Tall Chimneys??

leedslad

Driving through Fanaboy/Cashel na gCorr/Mines areas of Cloughaneely,I see a lot of small outbuildings with very tall chimneys,I presume given the terrain that they may be sheep related.Anyone know for sure?

Noreen1

Doubtful. Impossible to say for sure without a photo.

Traditionally, the type of sheep reared in this area would have been the black faced mountain breed. That breed was particularly hardy, and would not have been housed.

Nowadays, of course, though there are still some traditional breeds reared, breeds like suffolk, cheviot, etc. are more common.

Whereas these breeds are often housed, I know of no farmers who build sheds with chimneys to house them.

Is it possible that the buildings you refer to are old dwellings?

muffler

Noreen1 wrote: »

Is it possible that the buildings you refer to are old dwellings?

I'd say that's the most likely explanation.

Sheep don't smoke either :pac:

overshoot

how far are they from the house? most houses would have had central heating installed recently (when compared to the age of the house at least), many have boilers in outbuildings but these would probably still be attached to the house.
i dont know of sheep sheds with chimney ventilation, old outbuildings ususally have some pipes built into the wall to allow for this.
again as noreen was saying a picture would help, could you link one on google maps?

cosanostra

A link from google st view would be handy here, my 1st thought would be something related to the mines that operated there

Ford4000

Moonshine maybe.....lol

cosanostra

http://maps.google.ie/maps?hl=en&ll=55.078122,-8.143187&spn=0.016853,0.11982&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=55.07811,-8.143187&panoid=PBHF7tCb01kiPqu7LQg0OA&cbp=12,109.47,,1,3.59

I reckon this is what OP is on about interesting, I have no idea why a chimney would need to be that tall for that small a building

Cul a cnoic

I asked the same question many years ago and from memory, they were for tomato houses. Cannot be sure but someone else can correct me.

leedslad

I've also heard today that they were used to warm greenhouses for tomatoes and that there were grants available at the time late 50's early 60's to encourage growers

leedslad

Here's another, and there are several more in the areas aforementioned
http://g.co/maps/yjn8k

muckish

Cul a cnoic wrote: »

I asked the same question many years ago and from memory, they were for tomato houses. Cannot be sure but someone else can correct me.

I think you're right. There's plenty of them in Connemara as well. Was it during "the Emergency". There must have been some sort of glasshouse structure.

Noreen1

Well, old dwellings they are not, nor are they used for sheep!

I don't know what they were used for, though!

There was a tomato growing industry in the area in the 60s. There was a factory, (of sorts) in Lower Baltony, behind the parish hall, where the farmers sold the tomatoes.
I remember eating many a vine tomato from a neighbouring glasshouse.:D
He didn't have any outbuildings with a tall chimney stack, though!
Having said that, some of the other growers may have had such buildings.

If those buildings/outhouses were closer to dwellings, I'd guess that they were used to store oil burners - but since they're not, I haven't a clue what they were used for.

Time to don my local history hat, and go looking for answers, methinks!