Shallee Mine, Tiperrary no.1

EFA-270

Shallee mine, disused mine Tipperary

The Shallee Mine is a disused mine in Tipperary, located near the village of Silvermines.  The Shallee mine was traditional in operation. It featured underground and open-cast mining, the use of a ball mill for crushing and a railway for conveying the ore. It was permanently closed in 1958.  The caverns from the disused mine are truly spectacular. I spent 2 days photographing the Shallee mine. Sunlight lifted the dark shadows of the space revealing it’s hidden beauty. The rough golden rock was revealed. It was clear to me that it was cut with the blood sweat and tears of the miners. I can only imagine how tough these miners must have been.  I doubt if too much high tech boring equipment was used here!

– Enda Cavanagh