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"The making and breaking of a mining
community: the Copper Coast, County
Waterford, 1825-1875+"
by Des Cowman
At the centre of the Copper Coast in County Waterford lie the 19th Century
mines of Bunmahon-Knockmahon-Tankardstown. These gradually closed in
the 1870s, devastating the area. Most of the mining families headed into the
unknown and were directed to the Copper Country of Michigan's Keweenaw
Peninsula and later to Butte, Montana. Their story has never been told.
The social history and anecdotes about the mining community in Bunmahon
during the 19th Century have been compiled by local historian Des Cowman in
"The Making and Breaking of a Mining Community: the Copper Coast,
Co. Waterford 1825-1875+", a 200 pages book lavishly illustrated with archives
material, reconstruction drawings and aimed for a general readership although
fully referenced.
Table of contents
Preface: Researching a community. Notes
Chapter 1.
Setting the scene
(i) The Copper Coast: current context
(ii) The 18th century context
(iii) The 1824 context: a new social agenda
Chapter 2.
The making of a mining community
1.Technical factors 1825-’45
(i) Creating Employment: water power 1828-1835
(ii) Further Employment: steam engines 1836-1845
Chapter 3.
The making of a mining community
2. Social factors c. 1840
(i) Peasants or mineworkers?
(ii) The manager, John Petherick
(iii) The problem of housing
(iv) Miners drunk and sober
Chapter 4.
Potentials for breaking the community, c. 1840
(i) Tensions and Compromises among the “upper echelons”
(ii) Tensions, religious
(iii) Tensions, socio-political
Chapter 5.
Near breaking: the years of Famine, 1845-1850
(i) The crises
(ii) A chronology of famine relief
(iii) Consequences of famine
(iv) Transatlantic migration
Chapter 6.
Remaking the community, 1850-1860
(i) Saving the community - Tankardstown
(ii) The Mining community c. 1860
(iii) Community culture - education
(iv) Further religious difficulties: Rev. D.A. Doudney
(v) Underground in Knockmahon and Tankardstown
Chapter 7.
Various forms of breaking, 1860-1875
(i) The Strike and lockout of 1860
(ii) Breaking the miners
(iii) The crises, 1865-1875
Chapter 8.
1875+: The sundering of the community
(i) Decline and closure
(ii) Farewell to Bunmahon
Chapter 9.
Hopes for remaking the community
(i) New mythologies
(ii) False hopes, 1890-1905
(iii) The great “hope” of 1905 –1906
(iv) Sequels, 1930-1977
Chapter 10:
What remains: the mining trail
(i) Bunmahon to Tankardstown
(ii) North and West of Bunmahon
Appendices
1. Some 19th century mining terms (illustrated)
2. Steam engines in Knockmahon by 1845
3. Ore sales
4. List of family names
5. Mine plans and photographs
Community Index
The index of names cited in the book is available in Excel format (39Kb) or
in PDF format (99Kb).
Des Cowman on RTE Nationwide
Des Cowman featured on RTE Nationwide on the 7th March 2007, talking
about the Bunmahon mining community following the release of his book.
RTE has posted the video file on their website and it can be viewed by
visiting: http://www.rte.ie/news/2007/0307/nationwide.htm and selecting the
topic "Copper Mines".
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