of the Eagle Foundry, Dublin
Also James Sheridan & Sons. The business appears to have later become Thomas Sheridan & Co.
1838 Advertisement: 'JAMES SHERIDAN, IRON AND BRASS FONDER, ,MILLWRIGHT; AND MACHINIST
IRON, STEEL, AND TINPLATE MERCHANT' Hydraulic Engineer to the Royal Dublin Society, to the Royal College of Maynooth, and Fire-proof Safe Maker to the National Bank of Ireland, GRATEFUL for past favours, now offers for Sale in great variety, the following Goods, on the most moderate terms:-
Metal Stoves, with Iron and Metal Flue to match .
Fire-proof Safes, with Chubbs' Patent Locks, manufactured in a superior manner, and engaged.
Steam Boilers and Tubs, on quite a new construction, for feeding Cattle.
Tanners' Pumps, and Barm Mills, with framing complete.
Plain and Ornamental House and Forcing Pumps, of every description.
Weighing Machines, on the newest and most approved principle, to weigh from five tons to 1 lb. correctly.
Beams, Scales, and Scale Weights, with moveable Uprights and Triangles, for weighing in Farm Yards.
Hydraulic Rams, for supplying Hot-houses, Gardens, Water-closets, &c., with water, one of which can be seen at work in the Royal Dublin Society's Botanic Gardens.
Kitchen Ranges of every size, with Steamers and Cooking Apparatus complete, also Ovens, Boilers. And Hot-hearths.
Horse Racks and Mangers, of different sizes.
Metal Columns and Chimney Tops, of every diameter and height.
Rain Spouts, Eave Gutters, and Hopper Heads, to suit.
Plough Mounting, of every description, and cast off of the best and most approved patterns in Ireland, with Sock Plates and Beam Moulds to match.
Scotch Pots, Steak Pans, Griddles, Kettles, Coal Boxes, and Ironmongery of all kinds for Kitchen use.
Parlour and Bed-room Grates, of all sizes.
Church and Demesne Bells, of every size and sweetest tone.
Cart Boxes, Shovels, and Chains, of every description.
Swedish and English Iron, with English and Scotch Pig Iron, in great abundance.
Coach Spring, Blistered and Cast Steel, of best marks.
Hoops, Sheet, and Rod Iron.
Best Horse-shoeing Iron, and patent Nail Rods.
Box Step Plate, and Scroll Iron, with a large stock of Tin Plates, and every description of Goods connected with the Foundry, Iron, and Brass trade.
Gates, Railing, and all kinds of Smiths' work executed to order, and in the very best manner.
Machinery and Mill Work of every kind cast without delay, from Models or Drawings.
Please see his Catalogue of Patterns, the last edition, printed in 1836, particularly for the use of Distillers, Brewers, Millers, and Millwrights, since which it has been vastly increased for their accommodation.
The highest price allowed for old Metal, Iron, Brass, or Lead, taken in Cash or Exchange.
