From the Bronze age to the 1870s Allihies was an important copper-mining site.
The most commercial and productive period was from 1812 to 1912 when ~300,000 tons of ore were mined.
An unsuccessful attempt was made to restart mining in the late 1950s by a Canadian mining company.
The most prominent reminder of Allihies' mining heritage is the engine house located on the mountain above Allihies village.
The area saw large-scale emigration when the mine closed following a fall in the worldwide price of copper.
Many miners went to Butte, Montana and the town has many families who trace their ancestry back to Allihies.
The Allihies Copper Mine Museum was recently opened near the village and is well worth a visit:
http://www.acmm.ie/index.php/themuseum
Reference: Wikipedia