Lime Kilns

When these kilns were working, they were constantly filled with alternative layers of quarried broken limestone and coal, having been lit from the bottom of the kiln and was then known as 'burnt lime'. As water was added it 'sloughed', forming a white powder which was then put to various uses. Its primary usage was to lower the acidity of the soil; hence it was highly valued by the farming community. It was also used as a whitewash for the traditional cottage and a binding agent for mortar and plaster. With the progress of mechanisation, the industry saw the introduction of crushing mills and driers and this heralded the advent of ground limestone. In the case of the first image of Dunaree Lime Kiln, the nearby quarries known as Collow Quarry, General Trading Service and Moffatt's, supplied stone for both roads and ground lime and were a major employer in the post war years. It was constructed Between 1860 -1879 and last commercially used in 1952