Wordwell, 2023
Hardback, 344 pages

Clay brick has been an important building material in Ireland for many centuries. Most brick found in Irish buildings was made locally and there is a rich social, industrial, and architectural history associated with that manufacture and use that is unique to every county. In this gazetteer, known brickmaking areas are identified, together with information on the physical remnants of local brickfields and brickworks and their transport connections where these survive. The text is illustrated with a selection of buildings and other structures chosen to show the broad range of types and uses of native brick.

This book is a record of where clay brick was made in the country and how this locally made indigenous material has shaped the character of Irish buildings for more than four centuries.

Susan Roundtree is a retired conservation architect with a particular interest in architectural history, historic buildings and building materials. She obtained a Master of Letters in Trinity College Dublin for her research on the history of clay brick as a building material in Ireland and brick continues to be her area of special interest.