Mathew O' Byrne, Bell Founder.

The best known of the Dublin bell  founders was,  undoubtedly, Matthew O'Byrne of The Fountain Head Bell Foundry.
Matthew Byrne had been a Chief  Engineer in The Royal Navy.  In 1840 he established The Fountain Head Iron Foundry in James's Street, Dublin.  His son, Matthew W., changed his surname to  O'Byrne. Bells by Matthew O'Byrne were cast  and, where necessary,  tuned in the foundry before being fitted with headstocks  and other fittings. In  1887 the "M Byrne Patent Rotary Mounting" was patented.  This was a cast-iron  headstock with a tapered hole through which a tapered boss on the crown of the  bell was inserted and bolted in place using the crown  staple bolt: "we claim  that [this] is the best in existence; in fact, it has no  rivals….By slacking the  nuts, the bell can be rotated…in a few moments, thus  presenting a new striking  face to the tongue to strike. This increases the life  of the Bell beyond  measure".

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