A Wicklow company has applied for a prospecting licence for base metals, gold, silver and rare earth elements in a number of townlands in West Cork, writes Kieran O’Mahony.

Sonaco Resources Ltd is seeking a prospecting licence from the geoscience regulation office in the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment for townlands including Allihies, Ardacluggin, Caherkeen, Cloan and Coom among others.

The Geoscience Regulation Office has taken out an ad in The Southern Star this week to inform the public of its intention to grant a prospecting licence to the company as it said that there are minerals not being worked under the lands in the areas indicated.

The Department has indicated that a prospecting licence only entitles the holder to explore for mineral deposits only and does not authorise the mining of any minerals.

‘The prospecting activities permissible under a licence are in general non-invasive and of minimal environmental impact,’ according to the Department of Climate, Energy and the Environment.

It added that the Minister has assessed the exploration programme proposed by Sonaco Resources Ltd and has determined that the activities are not likely to have a significant effect on the environment

This is the second company in the past 12 months to seek prospecting licences from the Department to investigate areas of West Cork for potential materials.

Aurum Discovery, with an address in Kells in County Meath sought a total of 18 prospecting licences to investigate the potential of areas such as Aghaville, Letterlicky East and Skeaghanore East and West outside Skibbereen for gold, silver, copper, base metals and barytes.

However, no work has commenced there as the Department has no yet awarded the prospecting licences.