# Some Irish Bottles



## ronayne88 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi all,

 I have only taken an interest in bottle digging in the past few weeks and have come across a few minor dumps. The old dumps I found have bottles from the 1800s (as traced by the embossing), but have only yielded broken shards. I recently found a nice dump but most of the stuff *seems* to be quite recent (1950-70). However, I did manage to come across some older looking bottles. 

 I would like some help in identification of some of these (and what they may have contained), as I have not yet figured out how to age bottles properly with regards to markings etc. 

 Image one here: http://i53.tinypic.com/156zmhf.jpg shows all bottles... from left to right bottles read:

*1:* blank
*2:* blank, but bottom reads: IGB (Irish Glass Bottle), 8-OZ , LY-5
*3:* blank, botttom reads: 5
*4:* This I understand is an old type Guinness bottle. The cirular stamp on the front reads DIC, SE (SaorstÃ¡t Ã‰ireann or Irish Free State). This was in existence between the years 1922â€“1937, so would I be correct in assuming that this bottle is from that period?. The bottom reads: 10 IGB
*5:* This reads "Essence Coffee & Chicory", "Newsom & Sons Ltd", "Cork", with IGB, 208, 1 on the bottom.
*6:* Finally, this bottle reads "Cork Distilleries Co Ltd", with IGB, 330L - 12, IIX on the bottom.

 No 3 looks very odd to me - anyone have any ideas what it could have been used for? Also does anyone know how old the bottle stopper may be or what kind of bottles these would have been used for?

 I also found a harmonica, and two spoons - one which says "Property of NACB". I have no idea what this stands for.

 Thanks in advance,

 SeÃ¡n.

 PS: I can attach more pictures if needed.


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## cowseatmaize (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi and welcome. It sounds like an educated guess would be your from Ireland but I'll ask anyway.
 It the meantime the Newsom is the only familiar one to me from over here. They were a coffee, tea, spice etc dealer if memory serves me. The bottle may have had a stopper like the one you have shown. They had a cork wrapping and some were embossed.  Lea & Perrin, Holbrook and others used that and so may your Cork liquor bottle as some flasks did. I'll guess that's County Cork. It that where your from?
 The green I would say is from the time period you mention but I don't know the history. Is that an inside screw thread?
 Anyway welcome, again.


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## ronayne88 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi Cowseatmaize,

 Thanks for the reply! Yeah I'm from Cork, Ireland (just updated my profile now). There is no screw thread inside. It's probably just the lighting. A lot of the bottles I found have direct connections to Cork but I'm finding it very difficult to trace anything. I have not been doing this long and the green guinness bottle is my best so far. I did find some 19thC bottles but unfortunately they were broken. I have found a nice looking dump recently with stoneware shards popping out as well as glass. Unfortunately though it is the bank on the side of a road. It's a really interesting hobby. I hope to get some digging done tomorrow. 

 All the best and thanks,

 SeÃ¡n


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## surfaceone (Mar 9, 2011)

Hello Sean,

 Welcome to the forum, and thanks for showing the great finds.






*3:* looks like a medicine phial or vial

*4:* Appears to be an ale type form. I'd love to see closeups of the seal and the base.

*5:* "Newsom & Sons Ltd" were Tea Merchants in Cork, per the 1907 directory. "Essence of Coffe & Chicory" was a popular flavoring essence of the period and could be used to make a tasty beverage.

*6:* "Cork Distilleries Co Ltd" was founded 1867. "867: The Cork Distilleries Company is founded. The Midleton Distillery combines with four distilleries - North Mall, the Green, Watercourse and John Street...1882: Paddy Flaherty joins the Cork Distilleries Co. Ltd and creates the legend of â€œPaddyâ€™s whiskey.â€ From.

 "The display of Cork Distilleries Co. Ltd. was similar to that shown in previous international exhibitions at Philadelphia in 1876, Paris in 1878 and Sydney in 1879. It was in 1825 that the Murphy brothers founded the Midleton, Co. Cork. Distillery. That eventually became the home of all of the Companyâ€™s manufactured whiskeys, especially after they installed the worldâ€™s largest pot still with a capacity of 33,000 gallons. In 1867, the Cork Distilleries Company was set up when the Midleton Distillery amalgamated with four distilleries in the city. In 1880 over 400 brands of Irish whiskey were on sale around the world and more than 160 distilleries were in full production to meet the demand. In 1882 Paddy Flaherty joined the Cork Distilleries Co. Ltd and created the legend of â€œPaddyâ€™s whiskey.â€ From 1919 to 1933 the Prohibition Laws in the USA decreed that all production, importation and trade in alcoholic beverages was forbidden. This had a devastating effect on the Irish whiskey industry.  In 1921, the economic war with Britain meant that trade sanctions are imposed on Irish whiskey sales to the British Empire. Many Irish Distilleries closed as a result of this trade embargo." From.




