Mine - copper

The National Monuments Service's description

Some 13m S of another mine (CO139-026003-), on a low E-facing rock scarp. It is one of 31 copper mines belonging to Mount Gabriel Prehistoric mining complex (CO139-026001-). On inspection in 1984 this mine consisted in a small, shallow inclined working driven 254° into a low rock face. The interior was dry, and c. 0.2m of dry peaty humus was removed, exposing primary mine sediment containing ten stone mauls and six spall fragments. The working's overall length was 1.1m, the interior (Wth 2m; H 0.85m) decreasing to under 0.4m H at the back. There was no visible spoil dump outside the entrance, and the rock extract was likely processed on the mound of the mine located to the N (CO139-026003-). (O'Brien 1990 and 1994, 334: mine 19).

This is a National Monument in State Care.

The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Cork. Volume 1: West Cork' (Dublin: Stationery Office, 1992) and William O’Brien’s monograph ‘Mount Gabriel, Bronze Age mining in Ireland’ (Galway: Galway University Press, 1994).

Photographs attached
CO139-026004-_01: Mine site (in O'Brien 1994, 334).
CO139-026004-_02: Interior of mine (in O'Brien 1994, 337)

Date of upload/revision: 14 January 2009