Silver and Lead Mine (Disused) — Abbeytown

On the S side of Ballysadare Bay, c. 350m W of an Augustinian abbey (SL020-108----). The minerals galena (lead sulphide) and sphalerite (zinc sulphide) occur in flat bands in the limestone beds at Abbeytown and silver occurs in the lead as an impurity. The earliest documentary evidence for mining at Abbeytown dates to the mid-18th century when Charles O'Hara of Annaghmore (see SL026-049----) commenced lead mining operations at Abbeytown and Lugawarry (3.2km to SW of Abbeytown) (McTernan 1998, 571-3). However, it is possible that these mines were worked by the monks at the 7th-century monastic site (SL020-109005-) c. 500m to E at a much earlier period for the production of lead and silver (ibid., 571). Some of the smaller mine shafts 'are known as The Monks' Tunnels … and may be Medieval or Early Christian in date' (M. B. Timoney 2002, 150). No remains of these early shafts were noted when the site was inspected in 1992. The mines indicated on the 1838 and 1913 OS 6-inch maps with several shafts shown are the 19th and 20th-century mines. The above description is derived from the published 'Archaeological Inventory of County Sligo' compiled by Ursula Egan, Elizabeth Byrne, Mary Sleeman with Sheila Ronan and Connie Murphy (Dublin Stationery Office, 2005). Date of upload: 18 January 2008