Tankardstown Engine House

Take in the stunning views of the Copper Coast in Knockmahon, Co. Waterford, while visiting the ruins of the historic Tankardstown Engine House. Here copper was mined, appropriately giving the placename, the Copper Coast.

There is a long mining history in Knockmahon. Knockmahon proved to be the most profitable of all their operations and by 1840 it was described as ‘the most important mining district in the empire’. In the 19th century, the Tankardstown Engine House was a hotspot of industrial activity. During the height of the mining boom, roughly 1,200 worked within the hub. Those who worked at the site were responsible for pumping water out of the copper mines and winding ore up from deep within the earth.

Since the mine closed in 1877, the old buildings have become architectural relics of the village’s mining past. Now, the site is part of the Copper Coast Geopark, one of three UNESCO Global Geoparks in Ireland. While exploring it, you can get an up-close look at the ruins as well as the old mine workings and mineral veins that streak the ground.