Ballycorus Leadmines

Ballycorus leadmines is a former lead mining and smelting centre located in the townland of the same name, near Kilternan in County Dublin, Ireland. The mine opened around 1807 and was taken over by the Mining Company of Ireland (MCI) in 1826 who owned and operated the site up until closure in 1913. After the mine was exhausted in the 1860s, Ballycorus continued to operate as a smelting facility receiving ore from other MCI sites such as the mines in Glendalough, County Wicklow. The most distinctive surviving remnant of the site is the ruin of the flue chimney that lies close to the summit of Carrickgollogan hill. Further down the slopes of the hill, many other former buildings and structures from the leadworks can also be found.HistoryOpen-cast mining began at Ballycorus around 1807 on the western side of Carrickgollogan hill, close to the later site of the flue chimney. The site was taken over by the Mining Company of Ireland (MCI) in 1826 who undertook underground mining in the area up until 1863. This activity was carried out on an intermittent basis on account of the discontinuous nature of the vein and depending on lead prices. A vein of silver was discovered in 1843 but production was limited.