Drilling Report

Ormonde Mining PLC
15 August 2005

15 August 2005


                               Ormonde Mining plc

                            La Zarza Drilling Report

DUBLIN & LONDON: 15 August 2005 - Ormonde Mining plc ("Ormonde" or "the
Company") reports full results from its initial drilling programme at the La
Zarza Gold-Copper Project in southwest Spain.




HIGHLIGHTS


  • New results include:

      • Two intersections in ORM7 - 10.0 metres grading 6.0 grams per tonne
        ("g/t") gold, and 15.0 metres grading 5.8 g/t gold (both within an
        interval of 66.0 metres grading 3.3 g/t gold).


      • ORM11 - 20.4 metres grading 6.5 g/t gold.


  • Investigative metallurgical testwork has commenced on selected composite
    samples from both gold and copper Silicatado.




Managing Director of Ormonde, Kerr Anderson commented,


"We are very pleased with the drilling results to-date, which confirm the
expected widths and grades of mineralization at La Zarza and support our
confidence in the project. We are now progressing with the metallurgical
testwork, which will lead into a scoping study to determine the outline
economics of a combined gold and copper operation at La Zarza. In addition,
infill drilling is underway and we look forward to reporting further results
from the ongoing programme."




DRILLING RESULTS

The principal objective of the initial drilling programme was to obtain
representative samples for metallurgical testwork from both gold and copper
resources within the "Silicatado" unit. Gold and copper zones were drilled to
provide typical material from different parts of the deposit. The main
analytical results obtained are tabulated below, with gold equivalent grades
based on in-situ metal values shown for comparative purposes:




Gold Silicatado:


          Hole    From (m)    Width (m)    Gold g/t    Silver g/t    Copper %    Gold equiv.  
          ORM2      297.0        5.0          5.0         46.6          1.1          8.1      
         *ORM5      163.0        17.0         4.1         40.5          0.4          5.6      
          ORM7      127.0        10.0         6.0         61.3          0.4          7.9      
          ORM7      178.0        15.0         5.8         27.8          0.6          7.5      
         ORM11       68.0        20.4         6.5         84.3          0.5          9.0      
 
Copper Silicatado: 

                                                                                                       
          Hole    From (m)    Width (m)    Gold g/t    Silver g/t    Copper %    Gold equiv.  
         *ORM1       77.0         6.0         1.2         52.0          2.0          6.3      
          ORM2      261.0        10.0         0.5         33.4          2.0          5.3      
          ORM3      379.0         5.0         0.6         25.6          2.1          5.5      
         *ORM4      357.8        11.2         0.3         25.4          2.1          5.2  



                                      


(Notes: *= reported previously. Widths are approximately true width. Gold
equivalents calculated using the following prices: $400/oz Au, $7/oz Ag, $2,700/
t Cu).




Hole ORM11 was added to the original programme to test an area of geological
complexity in the area of ORM1. The hole was drilled close to an intersection
reported by the previous operator (19.0 metres grading 3.9 g/t gold) and
confirms the broad and continuous gold mineralization in this part of the
deposit.


With regards to other holes drilled to-date, ORM6 was an exploratory step-out
hole on the eastern margin of the known resources and did not return significant
results. ORM8 and ORM9 are exploration holes testing possible copper
mineralization 800 metres to the west of the main deposit, with results awaited.
ORM10 intersected a change in geology, probably due to faulting, in the area of
ORM1 and recovered a narrow interval (approx. 3 metres) of Silicatado.




METALLURGICAL TESTWORK PROGRAMME

Composite core samples from both the gold and copper Silicatado have been
selected and investigative metallurgical testwork has commenced at Wardell
Armstrong International, UK. The testwork will indicate the most appropriate
method to recover the economic minerals from the gold and copper resources at La
Zarza, and will provide the basis for the economic scoping study.




PHASE 2 DRILLING

Infill drilling has commenced ahead of schedule to provide further data required
to classify resources according to JORC Code (2004) guidelines. Drilling is
currently testing parts of the deposit accessed by underground workings
previously developed for mining of the adjacent pyrite deposit. Compilation of
the underground mining drawings has been completed and a study to assess how
these workings could be integrated into a new mining operation is underway.




BACKGROUND TO THE LA ZARZA PROJECT

The La Zarza Gold-Copper Project is situated within a Mining Concession in the
Pyrite Belt in southwest Spain. Ormonde is currently earning a 70 per cent
interest in the Project by funding programmes to the value of €1.8 million
during a three year period, under an option agreement with the property owner,
Nueva Tharsis S.A.L., signed in June 2004.


Formerly mined for pyrite (iron sulphide) only, the La Zarza deposit also
contains substantial amounts of gold, copper and silver mineralization.
Ormonde's focus is on the following resources inferred by a previous operator:
5.9 Mt grading 5.0 g/t gold and 50 g/t silver (950,000 ounces of gold, 9.5
million ounces of silver), and an adjacent copper resource of 2.9 Mt grading 2.8
% copper (81,000 tonnes of copper). These resources are hosted by the
"Silicatado" rock type.




Enquiries to:


Kerr Anderson, Managing Director,

Ormonde Mining plc Tel: [phone]


Fraser Gardiner, Investor and Media Relations,

Ormonde Mining plc Mobile: [phone]


Simon Rothschild,

Bankside Consultants Tel: [phone] Mobile: [phone]


ENDS


BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Ormonde Mining is quoted on the AIM and IEX markets in London and Dublin,
respectively. The Company is focused on acquiring and developing gold projects
in Spain where it has a strong local Spanish management team, supported by a
Board with extensive exploration expertise in the region and mine development
experience.


For more information and contact details including email, please visit
www.ormondemining.com.


                      This information is provided by RNS
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