'A Heritage of Mines and Miners'

New publication adds to preservation of Silvermines past

November will see the opening of a new chapter in the Silvermines story when Minister Darragh O’Brien arrives to officially launch the hydroelectric power project at Garryard.

But as the local community looks towards the future, a timely publication focusing on several key aspects of the area’s mining past has just been made available.

‘Silvermines: A Heritage of Mines and Miners: Interpreting an Ancient Mining Landscape’, is a richly illustrated collection of new and previously published papers exploring some of the many themes that have given one of Ireland’s oldest and largest former mining sites its intriguing history. From geology to social history, from the corporate activity of mine promoters to workers who toiled to bring the minerals to market, there are countless stories to be explored in the centuries of Silvermines mining history.

The ones that feature in this collection are edited by Greg Finnegan and Laura McSherry, both of whom are centrally involved in the present direction for the area driven by Siga-Hydro, the company steering the hydroelectric project, and publisher of this book.

Greg Finnegan, PhD, from Yukon, Canada and now living in Nenagh, holds degrees in geography from Carleton University in Ottawa and York University in Toronto. Nenagh native Laura McSherry, MSc, holds a master’s degree in Sustainable Resource Management from the University of Limerick and a bachelor’s degree in English and Geography from NUI Galway. Together, Greg and Laura provide a general overview of the recent history of mining in the Silvermines district, reading and interpreting the extant literature and discussing ideas and themes that recur through time.

NENAGH HOUSES

Greg later returns with an article on his in-depth study of the Mogul Mine housing estates project, which created 84 new homes in Nenagh for mine workers at Knight’s Crescent and Ballygraigue between 1964 and 1965.

Among the contributors is renowned geologist Dr Colin Andrew, who worked at Silvermines between 1976 and 1978 with Mogul of Ireland. He provides a guided tour of the area, exploring the Silvermines Fault and its origins through to the mineralisation along the fault that led to the opening of multiple mines across the area over the centuries.

Thomas Hughes, MA, researcher with the Northern Ireland Place Name Project at Queen’s University Belfast and a professional translator, contributes to this book an interpretation of the place names associated with Silvermines' major mine sites and communities. His original essay is a starting point for discussion and debate regarding place names in and around Silvermines.

Also, among the contributors is Dolla’s own Denis Gleeson, who worked with Mogul for 10 years. Denis casts his insider's perspective on the life of the workers at first Mogul and then the older Shallee mine from the middle of the twentieth century through to the early 1990s.

The final chapter in ‘A Heritage of Mines and Miners’ is penned by John H Morris, PhD, who played a central role in the establishing of the Mining Heritage Trust of Ireland, which has achieved the conservation of mine heritage buildings around the country, including Silvermines. In his contribution, John documents the restoration of the extant mining buildings at Silvermines, including the Cornish Engine Houses; he also looks at work that was done in the hope of the Silvermines being developed as a mining heritage park for future generations, a project that this book’s editors lament is still on hold.

‘MORE THAN JUST A BOOK’

‘Silvermines: A Heritage of Mines and Miners’ features two forewords, the first written by Darren Quinn of Siga Hydro, founder and promoter of the hydroelectric power station project.

“This is more than just a book,” he writes. “It is a tribute to the generations who worked, lived, and shaped the Silvermines district, and a vital reminder of how deeply our history informs our future.

“At Siga Hydro, we are proud to be working on the next chapter of that story: the conversion of this historic site into a state-of-the-art pumped storage hydropower station.”

The second foreword comes from John Kennedy, Chair of Silvermines Historical Society, which has published a remarkable 12 volumes of its ‘Mining the Past’ series to date. ‘Silvermines: A Heritage of Mines and Miners’ has been released in place of this year’s iteration and sales of the book will be shared with SHS.

“This is a welcome addition to previous writings,” John states of the new book. “It has widened the focus and when fresh eyes are introduced to a topic, and a new perspective is taken, the results can be pleasing. This is the situation here.”

Printed by Guardian Print in Nenagh, ‘Silvermines: A Heritage of Mines and Miners’ was supported by the Department of Climate, Energy & Environment and the Geological Survey of Ireland.

The book is out now and is available through SHS, local book retailers, in the village store, and through the GSI website.

A formal launch is to take place in Hickey’s Bar, Silvermines, in December where the book will also be available.