The Brickworks in Kilcoole

Advert in the Wicklow Newsletter and County Advertiser, 1860 for Kilcoole Brick Works

Wicklow Newsletter and County Advertiser, 19th May, 1860 Vol. III No 51 page 1

The Brickworks were located on the townland of Ballydonerea, close to the sea, east of Kilcoole village. In 1836 the lands where the Brickworks were to be let and owned by George and A B Sherwood. There was no mention of Brickworks at that time. The Brickworks would appear to have been founded by William Wellington Bentley in the late 1850’s. The brickworks were mentioned in the Wicklow Newsletter and Courier in 1860 when it was recorded that they were “continuing to manufacture bricks throughout the year.” Proprietors were Messrs. Bentley of 110 Grafton Street, Dublin.

Bentley owned 193 acres of land around Kilcoole, including the brick and tile works. The land was held under a leasehold conversion dated from 1865 and had a yearly free farm rent of £284, which was to paid during the lifetime of William Sherwood, formerly of Killenure, Co. Wicklow, if living. In 1870 Bentley advertised the sale of his holding in Kilcoole, including the brick works, where it was recorded as having the best red brick clay and “the owner manufactured into bricks and tiles until lately”. After this year there was no record that I could find that the brickworks continued.

William Wellington Bentley

Bentley was the son of William Frederick Bentley a house and land agent and married a widow in Mary Lamprey nee Littledale daughter of John Littledale an auctioneer. William Wellington Bentley was a noted developer and was responsible for the development of the Foxrock estate. He started his career as a house agent in Dublin and resided in Foxrock and then went into developing with his brother buying land in Foxrock in 1859. He owned 500 acres in the area of Foxrock. Bentley went bankrupt in 1870 in London and died in Fulham in 1896. His wife returned to Ireland and died in Bray in 1912.