The mining heritage of Silvermines
The Ormond Historical Society is delighted to welcome Dr Greg Finnegan as our guest speaker at the Abbey Court Hotel on Monday, February 9, next.
Dr Finnegan’s topic is ‘The Long Heritage of Mining at Silvermines’. Mining has been carried on in the Silvermines district since the 13th Century at least when Italian miners arrived seeking after valuable ore. But a brawl between locals and miners in 1303 – in which a priest got his head broken – led to the miners being excommunicated, then fearing to go underground, they abandoned the works.
Mining was back in full swing by the early 17th Century, then came to an abrupt halt during the 1641 Rebellion when several of the English miners were massacred by the natives. Mining continued sporadically at Silvermines and in the 1870s some 700 workers were actively employed there. The Shalee mine works had a decade of relative prosperity in the 1950s, while in recent times the Macobar and Mogul works brought increased employment and wealth to the area – not to mention the new Nenagh housing estates at Ballygraigue and Knights Crescent. These and much more mining history – together with previously unseen maps and surviving mining buildings – will feature in Dr Finnegan’s lavishly illustrated talk.
Greg Finnegan holds degrees in geography from two Canadian universities, Carleton and York, and has taught in geography departments in both Canada and Ireland. He has also completed a post-graduate degree on Irish migration to Canada 1841-1871, interpreting how the Irish adjusted to settlement and agricultural opportunities in the Ottawa Valley.
Greg – who now lives in Nenagh – is currently working on cultural and community affairs for Siga Hydro Ltd, who are building the power plant at Silvermines. In 2025 Greg and Nenagh native Laura McSherry produced the book, ‘Silvermines, A Heritage of Mines and Miners: Interpreting an Ancient Mining Landscape’.
All are invited to join us at the Abbey Court on Monday, February 9 for what will be an informative and stimulating talk.
THE LATE DONAL WHELAN
Shortly before Christmas the OHS sadly lost one of its longest-serving and most valued members, Donal K Whelan. Donal was a founder member of the Society back in November 1977 and served as its first Hon Secretary. He has been a regular committee member during all the intervening years, offering the Society his quiet words of wisdom and gratuitously providing and setting up amplification for years of lectures and other functions. We shall all miss his friendship, his quiet humour, and his invaluable contribution to OHS affairs.
The Society offers its deepest condolences to his wife Marie, son Simon, and daughters Naomi and Sarah, on their sad loss.