Mining complex

The National Monuments Service's description

On the E slope of Mount Gabriel and the S slopes of Leitir Hill. Bronze-age mining complex, comprised of 31 confirmed or possible primitive mining sites (27 of which are in State Care, and the rest under preservation orders) occurring both in isolation and as complexes of several workings, dated by radiocarbon to between 1700 and 1500 cal. BC, with no evidence of later activity (O’Brien 1987). The mines on Mount Gabriel form a group known as Mount Gabriel-type mines, which constitutes one of the most important early mining groups in Europe. Two principal areas can be identified in a Mount Gabriel-type mining camp: the mine working, from whence the ore was extracted, and the spoil dump, where primary crushing and hand sorting was undertaken. The workings consist of shallow inclined openings, technically termed ‘drift mines’, where the mineralised outcrop was followed away from the surface of the ground. At Mount Gabriel, there is a progression from surface openings less than 1m in depth to underground mines reaching inclined depths of up to 11m, and possibly more. Interior walls show no trace of the use of metal tools or explosives and instead have a smooth domed profile, often with trace of smoke staining. This is a characteristic feature of fire-setting, a mining technique of considerable antiquity. The heat treatment loosened the inherent structure of the mine face, and was followed by heavy pounding using cobble hammers or ‘mauls’. The most visible surface feature of these sites is the frequently large mound of rock debris located outside the mine entrance. These loosely compacted spoils dumps have a high charcoal content and are littered with broken stone mauls. None of the smelting furnaces or settlement sites associated with these mines have yet been found.

This is a National Monument in State Ownership.

The above description is derived from William O’Brien’s monograph ‘Mount Gabriel, Bronze Age mining in Ireland’ (Galway: Galway University Press, 1994).

Date of upload: 29 June 2023

References

O'Brien, W. 1987 Primitive copper mining in south-west Ireland, 3 vols. Unpublished Ph.D. thesis. University College, Cork.

O'Brien, W. 1994 Mount Gabriel: Bronze Age mining in Ireland. Galway University Press.