Lead mining in the Wicklow Mountains was centred on three neighbouring valleys, Glendesan, Glengalough and Glenmalure.
While not particularly extensive by UK standards, they nevertheless accounted for about 80% of lead produced in Ireland in the 19th century.
This report is a survey of what’s left in Glendesan, which has the largest number of remains, being worked from the early 1800s right up to 1957.
A good overview of historical aspects can be found here: Glens of Lead.
Glendasan is the valley that branches off before Glendalough and leads up to the Wicklow gap and the Turlough Hill hydroelectric station.
However although I grew up in this part of Ireland I couldn’t really picture it, other than a vague memory of some rock piles and ruins about half way up.
Nevertheless the map below seemed promising showing plenty of adits, although without any underground pictures available it wasn’t clear if any of them were actually explorable.
So I went on a few walks, one with junior and a couple with Alfie the Explorer Dog to establish which of the holes were open, before returning with waders to see where they went.
I should add that judging from footprints, lines etc. these must be well known to Irish underground types, even if they don’t normally take pictures of what’s down there.
Starting at the top of the valley there isn’t much in this region except a few piles of mining waste.
The nearer ones are associated with the Rupla(gh) Lode and seem to have been shaft mines, with depressions looking like bomb craters where the shafts were.
West Ruplagh has a well preserved cobbled dressing floor.
Further down on the south side of the valley are three adits - the lowest white patch in the distance in the direction Alfie is heading is the Hawkrock Adit.
Ruin at the top of the twin waste piles.
This is potentially the most interesting tunnel since it once went right through the Camaderry mountain, emerging after 2.5 km on the other side in the Glendalough valley.
It’s said to be blocked some distance in, but any sort of exploration in waders was thwarted by deep water immediately inside the entrance.
The weather was so hot on this occasion that even the sheep were wearing sunglasses.
Further up this side of the valley are the deep and shallow Luganure Adits, the oldest workings in Glendasan.
The higher (shallow) one seemed to be blocked, but the lower (deep) one is open above substantial waste heaps.
Another fail - I didn’t get more than about 10 yards since it’s only about 4 ft high and was difficult to do in waders without either shipping water or putting my back out.
On the other side of the valley are two waste tips from the North Hero mine.
Not a lot here either apart from a possible blocked adit behind the higher pile, with what looks like a rail fixing in a mostly underground runoff stream.
Junior: But I was promised “Extensive Historical Artefacts”.
This phrase came from an archeological assessment - in fact all the machinery from the older workings, which were mostly water-powered, was removed by WW1.
Alfie spots another dressing floor on the lower pile.
Traces of copper in the waste tips.
Further down next to a lay-by is the remains of the (Old) Hero ore processing complex - no machinery, just ruins with a tourist plaque showing what the site may once have looked like.
Last time I visited repointing work was going on, presumably to stop it disappearing altogether.
There are outlines of some round buddles, devices for fractionating ground-up ore - this one still has the remains of its central cone.
Above these ruins are an adit and an engine shaft.
The adit was blocked, but it was possible to slither into the shaft, which starts off as a horizontal passage, maybe for pump rods.
At the end is the drop - looks like people have been down but I just sat on the edge.
Below the Old hero site is the Moll Doyle Adit, which features a little waterfall with some excavated spaces beyond.
Continued
While not particularly extensive by UK standards, they nevertheless accounted for about 80% of lead produced in Ireland in the 19th century.
This report is a survey of what’s left in Glendesan, which has the largest number of remains, being worked from the early 1800s right up to 1957.
A good overview of historical aspects can be found here: Glens of Lead.
Glendasan is the valley that branches off before Glendalough and leads up to the Wicklow gap and the Turlough Hill hydroelectric station.
However although I grew up in this part of Ireland I couldn’t really picture it, other than a vague memory of some rock piles and ruins about half way up.
Nevertheless the map below seemed promising showing plenty of adits, although without any underground pictures available it wasn’t clear if any of them were actually explorable.
So I went on a few walks, one with junior and a couple with Alfie the Explorer Dog to establish which of the holes were open, before returning with waders to see where they went.
I should add that judging from footprints, lines etc. these must be well known to Irish underground types, even if they don’t normally take pictures of what’s down there.
Starting at the top of the valley there isn’t much in this region except a few piles of mining waste.
The nearer ones are associated with the Rupla(gh) Lode and seem to have been shaft mines, with depressions looking like bomb craters where the shafts were.
West Ruplagh has a well preserved cobbled dressing floor.
Further down on the south side of the valley are three adits - the lowest white patch in the distance in the direction Alfie is heading is the Hawkrock Adit.
Ruin at the top of the twin waste piles.
This is potentially the most interesting tunnel since it once went right through the Camaderry mountain, emerging after 2.5 km on the other side in the Glendalough valley.
It’s said to be blocked some distance in, but any sort of exploration in waders was thwarted by deep water immediately inside the entrance.
The weather was so hot on this occasion that even the sheep were wearing sunglasses.
Further up this side of the valley are the deep and shallow Luganure Adits, the oldest workings in Glendasan.
The higher (shallow) one seemed to be blocked, but the lower (deep) one is open above substantial waste heaps.
Another fail - I didn’t get more than about 10 yards since it’s only about 4 ft high and was difficult to do in waders without either shipping water or putting my back out.
On the other side of the valley are two waste tips from the North Hero mine.
Not a lot here either apart from a possible blocked adit behind the higher pile, with what looks like a rail fixing in a mostly underground runoff stream.
Junior: But I was promised “Extensive Historical Artefacts”.
This phrase came from an archeological assessment - in fact all the machinery from the older workings, which were mostly water-powered, was removed by WW1.
Alfie spots another dressing floor on the lower pile.
Traces of copper in the waste tips.
Further down next to a lay-by is the remains of the (Old) Hero ore processing complex - no machinery, just ruins with a tourist plaque showing what the site may once have looked like.
Last time I visited repointing work was going on, presumably to stop it disappearing altogether.
There are outlines of some round buddles, devices for fractionating ground-up ore - this one still has the remains of its central cone.
Above these ruins are an adit and an engine shaft.
The adit was blocked, but it was possible to slither into the shaft, which starts off as a horizontal passage, maybe for pump rods.
At the end is the drop - looks like people have been down but I just sat on the edge.
Below the Old hero site is the Moll Doyle Adit, which features a little waterfall with some excavated spaces beyond.
Continued
