Galmoy Mine
Encyclopedia
Galmoy Mine is a zinc
and lead
mine 50 km northwest of Kilkenny
, Ireland
. Located in the Rathdowney Trend, Galmoy is an underground mine.
The Rathdowney Trend, stretches 40 kilometres, between the towns of Abbeyleix
and Thurles
. The region is a broad plain drained by the Rossetown and Drish Rivers, tributaries of the River Suir
, which flows into the sea at Waterford
. Exploration of the Rathdowney Trend during the late 1960s and early 1970s identified sporadic occurrences of lead and zinc, although the first significant mineralisation was not discovered until 1984. Lisheen Mine
is also in the Rathdowney Trend.
Galmoy is exclusively an underground operation. Initially the mine used room-and-pillar methods exclusively but subsequent modifications introduced both benching and drift-and-fill systems where conditions are appropriate, as a means of maximising ore recoveries. At the same time the mining method is designed to ensure that no waste rock needs to be hauled to the surface.
Concentrates are transported to New Ross
port, County Wexford
, about 80 km away, where they are loaded on to ships for transport to smelters, located mainly in Europe.
In 2008 Workers at Galmoy Mines were told the mine is to close completely on a phased basis by July 2011. Management said dwindling zinc resources at Galmoy and a drop in the price for metal worldwide were reasons to close the plant.
Production from the mine ceased in May 2009. However some ore remains unmined and plans are being formulated to consider means of recovery of some or all of this ore.
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
and lead
Lead
Lead is a main-group element in the carbon group with the symbol Pb and atomic number 82. Lead is a soft, malleable poor metal. It is also counted as one of the heavy metals. Metallic lead has a bluish-white color after being freshly cut, but it soon tarnishes to a dull grayish color when exposed...
mine 50 km northwest of Kilkenny
Kilkenny
Kilkenny is a city and is the county town of the eponymous County Kilkenny in Ireland. It is situated on both banks of the River Nore in the province of Leinster, in the south-east of Ireland...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. Located in the Rathdowney Trend, Galmoy is an underground mine.
The Rathdowney Trend, stretches 40 kilometres, between the towns of Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix
Abbeyleix is a town in County Laois, Ireland about from Portlaoise and located on the N77 national secondary route. Formerly the N8 National Primary Route ran through the centre of the town, making Abbeyleix an infamous bottleneck on the Dublin-Cork corridor with up to 15,000 vehicles passing...
and Thurles
Thurles
Thurles is a town situated in North Tipperary, Ireland. It is a civil parish in the historical barony of Eliogarty and is also an ecclesiastical parish in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cashel and Emly...
. The region is a broad plain drained by the Rossetown and Drish Rivers, tributaries of the River Suir
River Suir
The River Suir is a river in Ireland that flows into the Atlantic Ocean near Waterford after a distance of .Popular with anglers, it holds plentiful reserves of brown trout...
, which flows into the sea at Waterford
Waterford
Waterford is a city in the South-East Region of Ireland. It is the oldest city in the country and fifth largest by population. Waterford City Council is the local government authority for the city and its immediate hinterland...
. Exploration of the Rathdowney Trend during the late 1960s and early 1970s identified sporadic occurrences of lead and zinc, although the first significant mineralisation was not discovered until 1984. Lisheen Mine
Lisheen Mine
The Lisheen Mine is a lead and zinc mine located between the villages of Moyne and Templetuohy in North Tipperary, Ireland. In the Rathdowney Trend Lisheen is an underground mine where the Lisheen deposit lies at an average depth of 170 metres below surface....
is also in the Rathdowney Trend.
Galmoy is exclusively an underground operation. Initially the mine used room-and-pillar methods exclusively but subsequent modifications introduced both benching and drift-and-fill systems where conditions are appropriate, as a means of maximising ore recoveries. At the same time the mining method is designed to ensure that no waste rock needs to be hauled to the surface.
Concentrates are transported to New Ross
New Ross
New Ross is a town located in southwest County Wexford, in the southeast of Ireland. In 2006 it had a population of 7,709 people, making it the third largest town in the county after Wexford and Enniscorthy.-History:...
port, County Wexford
County Wexford
County Wexford is a county in Ireland. It is part of the South-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wexford. In pre-Norman times it was part of the Kingdom of Uí Cheinnselaig, whose capital was at Ferns. Wexford County Council is the local...
, about 80 km away, where they are loaded on to ships for transport to smelters, located mainly in Europe.
In 2008 Workers at Galmoy Mines were told the mine is to close completely on a phased basis by July 2011. Management said dwindling zinc resources at Galmoy and a drop in the price for metal worldwide were reasons to close the plant.
Production from the mine ceased in May 2009. However some ore remains unmined and plans are being formulated to consider means of recovery of some or all of this ore.
Geology
The Galmoy ore bodies are breccia-hosted, generally stratabound lenses of predominantly massive sulphides consisting of sphalerite, argentiferous galena and pyrite / marcasite in variable combinations. Hosted in Lower Carboniferous rocks, they occur at the junction of an argillaceous bioclastic limestone (below) and the dolomitised Waulsortian limestone above.See also
- MiningMiningMining is the extraction of valuable minerals or other geological materials from the earth, from an ore body, vein or seam. The term also includes the removal of soil. Materials recovered by mining include base metals, precious metals, iron, uranium, coal, diamonds, limestone, oil shale, rock...
- Tara MineTara MineTara Mines is a zinc and lead mine near Navan, County Meath, Ireland. In the Navan ore body Tara is an underground mine where the orebody lies between 50 and 900 metres below surface....
- Lisheen MineLisheen MineThe Lisheen Mine is a lead and zinc mine located between the villages of Moyne and Templetuohy in North Tipperary, Ireland. In the Rathdowney Trend Lisheen is an underground mine where the Lisheen deposit lies at an average depth of 170 metres below surface....