Miner's Housing

Commercial coalmining had a huge impact on the Castlecomer area and put an end to the historical isolation of this part of North Kilkenny by giving impetus to road building and canals. This gave rise to an increased traffic of people and commodities.

Recorded surnames of workers show English immigrants in the Fassadinin area. Miners were sent over from Yorkshire to supplement knowledgeable labour. Irish families became coal miners and wood hauliers. There was dual involvement of estate tennants in mining and agriculture. The building of a military barracks around 1717 reflected one aspect of mining society. Substantial new houses were built to house colliery managers and more ephemeral dwellings housed the colliers.

In Tighe's Statistical Survey he states;

" Their houses are ruinous, generally built as well as covered with sods, upon which heavy stones are sometimes laid, to prevent their being blown off: chimneys and windows are luxuries deemed unnecessary."

Tennants were allowed four acres and a dwelling, provided they worked in the mine when Lord Castlecomer asked them to.The impact of this arrangement on the landscape can be clearly seen when looking at estate maps for this period.

Settlement growth was influenced by the road network. Colliery villages were built at crossroads. From 1812 to 1838 the village of Gazebo developed where the Leighlinbridge - Athy road converged at Moneenroe. Other village settlements that evolved were Chatsworth, Clough, Newtown, Doonane, Boneyarrow, Cloneen, Old Road, Massford, Jarrow, Sidegate, Montheen, Timberow and, most recently, Deerpark.

John Edge, proprietor of Doonane Colliery, stated;

"the population of the three collieries of Newtown, the lordship and Clough was very great , with the working colliers living in little detached cottages quite close to each other."

Another witness confirmed that the population was as great if not greater than any part of Ireland, with cabins studded over the entire area. It can be clearly seen when looking at maps for this period, that the physical landscape of this area was greatly affected by centuries of underground coal production.