Kinahan — On Irish Metal Mining. 301 



On the Devonians (?), lying in nearly east and west troughs, 

 are Loiver Carboniferous Sandstone, Shales, and Limestones. 



In the Devonian rooks of the Coshs and the Decies baronies, 

 that is, south of the valley from Lismore to Dungarvan ; iron 

 ore was extensively raised for smelting in the seventeenth and 

 eighteenth centuries; Lord Cork having large works at Salters- 

 bridge, while Sir Walter Raleigh's principal mines were at Drom- 

 slig ; but the ores from Minehead and Ardmore were specially 

 prized, as they could be converted into the finest steel. Here, as 

 elsewhere, the furnaces were probably in the vicinity of the mines. 

 When Smith wrote in 1750, Lord Cork's furnace only appears to 

 have been alight, and it was put out shortly afterwards. In 

 Dromslig and the neighbouring townlands iron ore, for exportation, 

 was raised between 1850 and 1860, and even a little later. 



Yery valuable lodes, both of lead and copper, were formerly 

 worked in different places in the Second, or Bally money Series of 

 the Ordovicians. Lewis mentions a valuable silver-lead lode that 

 was worked at the Hill of Cruagh, parish of Eiesk {Sheet 17) ; and 

 another of lead in the River Mahon Valley, near Mountain Castle 

 (Sheet 15) ; also silver-lead that was dug out of the sands of Kil- 

 murrin beach. These three localities seem to have escaped 

 Griffith's notice, as they do not appear to be mentioned by him. 

 Nothing is now known of the copper and silver-lead lodes worked 

 near Ardmore ; but, from the specimens found in the waste heaps, 

 they are supposed to have been rich. 



In this county the best known mines are the "Bonmahon 

 Coppers," so called as the major portion of the ore was copper, 

 although in the setts some valuable silver-lead veins were also 

 found and worked. At Knockmahon, mines were worked in the 

 old days, as in the "Stage Lode" "Old Men's workings," with 

 wooden and stone implements, were found. Subsequently, from 

 Queen Elizabeth's time, down to 1730, some of the lodes, at in- 

 tervals, appear to have been worked, while at the latter date they 

 were in the hands of a Mr. Hume, who for some years worked the 

 Stage Lode very successfully. Next we hear of Colonel Hall, and 

 Mr. Galway, who spent a large sum unsuccessfully, and they, in 

 1796, passed their interests to the Hibernia Mining Company. 

 These also do not seem to have been successful, as they sold the 

 property, in 1824, to the Mining Company of Ireland. The latter 



