Blessington Lakes, where the River Liffey has been dammed to provide a
hydroelectric power station and a reservoir, and there are some good views of the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains.
Like
in the UK, the production of granite in Ireland has declined considerably in
recent years and, although there were some operational workshops at the
Ballyknockan quarry, much of this sprawling site had long since been disused.
Away
from the current working faces, small exposures of the granite can be observed
in a relatively safe environment and here, the old traditional buildings and
plant and machinery also provide interest for the industrial archaeologist.
 |
| General views of Ballyknockan Quarry |
Having
had a good walk around the site, checking the boundaries and making a note of
the points of interest, I headed off into the heart of the Wicklow Mountains. I
wanted to stop and look around Glendalough and enjoy a drive through this landscape, but I was thwarted by the heaviest
downpour of rain that I had encountered during my stay in Ireland.
 |
| General views of Ballybrew Quarry |
At
Ballybrew Quarry, which has now closed, the old quarry faces were not
easily or safely accessible, with one part being filled with water, and fenced
off, and the other being littered with large piles of off cuts and waste
material, which would make visits by the general public quite hazardous. With my work for the week finished, I finally arrived back in Dublin...
