Efforts to resume mining at Galmoy Mine receive planning boost - Kilkenny Live

A mining company has been granted permission to extend underground mining operations on the Laois side of the Galmoy Zinc and Lead Mine that straddles the Kilkenny-Laois border.

Plans to resume mining on the Kilkenny side of the border were conditionally approved last September but have since been appealed to An Bord Pleanála.

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Following news that mining operations have been approved on the Laois side, subject to 44 conditions, there is renewed interest in the fate of the Kilkenny application.

If the mine gets planning permission it could create around 100 jobs during the estimated 12 months of the construction phase and around 90 would be employed during the mining phase.

Recommencement of mining in Kilkenny is currently planned for the townlands of Garrylaun, Castletown, Rathreagh, Rathpatrick, Whiteswall, Moneynamuck (Stopford), Rathbane and Waterland close to the village of Galmoy.

In its planning submission, Shanoon Resources explained that the mine would operate for up to ten years extracting ore containing zinc, lead and some silver.

The metals, particularly zinc, are in demand for use for batteries and other components essential to the green economy, the application states.

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Mining activity at the former Galmoy Mine previously took place between 1997 and 2014.

Shanoon Resources say operations ceased on site prematurely and significant ore reserves remain underground.

An estimated 310,000 tonnes of ore would be extracted annually if mining resumes at the site.