Slieveardagh in the County of South Tipperary.

 

Slieveardagh is made up of Village's just like a Province is made up of County's.

Ballingarry,Killenaule,The Commans,Gothnahoo,New Bernahem Lickfinn make up Slieveardagh.

Coalmineing started here back in the 17th centuary, it is said by the danes in the Commans  also known as Blackcomman.

They started an open cast mine called the spa one-half mile from the Commans

on the Ballingarry road,the ruins  which are still edevant today.

The spa in the Commans was the first place in Ireland that coal was mined.

This was open cast mineing with pick and  shovel's(no machinery back then)

When they went so far water became a major problem and the mine was abandoned,

In later years in the  mid 60s the tryed again to reopen the mine but they  could not keep the water pumped out.

and again the mine was closed for good.

Then the Britrish Mineing  Comany started a mines in Mardyke.

Mardyke soon became a large opperation  driveing a shaft at 25 degrees where they mined the best coal in Ireland.

They  also developed a leval from there under ground  from Mardyke to Lickfin in Earlshill to take

all the water from all the mines that were then and  to come in the future.ie.Classduff,Gorteen and Lickfin.

Mardyke had its own school,30 houses for miners and was the first mines to use electricity to power ite pumps.

Its manager had his own house there and the ruines of it is still there today(12/09/2014)

In its peak of production it employed over 100 men.

Mardyke closed in 1833 because the quality of the coal fell, there been to much duff in the coal.

Dull or sometimes called colum was the waste of the coal but this mixed with yellow clay made good fireing

but was not viable to mine hense the mines closed forever.