Copper  Mines

Copper Mines, from which the Mine Road gets its name, flourished here in the late 18th Century. Martin O'Connor originally opened the mines in 1760. He tunnelled inland for about 300 yards in a westerly direction but quit after a short while. Benedict Arthur of Seafield, Co Dublin raised some copper from the mine in 1772 but he too was disappointed and abandoned the mine. The mine opened again in 1785. This time an English company, Kilbey and Co. obtained a lease from John Dempsey who was the owner of the lands at the time. This company was more successful and the ore extracted from the mines was exported to Swansea, in Wales. 

Mining became a thriving industry for some time because of the demand for copper for munitions. After the Napoleonic wars the price of copper fell and the mines became uneconomic. 

They were closed and re-opened a number of times until their final closure in 1845. All the equipment including a powerful high-pressure steam engine was sold at auction at the minehead on the 26th September 1848.