One of the very earliest glass-houses was erected here on the Stannus
property, but very little is known about it or its particular
productions, and it closed down in a few years from lack of financial
support. I believe drinking glasses were its chief output. We have
a tumbler which was made here, and some wine glasses are still in
existence.
=IRISH GILDING.=
Foreign workmen were employed in Ireland, particularly cutters,
engravers, and gilders. Irish gilding almost stands alone. It is _very_
hard, and cannot be rubbed off in the usual way. When deliberately
scraped off it leaves the glass underneath quite rough, consequently
it has survived ordinary wear and tear almost intact. The process was
chemical, and it is a great pity that more of it was not done. Very
fine soft oil gilding was executed for some years, about 1786, by a
German called Grahl.
=THE LAST MAKER.=
The glass industry died out about 1896, Pugh, of Dublin, being the
last maker of flint glass in Ireland. He is often credited with
being the first to introduce "lustre" cutting, but the rare plate of
the Cork Glass Cutters' Union, already referred to, shows that this
decoration must have been done in Cork early in the nineteenth century,
since it may be presumed that the pieces they have chosen as being
representative of their own craft would be those most largely produced.
The fine old jug in the centre, for instance, is a splendid specimen of
"lustre" work. Some people, other than glass-cutters, refer to this as
"pillar cutting"--quite a good description.
=GLASS-MAKERS' WAGES.=
While on the subject of the workers, it will be of interest, in these
days of high wages, to recall the remuneration paid to these artists
in glass as recorded in the Dublin Museum. The founder received the
princely sum of 7s. for his week's work, while the fireman only got 6s.
The glass-maker himself (not the cutter or the engraver) was evidently
a piece-worker, earning at most 50s. a week, and was doubtless a mighty
wealthy man.