Memorial University of Newfoundland SEG Student Chapter: Ireland
Charles Lapointe (M.Sc. candidate at MUN and iMAGE CREATE trainee), reports on his trip to Ireland
In May 2023, the Memorial University of Newfoundland SEG Student Chapter (MUN-SEG) toured unique geologic sites and mining operations throughout Ireland. Members gained insight into the unique Irish Zn-Pb class of deposit, as well as gold mineralization in Northern Ireland. We were exposed to the real-world functioning of the mining industry, experienced the many geologically distinct regions of Ireland, and went underground at six different sites. No participant had previously visited an active mine or seen naturally occurring caves! The National University of Ireland SEG Student Chapter (NUI-SEG) at University College Dublin (UCD) collaborated with us and joined us for the second half of our trip. We were first welcomed at UCD by iCRAG and NUI-SEG for a mini-symposium on critical metals.
Over the next eight days, we visited mines from many eras and at different stages of development. These included the 19th-century Ballycorus and Glengowla mines; the mid-20th-century Abbeytown mine; the Galmoy mine, closed in 2009 and scheduled to reopen; Dalradian’s Curraghinalt gold project; and Tara mine, operated by New Boliden. We are tremendously grateful to our hosts who spent their time and resources for us. The Ireland trip was made possible by contributions from the SEG Stewart R. Wallace Fund and the PDAC student field trip funding program, along with generous donations from local industry (Anteros Metals, Atlas Salt, Grassroots Prospecting, New Found Gold Corp, and Planet X Exploration Services). We thank them sincerely for making this enriching experience possible.
