THE COMPANY WHICH owns a mine near a massive sinkhole that appeared last week in Kilkenny says that they are working to repair the damage.

The nine metre deep hole appeared on the land of a Kilkenny family, not far from the Galmoy Mines.

Lundin Mining, who run the mine, say that the investigation into the occurrence has shown that a number of causes were at play.

The preliminary findings of the investigation show it was most likely caused by:

• the presence of natural, near-surface cavities
• the increased potential for washout in the existing fissure caused by the lowering of the water table during historic mining activity
• the recent exceptional rainfall

Steve Gatley, Vice President Technical Services from Lundin Mining said the investigation confirmed initial beliefs.

“These early findings confirm our initial belief that it was a combination of factors, rather than just one, which led to the formation of the sinkhole.

“We appreciate that the appearance of a sinkhole can be an unsettling time for people who live in the area. However, we would like to reassure them that the evidence suggests it resulted from an unusual and unique set of circumstances.

“Our focus is now on repairing the hole, in cooperation with the landowners. We will continue to work with the relevant authorities and update those living in the area as our investigation progresses.”

Read: ‘No public safety issue’ as 15 metre sinkhole appears in Kilkenny field