Yesterday we were deep in copper coast country driving through Copper Coast UNESCO Geopark and then today we were plunged into the heather-covered hills of the Wicklow Mountains National Park and Wicklow Gap.
The Copper Coast was interesting or should I say the history of copper in the area was interesting. Did you know - ‘they’ say that copper was first mined in Mesopotamia over 8000 years ago but wasn’t mined in Britain or Ireland until 4000 years later at the beginning of the Bronze Age. At least as far as they can gather!
We checked out an old mining site near Bunmahon on the southeast coast where they estimate the copper may have formed about 350 million years ago. We all have a pretty good idea of many of the uses for copper but something I didn’t know is that it was used as a fungicide to prevent potato blight - successfully or not, I don’t know.
Talking of mining, that and quarrying are among the oldest industries in Ireland (and I dare say Scotland also) dating back 9000 years to the Mesolithic era when evidence suggests that people were quarrying flint to fashion axes and other tools. We saw some of that on St Kilda and other Scottish islands where archaeologists have studied Neolithic villages.
But today! It was a gentle time driving through hills, lush pale green woods and wee villages and then up into the hills of the Wicklow National Park. Deep purple hillsides as far as the eye could see - the heather was a joy to behold - suspended loughs and pockets of wooded streams. Quite idyllic! In one place we drove slowly behind a 'gypsy' caravan for miles - the horses were being led through the hills (further on we saw a sign saying ‘road unsuitable for horse-drawn vehicles’ ).
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| The Copper Coast on the southern coast of Ireland |
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| The rock strata of the coastline is awe inspiring - it is as if the whole thing has been upended |
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| Heron's Shaft in an abandoned copper mine near Bunmahonthat descends over 250m |
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Ruins of that same abandoned copper mine
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| A rock wall watershed - broad and impressive |
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| The hills were alive ....... and the air was heady with the sweet honey-smell of the heather |
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| Bilberries (Vaccinium myrtillus) everywhere growing beside the heather and among the rocks |
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