Into the mine

Mount Gabriel is a prominent height in West Cork, across Dunmanus Bay from where we live. It has been taken over by communications installations - we get or broadband signal from an antenna there and two radar domes are part of Eurocontrol air traffic control system. The mountain has a long history and there are remains of bronze-age copper mines on its slopes.

Today we walked up to the summit - there is a road so it's not too hard! This is the entrance to one of the mines - an adit (at top of picture) cut into a natural cleft in the rocks with the most basic of tools. The pool and damp rocks now form a wonderfully rich ecosystem.

A different type of pic from today HERE