From 1919 Directory.






 "144	CORK DISTILLERIES CO MULTICOLOURED TIN SIGN. 16.5 by 12.5ins. Bottle of whisky & crate pictured â€˜CORK/ DISTILLERIES CO LTD/ WHISKY/ PURE/ POT STILLâ€™ in gold lettering. Surface marks etc., overall quite good. NR Â£30-40+." From.



> Also does anyone know how old the bottle stopper may be or what kind of bottles these would have been used for?


 These stoppers would have been cork wrapped to effect the seal. Used on a variety of bottles through the 19th century & into the 20th.

 The more pictures the merrier, is my philosophy...


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## ronayne88 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi Surfaceone,

 Thanks for all of the information. With regards to bottle #4 - I know it is an old guinness bottle but don't know exact date. I am having a lot of trouble uploading pictures. How did you attach more than one picture in one post?

 Anyway.. I have posted a picture of the seal (DIC, SC [SaorstÃ¡t Ã‰ireann or Irish Free State], 127)
 and base (10, IGB [Irish Glass Bottle] of that bottle here:

 http://i55.tinypic.com/wa2ejc.jpg
 http://i55.tinypic.com/2d1ofbo.jpg

 Thanks again,

 SeÃ¡n


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## CWBookAuthor (Mar 9, 2011)

I can't help on the bottles, but seeing "Cork" always gets me to take a second look. My ancestors came to the Unitred States by way of Cork, so it is no wonder that I always look at Cork with great admiration.

 Mike


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## ronayne88 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi Mike,

 That's cool. Actually, as it happens, I too am emmigrating to the United States via Cork!

 All the best,

 SeÃ¡n


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## Road Dog (Mar 9, 2011)

Thanks for showing the bottles. Nice to see some from other countries. I have me a Irish bottle from Cork.


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## ronayne88 (Mar 9, 2011)

Hi Road Dog,

 No problem. What kind of bottle do you have that's from Cork?

 Cheers,

 SeÃ¡n


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## Road Dog (Mar 9, 2011)

Moore's Stomachic Beverage.


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## mctaggart67 (Mar 9, 2011)

I used to lived in Dublin, Ireland from 1999 to 2004. I have a number of Irish chemists' bottles and a few mineral waters, including one from Cork City and another up the way from Macroom.


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## CWBookAuthor (Mar 9, 2011)

Hey Sean, if all goes well for us, perhaps we can meet in the future. We live in Southwest Virginia, but we often go to Northern Virginia (just outside of Washington, D.C.) every once in a while to visit our daughters. One day we are hoping to move back up there. Do you plan on arriving in New York?  

 Mike


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## surfaceone (Mar 10, 2011)

> I am having a lot of trouble uploading pictures. How did you attach more than one picture in one post?


 
 Hey Sean,

 I'd suggest that you shrink the size of the photo a bit, and then sandwich the IMG code in between a brace of these guys: *[image*]your image code here*[/IMG]*

 I'm not able to see that seal well in the photo. Maybe if you photograph it in natural light, and manipulate it just so, the embossing will show better.

 "The bottling process can also be considered another point of parity. In the early years of the Guinness brewery, the company produced the beer in barrels and distributed them to bottlers afterwards, outsourcing that part of the process. This made most of the beers from this time period packaged in a similar look; however, this did eventually create a problem for the Guinness brand since it did not control the labeling of its beer. Guinness would soon realize the need to establish its own labels and brand posititioning in order to create a lasting impression on the minds of the consumers." From.







 From the Guinness Storehouse.

 Have a look at the vid & some history of the Irish Glass Bottle Co.



> Actually, as it happens, I too am emmigrating to the United States via Cork!


 
 Go maire sibh bhur saol nua.
 "May you enjoy your new life."

 Part of my family hails from County Mayo.


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