Galmoy Zinc and Lead Mine plan approved for Laois

A mining company has been granted permission to extend its underground mining operations into Laois.

Shanoon Resources Ltd had applied to Laois County Council for permission for an underground extension to the Galmoy Zinc and Lead Mine into Kyle in Laois. The development is part of a 442 Hectare mining site that straddles the Laois Kilkenny border. 

Planning permission was sought in both Laois and Kilkenny for the development. The Kilkenny plans were conditionally approved last September but have since been appealed to An Bord PLeanala. 

Laois County Council approved the underground extension in Laois subject to 44 conditions on Monday, January 23.  The planning application sought to develop an underground mine extension to the former Galmoy Zinc & Lead Mine. 

“The underground extension to the mine underlies the townland of Kyle, Co. Laois and will comprise the development of underground workings including an access route to join underground mining works concurrently proposed as recommencement of mining in Co Kilkenny under Reg. Ref. 21/599 (appeal reference ABP-314095-22), in the Kilkenny townlands of Garrylaun, Castletown, Rathreagh, Rathpatrick, Whiteswall, Moneynamuck (Stopford), Rathbane and Waterland close to the village of Galmoy, Co Kilkenny. An IPC licence is required in relation to the proposed development. An Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR) and a Natura Impact Statemtent (NIS) will be submitted to the Planning Authority with the application,” the application states.

In its submission to Laois County Council, 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. 

Mining activity at the former Galmoy Mine previously took place between 1997 and 2014. Shanoon Resources says operations ceased on site prematurely and significant ore reserves remain underground. 

If the mine gets planning permission it could create around 100 jobs during the estimated 12 months of construction phase and around 90 would be employed during the mining phase. The application states that an estimated 310,000 tonnes of ore would be extracted annually if mining resumes at the site.