Historical and Modern Mining

Historical Mining

Records of mining in Ireland date back to the Bronze Age (ca 2000 B.C.) when southwest Ireland was an important copper producer, with evidence of old workings at Killarney, Co Kerry and Mount Gabriel, Co Cork. Although gold has played an important part in the cultural history of Ireland, notably in the wealth of recovered gold ornaments, records of gold extraction or its occurrence are relatively sparse and poorly documented prior to the 17th century. Iron was worked in the eastern half of Ireland during the 16th and 17th centuries but it was not until the late Industrial Revoloution of the 18th and 19th centuries, that the Irish metal mining industry really flourished. During this period, almost every county had at least one metal mine producing copper and lead-silver amongst other minerals. Coal was also mined extensively during that time. During the first half of the 20th century, the mining industry was not particularly active, although a wide range of minerals were produced. These included bauxite and rock salt in Northern Ireland, as well as pyrite, phosphate, barite, gypsum and coal. In 1940, the passing of the Minerals Development Act heralded the most intensive period of exploration and mining that has occurred in Ireland, and one that has continued to this day.

Modern Mining

The Minerals Development Act of 1940 did have the desired effect of stimulating exploration and mining, but it was the Finance Act of 1956, which provided significant tax advantages for new mining companies, that had the catalytic effect.  The arrival in the late 1950s of a number of Canadian exploration companies was soon followed by the discovery of the Tynagh, Co Galway, lead-zinc-silver deposit in 1961.  It was the discovery of the Tynagh deposit, in a geological setting that had not previously produced any significant mineralization, that started a chain of mineral discoveries.  In 1962, the Silvermines, Co Tipperary, lead-zinc orebody was discovered.  This was followed by the delineation of the  Ballynoe barite deposit, adjacent to Silvermines.  In 1964, the Gortdrum, Co Tipperary, copper-silver deposit was found.  All of these became profitable mines, and all are now closed. 

In late 1970, the world-class Navan, Co. Meath lead-zinc mine was discovered.  Initial reserves indicated that the orebody was four times as large as that at Silvermines which, in its time, was the largest underground lead-zinc mine in Europe.  The Navan discovery placed Ireland firmly on the international map, and resulted in a huge demand for prospecting licences.  However, during the next twelve years, the efforts of the exploration companies resulted in what can only be described as technical successes, with the discovery of subeconomic deposits at Tatestown, Co Meath (lead-zinc), Courtbrown, Co Limerick (lead-zinc), and Charlestown, Co Mayo (copper).  This was followed, in the early eighties, by an increase in gold exploration.  Discoveries of gold at Curraghinalt, Co Tyrone, and Lecanvey and Cregganbaun, both in Co Mayo.  None of these deposits were mined, although a discovery of a near-surface gold deposit at Cavanacaw, Co Tyrone, went into production in 2000.

In 1986, the discovery of the Galmoy, Co Kilkenny, lead-zinc deposit sparked a revival in base metal exploration.  The nearby Lisheen, Co Tipperary, lead-zinc deposit was found in 1990.  The Navan, Galmoy and Lisheen mines are owned, respectively, by Boliden, Lundin Mining, and Anglo American.  Together, the three mines account for almost 40% of European zinc production, and 20% of lead production.  The mines produce metal concentrates, all of which are exported for smelting.

Current mining in Ireland is not restricted to metal mining, though.  There are significant resources of gypsum in Co Monaghan, where Irish Gypsum produces some 500,000tpa from an open pit (Knocknacran) and from an adjacent underground mine (Drummond).   In Co Kilkenny, at Bennettsbridge, CRH produces dolomite and dolomitic limestone,.  In Northern Itreland rock salt is produced at Kilroot, Co Antrim, by the Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Company.  Other minerals that are exploited to a lesser degree are fireclay, Connemara marble, silica sand and coal.

Further information on Ireland's mineral deposits is contained in our publication 'The Top 55 Deposits'.

Details of current State Mining facilities can be found at:
Six monthly report by Minister including a list of State Mining and Prospecting Facilities