Annaglogh Lead Mines

Eirgrid have proposed a new electricity inter-connector between Co. Tyrone and Co. Meath which crosses from Northern Ireland into the Republic at Lemgare and runs through the townlands of Lisdrumgormley and Annaglogh - all of which had extensive mining operations in them.

On Day 34 of the Oral Hearing (13 May 2016) a report & research were presented to the Hearing which was chaired by An Bord Pleanala Inspectors.

Maurice McAdam as part of his initial submission to An Bord Pleanala had raised the issue of the uncharted Mine workings in the Lemgare, Lisdrumgormley and Annaglogh area posed a series of questions to EirGrid, in particular about the research that they had carried out. Mr McAdam had questioned Eirgrid regarding the "Incurred Liability & associated costs" and the potential for harm or even death by collapse of underground Mine Workings in the area given their lax approach.

Mr McAdam, a Civil Engineering Contractor in the UK stated that the project he was currently engaged in North & South Lanarkshire had extensive Mine Workings. Extensive research and ground penetrating radar was used along with historical maps of the underground network was carried out prior to extensive grouting and rehabilitation of all known mines and shafts. All shafts were capped also. He made the point that EirGrid had not considered this scope of works whatsoever with relation to the areas of Mine workings in Lemgare, Lisdrumgormley & Annaglogh relative to their Proposed Development. .

He then introduced Dr. Colin Andrew, a Mining Geologist from Co. Meath and member of the NEPPC whom he had commissioned to carry out additional research and collate information from both his & Dr Andrew's own findings into a report- which was submitted to the Inspectors at the Hearing.

Dr Andrew reported as follows:

The northernmost portion of the proposed overhead high voltage cable alignment between proposed pylons 102 and 117 transected an area of extensive ancient and old mining activity, principally for lead. This activity dated from the medieval period but reached a maximum in the mid-19th century when a number of mines were active.

The mines were extensive although production was relatively limited due to the nature of the mineralisation forming rich pipes within the fault-vein structures. With respect to the proposed development many collapses into mine voids have been recorded over recent years both in the vicinity of known shafts and lateral workings but also in areas with no recorded mining activity. In this respect a number of proposed pylon placements are located in hazardous areas in close proximity to recent collapses. Dr Andrew said he believed the total absence of any assessment or even acknowledgement of these issues was a fundamental omission within the EIS.

Construction of such a development involves numerous access routes for vehicles up to 38 tonnes gross axle weight along tracks overlying open mine voids and the potential for danger to life and limb is paramount. The EIS is fundamentally deficient in not addressing such issues as not only access is compromised but the siting of a number of the proposed pylons has not been properly evaluated.

Evaluation should have comprised field examination of the sites, detailed mapping of the mine sites by an experienced industrial archaeologist and mining geologist followed by ground penetrating radar or similar geophysical technique to ascertain the presence of subjacent mine voids. In the view of Dr Andrew, without such the EIS remained fundamentally inadequate.

In similar terrains, in Cornwall, for example, many sudden collapses into old mine voids are commonplace and it is a normal requirement of planning from Cornwall County Council to have a full comprehensive search on mine records and ground survey completed as part of any planning application.

Location: The mines were mostly grouped round the village of Milltown, within the eastern border of Co. Monaghan, and several disused shafts bearing the names of separate townlands may occur on this long lode. The Tassan-Tonagh-Coolartragh lode is thus traceable for 3 km and workings may be expected anywhere along this feature. GSI Memoir 58 (1914) notes that "...numerous small disused shafts and workings occur along the line of the lode between Tassan and Coolartragh".

Several of the smaller ventures, not touched on here, are mentioned in Memoir 59, ‘pp. 28-9 (1877). The remains of ancient workings are seen at a point between the Lemgare and Annaglogh shafts. A ruined engine-house marks the site of a lode of galena (lead) said to range north and south, with an easterly hade, in Croaghan, south of Tassan Lough; and in Glare Oghill, at the edge of the map, nearly due west of Castleblayney, a similar lode was at one time worked. Some of the shafts here remain partly open. A lode of lead is reported to have been discovered in Grig, north-east of the last named townland, and to have been also struck near the railway bridge, south of this.

EirGrid stood by the accuracy and extent of the environmental impact statement and the basis on which they had carried out the research. They said none of the new information would change their assessment which had been done with the help of GSI information and LiDAR technology to provided details of the topography.

