Kinahan — On Irish Metal Mining. 291 



from the neighbouring Silurian and Ordovician hills. The furnace 

 at Port Boyal is supposed to have been put out at the end of the 

 eighteenth century, being one of the last wood charcoal furnaces 

 alight. 



Yery few other mineral veins are recorded, those named being 

 ores of copper, sulphur, and lead. A silver-lead mine was 

 formerly worked at Sheefry, between Westport and Killary 

 Bay ; while trials were made on coppery lodes in Corraun Achill. 

 On account of the great area of the county, and the favourable 

 nature of the rocks, in places, it would appear possible, if proper 

 search was made, that some profitable lodes might be found. 

 Lewis states " rich deposits of manganese have been found in the 

 neighbourhood of Westport." 



Meath. 



To the south-east of this county, near Balbriggan, also north 

 of the valley of the Boyne, there are tracts of Ordovicians ; while 

 the rest of the area is nearly solely occupied by Carboniferous 

 Limestones, principally of the " Calp type." On it, in places, are 

 small patches of Coal Measure Shales ; while to the north, coming 

 in from the county Monaghan, is the south end of a small tract of 

 Trias, associated with a patch of Coal Measures. 



In the Trias there is gypsum, formerly mined [Monaghan, 

 page 252) ; and in the n adjoining Coal Measures there is a thin 

 coal, that was worked a little, along its outcrop. Although pro- 

 fitable copper lodes are not usually found in the Irish Carbonife- 

 rous Limestone, yet about 1800 copper-ore was raised at three 

 places near Walterstown ; and subsequently at Beaupark, near 

 Slane. Also in the Carboniferous Limestone, lead was worked at 

 Athboy ; while in the Ordovicians at Clogher, near Ardcath, there 

 is a lead mine, considered by Griffith to be very ancient. Lewis 

 reports a " rich copper lode," near the banks of the Boyne, 

 " unworkable profitably on account of the influx of water." 



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