Depth Study: Industrialization in Ireland 1825-55
Industrialization in Ireland 1825-55
1821 – 40% of the Irish population were in manufacturing
Growing industries in Belfast
- Shipbuilding
- Textiles (linen, cotton, wool)
- (Railways)
Wool
• Wool industry crucial in 1770s and was a significant source of employment.
• Protected by tariffs in late C18 and early C19
• Britain’s own domestic industry in wool grew in early to mid 1800s – competition for
Irish industry
• Competition also existed in the supply of wool from other countries – these
countries had more advanced steam-powered looms
• Important but never the main industry
Cotton
• 1770-1824 cotton protected by Irish parliament through tariffs (imports 10% charge)
• Significant source of employment pre-1824 – by 1811 50,000 alone worked in cotton
• By 1824 cotton industry faltered due to:
• Expense of coal (this is now disproven but believed at the time)
• Shift to linen industry due to: competition from Britain, wet spinning
techniques for linen, 1825 stock market crash meaning investors withdrew,
greater profit margin from linen
Everyone believed this would be a key industry however it was more of a trend
boom and bust quickly
Linen
• Difficult to produce – complicated process. Watch clip on modern process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZrZZefkohE
• Significant growth in linen industry during this period – Belfast came to be known as
‘linenopolis’
• 1715 – 2 million yards of linen produced
• 1790 – 40 million yards, 1/3 of country’s export to Britain
• Led to growth in technology and infrastructure
– Wet spinning technique adopted after 1825 which made production more
efficient and quality higher than elsewhere – also higher profit margin than
cotton. Easy to adopt in Ireland as Belfast had River Lagan running through it
so constant supply of water.
– Developed cottage industries for weaving in early 1800s which supplemented
farmers’ personal incomes within fallow months
– Developed steam ships, trade route from Belfast to Liverpool, merchant class
Industrialization in Ireland 1825-55
1821 – 40% of the Irish population were in manufacturing
Growing industries in Belfast
- Shipbuilding
- Textiles (linen, cotton, wool)
- (Railways)
Wool
• Wool industry crucial in 1770s and was a significant source of employment.
• Protected by tariffs in late C18 and early C19
• Britain’s own domestic industry in wool grew in early to mid 1800s – competition for
Irish industry
• Competition also existed in the supply of wool from other countries – these
countries had more advanced steam-powered looms
• Important but never the main industry
Cotton
• 1770-1824 cotton protected by Irish parliament through tariffs (imports 10% charge)
• Significant source of employment pre-1824 – by 1811 50,000 alone worked in cotton
• By 1824 cotton industry faltered due to:
• Expense of coal (this is now disproven but believed at the time)
• Shift to linen industry due to: competition from Britain, wet spinning
techniques for linen, 1825 stock market crash meaning investors withdrew,
greater profit margin from linen
Everyone believed this would be a key industry however it was more of a trend
boom and bust quickly
Linen
• Difficult to produce – complicated process. Watch clip on modern process
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ZrZZefkohE
• Significant growth in linen industry during this period – Belfast came to be known as
‘linenopolis’
• 1715 – 2 million yards of linen produced
• 1790 – 40 million yards, 1/3 of country’s export to Britain
• Led to growth in technology and infrastructure
– Wet spinning technique adopted after 1825 which made production more
efficient and quality higher than elsewhere – also higher profit margin than
cotton. Easy to adopt in Ireland as Belfast had River Lagan running through it
so constant supply of water.
– Developed cottage industries for weaving in early 1800s which supplemented
farmers’ personal incomes within fallow months
– Developed steam ships, trade route from Belfast to Liverpool, merchant class
