SILVERMINES

SILVERMINES, a village, in the parish of KILMORE, barony of UPPER ORMOND, county of TIPPERARY, and province of MUNSTER, 4 miles (S.) from Nenagh; on the old road from Limerick to Dublin; containing 791 inhabitants. This place takes its name from some mines which were formerly worked here under the direction of Lord William Russell and Sir Charles Brooke, who held them from the Crown, previously to the parliamentary war in 1641, when the works were destroyed, and the miners, who were chiefly foreigners, were all massacred. The lead ore extracted from these mines was exceedingly pure, and contained a larger proportion of silver than any of the Irish ores, with the exception only of those of Bangor. The mines are now the property of Lord Dunally, whose seat, Kilboy, is within a mile of the village, and from whom they are held by an English company, by whom they have been recently brought into extensive operation. Machinery of every kind requisite to facilitate the various operations has been constructed, smelting-houses erected, and already several hundred men are employed by the company. The village contains 131 houses, several of which are neatly built. Fairs are held on May 1st, June 8th, Sept. 12th, and Oct. 25th, chiefly for farming stock. The parish church of Kilmore, a neat edifice with a spire nearly covered with ivy, ornamented with a beautifully painted window representing Faith, Hope, and Charity, and containing a monument to the late Lady Dunally, is situated in the village; in which are also a plain neat R. C. chapel, a dispensary, a charitable loan fund, and a poor's fund for the parishes of Kilmore and Dolla.