You may not have heard of Ireland's Copper Coast - it is the name that has been given to the south-east coast between Tramore and Bunmahon in Co. Waterford, which had a history of copper mining in the 19th. century. Robert Kane in his famous book Industrial Resources of Ireland (1845) said this:
"That part of [the district of Waterford] which includes the Knockmahon mines, is situated on the sea coast, close to the village of Bonmahon, and extends from the Bay of Dungarvan to the west, to the Bay of Tramore on the east. It has long been known for its mineral treasures: many of the metalliferous veins having been worked by the ancient inhabitants."
A local heritage group is trying to make this mining history better known - they have set up a small museum and marked out a 'Copper Trail' for holidaymakers to follow, together with plaques on the important sites. Bunmahon has a quiet beach, with a campsite and caravan park, but it essentially undeveloped.

For the chemistry teacher interested in the mining and extraction of metals, with an Irish dimension, the remains of the industry around Bunmahon are fascinating. As the area has never been developed industrially the remains of the copper mines can still be seen on the cliff top as you drive along the coast road from Tramore to Bunmahon, or from the beach where the mine galleries can be seen in the cliffs. It is also possible to see the bright blue staining of copper minerals on the rock surfaces (see photo), indicating the presence of copper. There is a fascinating story - scientific, economic, historical, social - associated with these mines.

Map showing the location of The Copper Coast

Panoramic view of Knockmahon mine looking towards Bunmahon

Traces of copper on the rocks

History
Copper mining around Bunmahon goes back to around 1730. However, it wasn't until 1824 when the Mining Company of Ireland acquired the mineral rights at Knockmahon (just across the river Mahon from Bunmahon) in 1824. The first ore was sent to Swansea in 1826 and the last in 1878. Several shafts were dug on different veins of ore but Knockmahon, and later Tankardstown (from 1850), were the main copper producers.
Power was originally provided by a 40 foot waterwheel but in 1841 two steam engines were built. Eventually there were 4 (or 5) engines in the area pumping water and winding up ore. The deepest shaft was over 1000 feet and the mine extended inland and under the sea. The mines were productive and profitable for many years, with high copper content, so that the Bunmahon ore fetched good prices in Swansea. Eventually the veins were mined out, costs rose and income fell, until the mines went into deficit and closed down.
An attempt was made to reopen the mines in 1904 by the Bonmahon Copper Mines Development Syndicate but very little copper ore was produced compared to their heyday in the 1850s.

Mining and processing the ore
At their peak the mines employed around 1100 people. Des Cowman's 1980 article gives a good picture of their life. The ore was mined by hand, raised by steam power and sent on a railway along the clifftop down to Bunmahon where it was sorted by colour and appearance by women, to separate rich ore from the waste. A large area down by the river (now a playground) was devoted to this. The ore was then shipped out by small coastal vessels to smelters in Swansea. The mine was paid on the copper content of the ore it produced. In the smelter the copper was separated from the combined sulphur and oxygen, producing impure blister copper.

In modern mines the ore is mined using machines, crushed and then the valuable minerals are separated out by froth flotation to obtain a metal concentrate. This is done at Navan, Galmoy and Lisheen, which all produce zinc and lead concentrates for smelting abroad. In the last century the good ore was picked out by hand.
Steam engines, housed in the characteristic Cornish enginee houses of 19th. century mines, were used at Bunmahon to raise ore from the mine and to pump water to keep the mines dry. The shafts went down below sea level and some galleries went out under the sea. You can see some of the galleries emerging from the cliff face.

Remains of the engine houses at Knockmahon

The old mineowner's house, Knockmahon Lodge, is now a B&B and the owner, Karen T”bbe has played a leading part in promoting The Copper Coast. A good place to stay if you want to get off on the right foot on the trail of the old mining sites.

Sources of information:
There is a Mining Heritage Society of Ireland (www.era.ie/mhsi) devoted to researching old Irish mines and encouraging their preservation and development as visitor attractions. The Geological Survey of Ireland has published a three-part guide to the geology and features of the The Copper Coast (GSI, 1999). An article by Des Cowman (a retired history teacher, who lives locally) in Decies 14 (May 1980, 29-42) described life and work in Bunmahon around 1840. References to the mines can be found in 19th. century travel books, as well as in Robert Kane's Industrial resources of Ireland and the 1922 book (now reprinted) by G.A.J. Cole on Memorial and Map of Localities of Economic Importance and Metalliferous Mines in Ireland,

Other Irish mining sites: Mining attractions have been developed at Glengowla, Co. Mayo and are planned for Avoca, Silvermines and Arigna. Restored mine sites are very popular tourist attractions in the UK where you can visit copper, gold, lead and coal mines.