24/06/2026
Barrystown Gold & Silver
Standing here in Barrystown, Wellington Bridge, as the last light spills across Bannow Bay, it's easy to forget that beneath these peaceful fields and shorelines lies a story of miners, merchants and hidden wealth.
Long before these photographs were taken, Barrystown was known for its lead and silver mines. Historical records show mining activity stretching back centuries, with renewed operations in the 1500s, 1800s and again in the early 1900s. Ore from Barrystown is believed to have been connected with the old minting operations at nearby Clonmines across Bannow Bay, where silver once helped fuel local industry and trade.
The remains of the old Barrystown Mine still stand today, hidden among the countryside near Wellington Bridge. During the mid-1800s, over one hundred people worked the mines, enduring dangerous conditions in search of silver-bearing lead deep beneath the fields that now seem so quiet. The venture eventually declined, leaving behind only ruins and stories carried through generations.
As I stood photographing this sunset over Bannow Bay, I couldn't help but think of those who once walked these same shores. The golden light reflected across the water seems fitting for a place where local folklore spoke of "gold and silver for the Barrystown children" and where the land itself became synonymous with hidden riches. The the wealth of Barrystown is found less in what lies beneath the ground and more in what surrounds us: the quiet estuary, the changing tides, the wildlife, and sunsets that paint the sky in molten gold. For a photographer, that may be the greatest treasure of all.
Barrystown, Wellington Bridge, Co. Wexford
*"Where the gold is no longer mined from the earth, but found each evening in the light above Bannow Bay."
