Irish exploration company Conroy Gold and Natural Resources has discovered an "extensive gold zone" in Co Monaghan.

The company, which announced a 1,000m drilling programme at the site in Clontibret two weeks ago, located the gold from the first drill hole it completed some 30m below the Tullybuck mine.

Company chairman Richard Conroy said: “I am delighted at these excellent drilling results, including both high grades and wide intersections.

“Our technical work on the deposit had identified the Tullybuck mine area as a key target for next stage gold-focused drilling, and the results confirm the effectiveness of our team’s pre-drilling technical review.

“The confirmation of an extensive gold zone builds significantly on what we have previously identified. As a result the team are excited with this additional gold zone discovery, and what it means for the Clontibret project and our company as a whole.”