Dalradian's £21bn Gold Mine Inquiry Reopens in Omagh
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- Dalradian Gold's planning application to extract 3.5m ounces of gold over 20-25 years from the Curraghinalt site near Greencastle, County Tyrone faces a reopened public inquiry in Omagh starting 13 April, nine years after the original submission.
- The site holds gold reserves worth at least £21bn at current prices, with parts of the seam carrying 200-300g of gold per tonne, alongside silver, copper, antimony and tellurium deposits.
- Dalradian, owned by a New York investment firm, says the mine will create 1,000 local jobs, achieve carbon-neutral status, and generate nearly £500m in annual gold extraction; the company has already spent more than £250m on the project.
- Retirees Fidelma O'Kane and Cormac McAleer, part of campaign group Save our Sperrins, have spent a decade opposing the proposal, citing risks to freshwater pearl mussels, pine martens, and the cultural heritage of the Sperrins.
- The dispute has fractured rural townlands, with former friends no longer speaking, reports of intimidation and death threats on both sides, and more than 50,000 letters of objection submitted against the application.
- Gerry Kelly, chair of pro-mine group The Silent Majority, claims most locals privately support the project for local jobs but fear backlash from opponents if they speak out publicly.
Why it matters: After a decade and £250m already spent by Dalradian, this inquiry is the decisive moment for a community where friendships have shattered and death threats have surfaced over 50,000+ objection letters. The outcome will determine whether £21bn in gold stays in the Sperrins hills or becomes Europe's first carbon-neutral mine, reshaping a rural County Tyrone economy and landscape for a generation.
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