Iron and Steel

Workhouse Railings in the Youth Centre, Carlow

Railings from the old workhouse in Carlow being reused at the Youth Centre. The Youth Centre is housed in the building which used to be the old fever hospital.

© Peter Walker

Workhouse Railings in the Youth Centre, Carlow
© Peter Walker

Workhouse Railings in the Youth Centre, Carlow

Railings from the old workhouse in Carlow being reused at the Youth Centre. The Youth Centre is housed in the building which used to be the old fever hospital.

© Peter Walker

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Workhouse Railings in use in a Carlow garden

Railings from the old workhouse in Carlow now being used in a private garden.

© Peter Walker

Workhouse Railings in use in a Carlow garden
© Peter Walker

Workhouse Railings in use in a Carlow garden

Railings from the old workhouse in Carlow now being used in a private garden.

© Peter Walker

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In the nineteenth century, cast and wrought iron was widely used as leading-edge building technology.

When ironwork was used with stone, the result was a testament to two quite different crafts combining to produce functional and aesthetic success.

There are some fine examples of the use of ironwork in the first part of the century in Carlow.

Carlow Courthouse railings

Carlow Courthouse Railings contribute substantially to the architectural impact of the building. The photograph shows an example of a fasces. This is a bundle of iron rods with projecting axe blades. In Roman History the fasces was canied by a lictor as a symbol of a Magistrates' power. The fasces feature is to be found here at the entrance gate to Carlow Courthouse.

Carlow County Library

Carlow Courthouse railings
Carlow County Library

Carlow Courthouse railings

Carlow Courthouse Railings contribute substantially to the architectural impact of the building. The photograph shows an example of a fasces. This is a bundle of iron rods with projecting axe blades. In Roman History the fasces was canied by a lictor as a symbol of a Magistrates' power. The fasces feature is to be found here at the entrance gate to Carlow Courthouse.

Carlow County Library

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Oak Park iron bridge detail

The Metal Bridge at Oak Park is considered to be of international importance. It was commissioned by Henry Bruen 11 around the year 1817. It was designed by the architect George Papworth. The castings for the bridge were most likely to have been supplied by the Coalbrookdale Company, Shropshire, England. The bridge consists of five parallel cast-iron arch ribs of 40 ft. span and 6 ft. rise and spaced 3 ft. 9 inches apart. The iron railings forming the parapets are composed of vertical bars fixed between top and bottom rails. The bottom rail is supported on ball feet. The photograph shows a wrought-iron snake motif which is featured at regular intervals along the parapet railings.

Carlow County Library

Oak Park iron bridge detail
Carlow County Library

Oak Park iron bridge detail

The Metal Bridge at Oak Park is considered to be of international importance. It was commissioned by Henry Bruen 11 around the year 1817. It was designed by the architect George Papworth. The castings for the bridge were most likely to have been supplied by the Coalbrookdale Company, Shropshire, England. The bridge consists of five parallel cast-iron arch ribs of 40 ft. span and 6 ft. rise and spaced 3 ft. 9 inches apart. The iron railings forming the parapets are composed of vertical bars fixed between top and bottom rails. The bottom rail is supported on ball feet. The photograph shows a wrought-iron snake motif which is featured at regular intervals along the parapet railings.

Carlow County Library

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Cast iron is an alloy of iron containing carbon and a variety of other materials. During the 18th and 19th centuries, cast iron was found to be a cheaper material for engineering purposes than wrought iron, because it did not need intensive refining. Its load-bearing strength was an important factor in its popularity.

Unlike cast iron, which is hard and brittle, wrought iron is soft and ductile. It is therefore superior to cast iron. During the 19th century wrought iron was increasingly used in building construction.

The railings that surround the Courthouse are an impressive example of ironwork. The piers for the gates consist of clusters of fasces topped by an arrangement of halberds. (A halberd has a sharp blade to one side and a spear on top).

Cast iron and wrought iron were an important element in the specification for the Gaol in 1827. Here is a description of the ironwork required for the main gate at the Gaol taken from the 'Specifications' of the architect John B. Keane; while the gates are no longer there it should be possible to reconstruct them from the description give below:

"The external gates of the Entrance Lodge to be formed of upright wrought iron bars 1˝ inches square placed diagonally on their bases and spaced six inches apart from centre to centre with top and bottom of intermediate horizontal flat iron rails 4 x 7/8 inches through which they pass and to be securely riveted and leaded etc. to the same. And to be firmly hung in pivots and sockets etc as before specified and inserted and leaded in the stone frames or reveals. And each gate to be furnished with very strong sound ….. outside iron lock firmly riveted on - and double iron bolts with all fasteners complete and permanent as the Architect approves."

The metal bridge at Oak Park dates from circa 1817. The architect was George Papworth. The cast-iron ribs for the bridge were manufactured by the Coal Brookdale Company in Shropshire. The bridge consists of five parallel cast-iron arch ribs of 40 foot span and 6 foot rise. They are spaced 3 foot, 9 inches apart. The deck is 15 foot wide and is formed of iron plates spanning transversely across the top of the ribs. The iron railings forming the parapets are composed of vertical bars fixed between top and bottom rails. The bottom rail is supported on ball feet. There is a wrought iron snake motif at regular intervals along the parapet railing. The bridge abasements are of Leinster granite with a limestone core. The bridge is considered to be of international importance.

Sugar Silos at Carlow Sugar Factory

The Sugar Silos at Carlow Sugar Factory on the Athy Road, Carlow were constructed in 1960 and 1975 respectively and were extended in 1990-1991. They were designed by Weibull of Sweden and the main contractors were Irish Sugar Limited and Whessoe Ireland Limited. The Silos have a total capacity of 75,000 tonnes and stand over 39 metres high. The purpose of those Silos is to store sugar in a dry, free flowing condition, throughout the year. The sugar is maintained at constant and controlled temperatures and humidity. The Silos sit on a raft foundation of concrete and steel 750mm in depth. The foundation is supported by concrete piles. The Silos are constructed from carbon steel with a coated interior. External metal cladding and insulation forms channels outside the steel Silos sheet. Heated air circulates here to keep the temperature even within the Silos.

Irish Sugar Ltd.

Sugar Silos at Carlow Sugar Factory
Irish Sugar Ltd.

Sugar Silos at Carlow Sugar Factory

The Sugar Silos at Carlow Sugar Factory on the Athy Road, Carlow were constructed in 1960 and 1975 respectively and were extended in 1990-1991. They were designed by Weibull of Sweden and the main contractors were Irish Sugar Limited and Whessoe Ireland Limited. The Silos have a total capacity of 75,000 tonnes and stand over 39 metres high. The purpose of those Silos is to store sugar in a dry, free flowing condition, throughout the year. The sugar is maintained at constant and controlled temperatures and humidity. The Silos sit on a raft foundation of concrete and steel 750mm in depth. The foundation is supported by concrete piles. The Silos are constructed from carbon steel with a coated interior. External metal cladding and insulation forms channels outside the steel Silos sheet. Heated air circulates here to keep the temperature even within the Silos.

Irish Sugar Ltd.

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Steel is an alloy of iron and carbon. The proportion of carbon amounts to two per-cent or less. However it is responsible for the valuable mechanical properties which steel possesses.

Steel is manufactured easily because of the abundance of source materials i.e. iron ore and scrap. It is one of the most widely used structural materials.

Carbon steels are extensively used for the structures of buildings. The sugar silos at Irish Sugar, Athy Road, Carlow are constructed from Carbon Steel with a coated interior.