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The Silvermines deposits in the Republic of Ireland have been exploited for centuries, but did not become famous as a source of fine specimens until the discovery of a giant vug lined with magnificent crystals of galena, sphalerite, pyrite, bournonite and other minerals in the Mogul mine in 1978. Neighboring mines were also well-endowed with fine specimens, but sadly, few were preserved.
INTRODUCTION
The giant base metal and barite deposits of Silvermines, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland, have received considerable attention from geologists in recent years. Detailed study has resulted in an extensive scientific literature and has contributed enormously to our understanding of this class of deposits, sedimentary-exhalative, to which some of the larger orebodies belong. However, in spite of this copious technical literature, there is no recent, detailed descriptive mineralogy of interest to specimen mineralogists and collectors. This may be partly because the deposits did not acquire a reputation as a prolific source of fine specimens until the astonishing discovery of a huge vug in 1978 in the large zinc-lead mine operated by Mogul of Ireland Ltd.: Mogul mine. This was in spite of a history of intermittent mining since the Middle Ages, and the development of extensive oxidized zones in some of the early workings.
The village of Silvermines is located 9 km south-southeast of the town of Nenagh and 36 km north of Tipperary town, County Tipperary, Republic of Ireland. The mine workings extend for approximately 4 km from west to east, the eastern-most workings (Ballygown South) being immediately south of the village. They lie at the northern foot of the Silvermines Mountains, which rise in the south to about 500 meters. To the north of the mines is flat agricultural land.
HISTORY
Russell (1990) and Cowman (1988 and 1992) have described the history of Silvermines in detail and the following account is derived from these sources. The earliest record of mining in the district is from 1289, when a group of Italian miners began digging, presumably for argentiferous galena. The locals were hostile toward the foreigners, and the miners suffered assaults and intimidation. This culminated in a brawl in 1303 in which, according to an account quoted by Russell (1990), a priest "was beaten and got his head broken." The...