| Glengowla Mines | |
| Native Name: | Mianaigh Ghleann Gabhla |
| Map Type: | Ireland |
| Established: | 1999 |
| Location: | Glengowla East, near Oughterard, County Galway, Ireland |
| Type: | Lead and silver mining museum |
| Publictransit: | Glengola Bridge (Bus Éireann route 421) |
Glengowla Mines is a "show mine" dedicated to the lead and silver mining history of Glengowla and the Oughterard area.[1] [2]
Mining at Glengowla began in 1851, after a farmer discovered galena just under the soil surface.[3] The first mine shaft was named after a Captain Paul. The mine was in operation until 1865, eventually measuring 40 metres deep and 200 feet wide. The main mining centred on silver and lead, though Connemara marble, gold,[4] dolerite, quartz, and rare green and blue octahedral fluorite.[5]
The site was opened as a heritage site by the owners of the land, Patrick and Keith Geoghegan. Glengowla Mines' site includes the remains of a 19th-century silver and lead mine, which has been restored to allow visitor access. There is also a heritage and visitor centre, a blacksmith's shop, and a circular powder house.
Glengowla is part of Ireland's National Seismic Network, logging real-time information with a seismograph, contributing to information of earthquakes worldwide.[6]