What is recorded here

Aghadark hosted iron works from 1695 until the late 1700s, beginning under Captain William Slack and later passing to the Gores of Woodford. The site lay near today’s schools, and copious iron slag still surfaced during 1930s pipe-laying, proving the hammers and furnaces once shook that quiet ground.

There were iron works in the Ballinamore district which were started in 1695 by a Captain William Slack that lasted up to the last quarter of the 18th century. By 1750 the works were owned by the Gores of Woodford (LE026-001002-) (Meehan 1923-6, 413-4), and advertisements for leasing the works continued down to 1775 at least. They were situated in Aghadark townland close to where the schools are now, and what remained of the works were destroyed when the can al was built. Copious amounts of iron slag were recovered here in the 1930s when water and sewage pipes were laid (Gallogly 1991, 177). Compiled by: Michael Moore Date of upload: 27 February, 2017

The monument record does not grant public access. Check the route and ask the landowner before entering private land.