The assessment they had already made of the Lemgare area which showed the old mine workings extending away from the area where the pylons would be going. In their response document published in December 2015 the company noted that a number of submissions raised issues in respect of the potential of the proposed development to impact on specific mines. These issues were addressed as follows:-

Tassan Mine: Details of Tassan Mine are included in the EIS. The historical mine is located 170m south east of Tower 117. The mine area of Tassan CGS was delineated by the GSI and incorporates the locations of shafts, other surface features and historical maps and data. There are no historical records that would suggest mine shafts at Tower 116 or 117. All historical data available from the GSI was assessed. The boundaries of the CGS are shown on Figure 7.17 in Volume 3C. Distances to the outlined boundary of Tassan CGS are detailed in Chapter 7, Volume 3C.

Lemgare Mine: The Lemgare mines were avoided by the route selection process, with proposed mitigation measures identified regarding Lemgare County Geological Site (CGS). Historical maps available from the GSI indicate that the underground works are contained within the boundaries of the Lemgare County Geological Site. The boundaries of the Lemgare CGS are shown on Figure 7.17 in Volume 3C. Distances from the proposed works to the boundary of Lemgare CGS are detailed in Chapter 7, Volume 3C.

Lisdrumgromly and Annaglogh Mines: Lisdrumgromly and Annaglogh Mines are located over 200m from the proposed interconnector. OSI and GSI records show the locations of shafts and surface workings for Lisdrumgromly and Annaglogh. Based on a review of the data there is no evidence of underground workings along the proposed line or at tower bases. All historical data available from the GSI was evaluated. The location of ‘collapsed shafts’ are mapped on the OSI historical maps. No evidence of mine shafts at the tower bases are presented in the submission. Based on a review of the data there is no evidence of underground workings along the proposed line or at tower bases.

The Co. Monaghan Geological Site Report on Lemgare says the site was part of a working farm and the fields immediately surrounding the mine dumps were used for grazing cattle. Many of the minerals that had been recorded there could only be studied satisfactorily with specialist equipment and the site was thus likely to be of interest mainly to scientists. Therefore it did not require further promotion. The presence of rare wulfenite meant Lemgare warranted County Geological Site status.

Dr Andrews concluded that the EirGrid EIS is particularly remiss in failing to locate, identify and assess mine workings. The failure to recognise and assess the potential for collapse of old mine workings was a major and fundamental omission. The failure almost certainly stems from a lack of understanding of such issues, a failure to examine the sites in the field, and a total lack of site investigation of any form whatsoever other than a desk-top study. The absence of any form of appropriate assessment is total folly and is clearly unacceptable. Dr Andrew told the inspectors that permitting the project could not be granted until such on site assessment and study had been completed to an acceptable professional standard.

James Skimming is mentioned in countless articles including;

• Ireland's Recovery (1855) John Locke [17]
• Mentioned as Mining Agent in the Nant-Y Car Mines in Wales under the ownership of BB Popplewell (1863-1872), then George (G.G,) & Mrs G Tetley (1872-1875) and finally C. W. Seccombe (1878-1893) when it was eventually wound up in 1893.[18] GG Tetley (1805 - 1873)[19] a Bradford merchant, was the Chairman and single largest shareholder of the Tasson Mine (3,000 shares out of a total of 19,856 issued).
• Extracts from the report of GL Kroll (The Pb Zn Deposits North of Castleblayney Ireland) & Mining Journal 9 April 1853 P.216 [20][21]
• The British Newspaper Archive / James Skimming Mines / Skimming Mines[22][23]
• Lemgare Mines- The British Newspaper Archive

• North Eastern Mining Company of Ireland (Monaghan) Chief Agent 1846-1855
• Benree (Shropshire UK) Chief Agent 1859
• Roman Gravels (Shropshire UK) Chief Agent 1859
• White Grit, East (Shropshire UK) Chief Agent 1859
• Nant-y Car (Breconshire UK) Chief Agent 1868-1871

There was extensive mining operations in the townlands of Coolartragh,[25] Lemgare and Lisdrumgormley. In recent years there has been several instances whereby the Shaft/Tunnel networks of some of these disused mine locations have collapsed.

1. Whilst ongoing Quarry Operations were being carried out in Lemgare Quarry, uncharted underground mine shafts from that of Coolartragh Mines were uncovered in early 2000.[26]
2. In 2010 in Annaglogh on the property of Philip McAdam there was an instance where 2 mine shafts collapsed and these were subsequently back-filled and made safe by the DCNER. The actual works were carried out by the OPW (Office of Public Works). prior to this one of the same shafts collapsed in the late 1960s and was filled in by Monaghan County Council.
3. In 2012 on the site of the disused Lisdrumgormley lead Mine, within property of James Watters there was also a shaft collapse whereby the Office of Public Works also made the area safe.
4. There have been several instances where the shaft at the Mine head location (as shown on the sketch in Annaglogh) where the actual Mine's Chimney was located has collapsed throughout the 1960s and 1970s, and each time the landowner, Patrick Morgan back-filled this himself as he was quite unaware of the role of the state in making sure these shafts were safe.

• Annaglogh