Kinahan — Irish Metal Mining. 201 



The late E. Eolt Brash published an interesting Paper on 

 " The Precious Metals and Ancient Mining in Ireland " [Journal 

 Roy. His. Arch. Ass. Ireland, vol. i., fourth series, p. 509) ; but it 

 more particularly refers to the " finds" of gold and silver articles ; 

 these metals having been worked and mined at an early date. 

 Bronze implements are also very ancient, and possibly iron ; but the 

 latter metal corrodes away so fast that all ancient implements must 

 have disappeared long since ; though traces of them may sometimes 

 be found. It may be mentioned] that deep down among the records 

 of the earliest inhabitants of the large crannog in Lough Eea, Go. 

 (xalway, I found a rod of rust that evidently was the remains of 

 an iron implement ; it must have been 2000, or 3000, or more, 

 years old. 



Of Ancient Metal Mining, or its Adjuncts. — A very early record 

 occurs in the Annals of the Four Masters, a. m., 3656, where gold is 

 mentioned as procured in Foithue Airthir Liffe, or in the moun- 

 tains of Dublin and Wicklow ; while at Lyra, Knochniller, about 

 two miles southward of Woodenbridge, Co. Wicklow, the ancient 

 timberings in a placer mine were found. We also learn from the 

 Annals that in a.m. 3817 silver shields were made at Argetros 

 (Silverwood) on the Nore, Co. Kilkenny. In this neighbourhood 

 are the remains of ancient mines at Ballygallion and Knockadrina — 

 places at which in recent years native silver has been found. It 

 appears probable that, in those early times, some at least of the 

 silver was procured at those mines ; there are, however, other 

 prehistoric mines that probably were also sources from which silver 

 was procured. There is also mentioned in the Annals ; silver, 

 got at Rosargid (which also means Silverwood), near Toomavara, 

 Co. Tipperary. That name has not descended to us; but at 

 Grarrane, adjoining Kilnafinch, a little southward of Toomavara, 

 is the debris of an ancient mine, locally called the "Silver Mine." 

 Further westward, south of Nenagh, are the village and mines of 

 Silvermines. Some of the mines at this village were worked so 

 long ago, that when opened, about the year 1860, the attals (pyrite 

 and sphalerite) in the stulls and old levels were found to have 

 undergone a complete chemical change — into peroxide of iron, with 

 carbonate and silicates of zinc. In recent years some of the lead 

 from this locality has given as much as eighty ounces of silver 

 to the ton, in addition to some native silver. Still, further west- 