Eagle Foundry, 163, Church-street, and Iron, Steel, and Tin-plate Stores, 47, Bridgefoot, Dublin.' [1]
1841 'FARMING IMPLEMENT FACTORY, BRIDGEFOOT-STREET, DUBLIN. A variety of the different Farming Implements and Utensils suited to the present season, now ready for delivery, vis. Double and Single Land Rollers. Strong Break Harrows, for two or four horses. Finlayson's Harrow...... JAMES SHERIDAN AND SONS, in recommending the above, beg to solicit orders .... FOR SALE AT THE EAGLE FOUNDRY, CHURCHSTREET, where Metal Work and Machinery ...... ' [2]
1844 'REMOVAL OF THE GREAT BELL OF ST. MARY'S FROM SHERIDAN'S FOUNDRY TO THE METROPOLITAN CHURCH. This interesting specimen of Irish manufacture and enterprise, the largest and the first of its size ever cast in Ireland, excited much curiosity as it passed along the quays, and through Sackville-street, to its destination yesterday. The accompanying crowds increased to such an extent when it arrived at the church, that with some difficulty the police were enabled to keep free passage through the street. The bell was drawn up an inclined plane, on the carriage constructed for its conveyance, and rolled along a tram- way of planks into the church. It was subsequently elevated, near the altar (with much mechanical skill, considering the enormous weight of nearly three tons), on a hollow square platform, nearly four feet from the ground, and remains thus placed for the convenience of the ceremony of its pontifical blessing to be solemnized on to-morrow. The dimensions of the bell are five feet four inches in diameter, four feet in height, four inches in thickness, and five thousand and fifty-four pounds in weight-the clapper alone weighs nearly one hundred weight. The cost of the bell, mountings, and belfry, amounts to 350 guineas-the free and generous offering of the excellent ladies of the parish, which, when added to the completion of their intended design of furnishing three statues for the pediment of the portico, will arrive very nearly to a similar amount of 1,000 guineas, previously collected by these pious ladies of the parish, for the chaste and magnificent pure white statuary marble altar that already decorates this truly splendid edifice. The inscription round the lower edge of the bell is as follows:- " This bell (the first public Angelus bell tolled here for the last three centuries) was cast in Dublin, A.D. 1844, by order of his Grace the Most Reverend Doctor Daniel Murray, for his Church of St. Mary's of the Conception, Marlboro'-street, Dublin." On one side, between the wreath of shamrocks at the rim and top, is represented the Archbishop's arms, with shield, pallium, cross, mitre, &c.-and on the reverse, the maker's name, J. Sheridan, Dublin. [3]
1845 Bell for St. Patrick’s Church, Toxteth Park, Liverpool:
'.... the bell was lodged in the tower prepared for its reception, and, upon trial, was found to be very satisfactory, its tone being much admired as solemn, melodious, and clear. It is from the Eagle Foundry of Mr. Sheridan, Church-street, Dublin, and is the No. 7 of a chime to which, last year, was awarded by the Royal Dublin Society, the prize of a gold medal of the value of ten guineas. Its diameter is 3 feet 10 inches, its weight 16 cwt. 1 qr. 12lbs.' (From the Liverpool Mercury) '[It is exceedingly gratifying to find that Irishmen are able to push a difficult, and, with us, a new branch of manufacture into a country where it has been long practised with power and success].' [4]
1847 'ROYAL DUBLIN SOCIETY - SIR ROBERT KANE'S LECTURES ON ARTS AND MANUFACTURES. On yesterday our distinguished countryman, Sir Robert Kane, delivered to a crowded audience of the very elite of the science and respectability of our city, the first lecture of a forthcoming course on the subject of manufactures......... The subject of the lecture on yesterday was the manufacture of iron and steel. ........ A small furnace, with double blast tubes, had been fitted up by Mr. Sheridan, proprietor of Church-street foundry, also a portable forge; thus the whole process of melting the crude material, and running it whilst at a white and liquid heat, into moulds prepared for its was witnessed, perhaps, for the first time in their lives, by many present, The lecturer then diverged to the manufacture of malleable iron, and its uses in the manufacture of fire arms, He described with admirable clearness and precision the old and now exploded plan of making musket barrels by simple longitudinal welding, as contrasted with the safer and more scientific construction of gun barrels such as those made by the Mantons in the sister country, and by Rigby in Dublin. A number of Mr Rigby's men attended, and the entire of this most interesting process was shown. From the congregated bundles of old horse shoe nails, bound together and submitted to a powerful heat, to the forging and twisting of the well hammered mass into a metallic ribbon spirally wound to form a gun barrel, the tenacity of whose material, and the peculiar direction of whose metallic fibres resists all tendency to burst even when overloaded, and the very strongest explosive compound is fired from it.'[5]
1853 'THE DUBLIN INDUSTRIAL EXHIBITION.
Mr. Sheridan, cf the Eagle Foundry, Dublin, and Messrs. Hodges of Dublin, stand prominent amongst the Irish exhibitors, displaying a large variety of church bells, fire-proof safes, Gothic entrance gate and piers, steam engines, lifting and force pumps, &c. — the whole of which appear equal in manufacture to anything in the Exhibition.'[6]
1880 Thomas Sheridan & Co of Church Street were advertising some of the same products and services, including bell founding.[7]