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Clements Mine, Co. Galway (Map 38 - 526990)
This mine is located in the heart of Connemara, above the village
of Maam.
This was originally worked in the 1800s, for which there are few records, and
later re-worked in 1908. On the site, however, the surface remains provide visible
signs of different workings.
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(Clements Mine, Galway. Inventory Trip, M.Parkes)
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The processing mill, which is large and impressive,
is quite prominent and overlooks Lough Corrib. It is in a fine condition
and is well worth preserving. It seems likely that it was powered by a pelton
wheel arrangement as there is evidence of a leat going from the stream which
would have worked the wheel and driven the crushers. Above this is an incline
plane, with a partly intact brake drum housing at the top. Another incline
continues down past the mill to the remains of a wooden pier on the Lough.
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At the top of the first spoil tip, and cutting across the stream, an
open adit is found. This is about 2 metres wide and appears quite modern,
running straight in for about 200 metres. At ths point, a branch passage
to the right runs about 350 metres and has a small cross cut with a possible
rise which was not climbed due to loose rock.
The tip higher up comes from the open cut stopes to the right of the
stream. A small adit below the cut is blind after 20metres and care should
be taken crossing a sump in the passage. On the opposite side, another
short level has been driven and there is also a collapsed adit a little
further up the hill. The tip here is quite surprising and a large amount
of unprocessed galena can be found. This probably dates from a more modern
time because the tip material had been dumped across the original incline.
There is also a report about a boat full of ore, which sank in Lough Corrib
on route to Galway and is still thought to be there. See Cole's Memoir
page 102.
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Added to MHTI WebSite March 11th, 2001
Last Revised May 11th, 2001
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