Abandoned mines

Throughout its history, Northern Ireland has had a rich heritage of mining across the country. There are more than 2,400 known abandoned mine works. Access to these mines is dangerous and is strictly banned.

Abandoned mines and their location

Abandoned mines are old mines where the owner no longer owns the property or the owner no longer exists.

The mines contain vertical shafts and horizontal adits (passages leading into a mine) extending underground to great distances. The deepest shaft in Northern Ireland is a 366 metre vertical drop.

The Department for the Economy now owns and monitors all abandoned mines. You can view where the abandoned mine works are on the Geological Survey of Northern Ireland (GSNI) GeoIndex.

Follow these steps to display them on the GeoIndex:

Step one - click on 'Map layers' at the top of the screen.

Step two - click on 'Historic Mine Workings (Group)'.

Step three - check the boxes marked 'Shafts and Adits' and 'Mine Abandonment Plans'.

The dangers of abandoned mines

Old mine workings are extremely hazardous and should never be entered. Most of the old mines have fallen into a state of disrepair and have a number of dangers including:

flooding
hidden shafts
internal collapse
toxic and combustible gases
lack of oxygen

All abandoned mines in Northern Ireland have been sealed and have warning notices.

Other dangers with abandoned mines

The greatest risk with old mines is collapse or subsidence of the overlying surface. This can take the form of sudden or long-term movement. Other risks include the emissions of contaminated water or gas.

What to look out for and how to report it

Causes for concern in areas containing abandoned mines are:

rumblings and ground tremors
a sudden hole appearing
subsidence or unusual cracking of the surface
recent structural damage to buildings and infrastructure
water emissions from mines
if you see someone entering a mine
damage to mine gates and fences

If any of these events occur you should keep a safe distance from the mine and tell GSNI immediately or the emergency services:

Contact Geological Survey of Northern Ireland

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