Deerpark Mines, located about 3Km north of Castlecomer, County Kilkenny, were the largest opencast coalmines in Ireland, giving great employment to the area. Producing anthracite, a natural smokeless fuel, the mines were connected to the rail system in Ireland in 1919. This railway connection was closed in 1962.
The coalminers lived in the nearby town of Castlecomer, in the villages of Moneenroe and Clogh and all the nearby townslands including Skehana, Mayhora, Firoda, Aughamucky, Glenmullen, Upperhills and Ardra. The Wandesforde family built a quaint terrace of houses for the miners in Kilkenny St, Castlecomer and a row of cottages at Deerpark as well as several individual cottages throughout the area.
The Wandesforde family was the traditional owners of the coalmines.
At peak production in the 1950’s, trains carried 300 tons a day to a depot at Kilkenny station close to the present hardware store called “Chadwicks”. Each train carried about 100 tons. This would be loaded on from 10 to 15 carriages.
Other neighbouring coalmines were; The Vera (named after Vera Wandesforde, eldest daughter of the owner) and The Rock near Glenmullen.
A museum about the mines was opened in 2007 in Castlecomer town.
Anthracite from Castlecomer was the source of the saying about qualities of County Kilkenny: "Fire without smoke."