Allihies Copper Mine Museum

The Allihies Copper Mine Museum tells the story of copper mining on the Beara Peninsula in the village of Allihies, County Cork. Set on the Wild Atlantic Way at the western tip of the peninsula, the museum documents an industry that transformed this remote corner of the south-west, beginning in 1812 when copper deposits were worked here by the Puxley family. Mining grew rapidly in the following decades, drawing a substantial workforce to the area before the industry declined later in the century, with further exploratory work carried out in the twentieth century.

The museum is housed in a restored Methodist church dating from 1845, a building linked to the Cornish miners who came to work the deposits. It was opened in September 2007 by President Mary McAleese, following years of work by the local Allihies Mines Co-op to preserve the district’s mining heritage. The exhibitions trace copper working in the area from its earliest prehistoric origins through to the industrial mines of the nineteenth century, and the collection includes mining equipment and tools from the different periods of activity.

Alongside the exhibits, visitors will find the Copper Café for refreshments and light lunches, and the museum also offers genealogy assistance for those researching family connections to the area. Allihies itself sits within striking mountain and coastal scenery, and the museum connects to a local mining trail as well as the wider Beara Way walking route.