Lime Kiln, Rylagh Road, Omagh, Co Tyrone, BT79 7SY

Lime Kiln, Rylagh Road, Omagh

A free-standing lime kiln built around 1800, located on the west side of Rylagh Road. The structure is square-on-plan and partially recessed within a grassy bank. It remains largely unchanged from its original form, though it is now heavily overgrown with vegetation covering much of the roof and walls.

The kiln is constructed of random rubble stone with ashlar sandstone quoins. The principal elevation faces east and is dominated by a two-stage elliptical-arched-headed rebated opening, which served as the charging point for the kiln. At the base of this opening is a square-headed draw hole with keystone detail, from which the burnt lime was extracted. The north and south elevations are partially recessed within the bank and are largely obscured by vegetation.

The kiln is located at the roadside with access from the east, bounded on each side by wire fencing and vegetation. It was recorded on the first edition Ordnance Survey map of 1833, though the masonry detailing and scale suggest it may possibly date to the late eighteenth century.

Lime kilns were among Ireland's most numerous and widely distributed industrial monuments. This example was probably used for agricultural purposes. Limestone was calcined in these kilns to produce quicklime, which was primarily employed as an alkali to neutralise acidic soils and improve agricultural productivity. Lime was also used as mortar and whitewash, as a flux in blast furnaces, and in various industrial processes including bleaching powder production and hide tanning. With the spread of improved agricultural techniques in the second half of the eighteenth century, demand for quicklime as a fertiliser led to the construction of larger kilns. The vast majority of surviving lime kilns in Irish rural areas are continuous draw kilns, typically rubble stone structures around 4 to 8 metres wide and 5 to 8 metres high with square or rectangular ground plans. Kilns in rural areas were operated intermittently, with firing campaigns lasting up to 48 hours at temperatures between 900 and 1,200 degrees Celsius. They were commonly located at roadsides, in quarries, or at coastal locations to facilitate transport of the lime.

The kiln represents the development of agriculture in the area and forms an important element of the historic landscape. However, the structure is currently overgrown and its setting is compromised.