County: Cork Site name: MOUNT GABRIEL
Sites and Monuments Record No.: N/A Licence number: —
Author: W. O'Brien, UCG
Site type: Mine - copper
Period/Dating: Bronze Age (2200 BC-801 BC)
ITM: E 493872m, N 534870m
Latitude, Longitude (decimal degrees): 51.556398, -9.530526
Located on the upper eastern slopes of Mt. Gabriel, 370m east-south-east of the summit. A 1m test-pit was excavated on a large crescentic spoil mound covering c. 200 sq.m outside the mine entrance. This revealed a dump of loosely compacted broken rock, 1 .6m in thickness, rich in charcoal and stone-mining mauls. A sample of charcoal from the upper spoil horizon was submitted for radiocarbon dating, the result (GrN-13668 34311±30 BP) of which confirms aim Early Bronze Age date for this site.
Mine 24 (Rathenol td.) V9368 3476 272m OD.
Located on the southern side of the Mt. Gabriel-Rathenol townland boundary on the eastern slopes of the mountain. A near-horizontal mine driven south-west into the base of a low rock face for a distance of 2m. The interior was greatly infilled with a waterlogged peaty deposit which was completely excavated. This revealed in-situ peat development formed as a result of inblown vegetation, beneath which there was a primary mine sediment containing stone mauls and fragments of wood. Radiocarbon dating of the latter (BM-2336 3130±80 BP and GrN-15967 3280±35 BP) confirms a Bronze Age date for this mine.
Mine 27 (Letter td.) V9429 3485 138in OD.
Located on the southern slopes of Leitir Hill to the east of Barnancleeve Gap. A large inclined working was driven west into a low rock face for a distance of at least 5 metres. The interior is greatly infilled and a small cutting was excavated in the entrance area in an effort to gain access to the rear of the working. This was abandoned when a large slab was discovered inside the entrance preventing further entry. A large collection of stone mauls was recovered, however there were no secure contexts for radiocarbon sampling, the interior of this mine is dry and partly open which may explain the presence of a late 17th-century pot inside the entrance in what was clearly an intrusive position.
