John R Tinsly, the largest salt wholesaler of salt in the Mid West Region, is celebrating 175 years in business.

The family business in Co Limerick is currently run by Martin McGuire and Don Griffin but is named after John Richard Tinsly who was mayor of Limerick in 1865. His name is on the Treaty Stone in Limerick City.

As mayor, Mr Tinsly organised moving the Treaty Stone from Black Bull public house in Thomondgate, where it was used as a step for mounting horses.

The company was established in 1840 to bring salt from Britain to Ireland. In that pre-electricity period, salt was one of the few ways to preserve food. The salt was used to cure mostly bacon, but also to salt herrings in wooden barrels before distributing them around Ireland on trains.

Today salt is used mostly in the treatment of water. This water treatment removes calcium and magnesium from the water. This ensures a clean source of water and eliminates lime scale in the water supply.