Irish Geology - field trip suggestions

I am thinking of a making a visit to Ireland to look at the geology. After looking at some books, and a google search I am minded to visit Connemara (Irish Green Marble, interesting forams on the beaches...)

Does anyone have any suggestions for specific itineries or points of interest? (Not just Connemara, my plans are only tentative.) Also any suggestions for good museums with geological collections (I know of the one in Dublin, which I may well visit.)

Regards.

Nigel Whittington Hull East Yorkshire

You may want to read some of the descriptions of geology in Roscommon, Sligo, and N. Mayo, at:
http://www.gsi.ie/staffhome/macdermc/index.html

The *Bedrock* section has some home pages and interesting geological information. Good luck...

Turlough

Ireland, I think, would be an interesting place for a geologist. Here in a very compact area are endless examples of the way geology, over millions of years, has shaped and reshaped the world we live in. One example that comes to mind is the effect which glaciation had upon the landscape. The scouring effect is probably best seen the area called The Burren in County Clare. This is a vast rock formation which prompted an English visitor to complain that there was not tree enough to hang a man, water enough to drown him, nor soil enough to bury him. The massive weight of ice no doubt had its effect in creating the many bogs and lakes found throughout the land.

Giant prehistoric deer trapped in the bogs left their antlers behind which are featured as conversation pieces in any number of taverns and pubs. Truly startling. Another example of mother nature at her most bizarre is called the Giants Causeway. Located in northern Ireland it consists of regularly shaped hexagonal columns formed by the cooling of basaltic lava. Cliffs, headlands, bays, drowned valleys and raised beaches surrounding Ireland attest to the power of geologic forces at work over long periods of time.

For a geologist there are probably a lot of secrets waiting to be revealed. I suspect also, there's a lot of hidden resources which Ireland never knew it possessed. Such as oil, gas and minerals, both on shore and off. Go for it , Nigel.

Regards, Bill.

Of course... don't forget the Blarney Stone! *|

My aunt went on a tour from the states, and several of the places they went to were geological (she said the Giant's Causeway was impressive, and she's not a rock person). Just the coast in general, and old castles, with a good rock and mineral book would be interesting to peruse. One the the fellows from UM-C is doing his grad work in the Midland lead fields. Of course, she brought back a Connemara marble shamrock for me! Jo

The Granites of Donegal are famous, I think. I think these rocks were one of the first granites studied scientifically. Psuedo-stratigraphy, layering, granitization vs. magmatic origin, intrusion, etc. And I think they were studied and cited by the likes of H.H. Read, etc., re: 'THe Origin of Granite.'

A 'must see and hit with a hammer' in my book.

-JBB

Thanks for the varied suggestions. I will probably order some of the maps and shhet guides from GSI and order the book by George Hepworth but so far my ideas are. Connemara, Dalradian and New red sandstone outcrops, Foram and algea (Coral' collecting on the beaches, Try and find Gossan at Roundhill, Visit Connemara Marble sites, Blanket bogs with 'bog oak', North to Croag Patrick for the views and the quartzite, Drumlins in Clew bay. If that has not exhausted me and my time I might try and get to Clare Island.

Any other ideas for sites of interest, websites or paper refereces welcome.

Nigel Whittington

WYSE JACKSON, P.N. 1989. 'Museum File 18: Geological Museum, Trinity College, Dublin', Geology Today 4, 213-214.

WYSE JACKSON, P.N. & SLEEMAN, A.G. 1991. 'Return of Type, Figured, Referred and other fossils from the geological collections of Trinity College Dublin to the Geological Survey of Ireland', Geological Survey of Ireland Bulletin 4(3) [1990 - date of imprint 1991], 221-222.

WYSE JACKSON, P.N. (editor).1994. In Marble Halls: geology in Trinity College, Dublin, Department of Geology, Trinity College, Dublin, pp. 135

WYSE JACKSON, P.N. & MONAGHAN, N.T. 1994.'Frederick M'Coy (c. 1823-1899): an eminent Victorian palaeontologist and his synopses of Irish palaeontology of 1844 and 1846', Geology Today 10, 231-234.

PARKES, M.A. & WYSE JACKSON, P.N. 1998. A survey of the state and status of geological collections in museums and private collections in the Republic of Ireland. The Geological Curator 6(10), 377-388.

BURNETT, R., CLAYTON. G., HAUGHEY, N., SEVASTOPULO, G.D. and SLEEMAN, A.G. 1990. The organic maturation levels of Carboniferous rocks in south County Wexford, Ireland. Irish Journal of Earth Sciences, 10, 145-155

Clayton, G., Haughey, N., Sevastopulo, G.D. and Burnett, R. 1990. Thermal maturation levels in the Devonian and Carboniferous rocks in Ireland. Geological Survey of Ireland, Dublin.36pp (Date of imprint 1989).

COONEY, G., FEEHAN, J., GROGAN, E. and STILLMAN, C.J. 1990. 'Stone Axes in Co.Tipperary'. Tipperary Historical Journal, 197-203.

PHILLIPS, W.E.A., CRAIG, P. and HASLETT, J. 1990. Development and testing of new techniques to aid mineral exploration using remote sensing, image processing Methods and Multivariate analysis - main target areas: Almaden Spain and Central Ireland. Final report Primary Raw materials Programme of the European Commission. Contract MAIMI 00 322. pp 1-69.

COTTER, E. and GRAHAM, J.R. 1991. Coastal plain sedimentation in the late Devonian of southern Ireland; hummocky cross stratification in fluvial deposits ? Sedimentary Geology 72, 201-224.

GRAHAM, J.R., WRAFTER, J.P., DALY, J.S. and MENUGE, J.F. 1991. A local source for the Ordovician Derryveeny Formation, Ireland: implications for the Connemara Dalradian. in Morton, A.C., Todd, S.P. & Haughton, P.D.W. (eds) Developments in Provenance Studies, Geological Society London Special Publication 57, 199-213.

MURPHY, F.C., ANDERSON, T.B., DALY, J.S., GALLAGHER, V. GRAHAM, J.R., HARPER, D.A.T., JOHNSTON, J.D., KENNAN, P.S., KENNEDY M.J., LONG, C.B.,MORRIS, J.H., O'KEEFE, W.G. PARKES, M., RYAN, P.D., SLOAN, R.J., STILLMAN, C.J., TIETZSCH-TYLER, D., TODD, S.P. and WRAFTER, J.P. 1991. An appraisal of Caledonian suspect terranes in Ireland. Irish Journal Earth Sciences 11, 11-41.

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WYSE JACKSON, P.N. 1991. 'Bryozoan distribution in Waulsortian buildups of Belgium and Ireland', Palaeontology Newsletter 12 , 21.

WYSE JACKSON, P.N. 1991. 'Distribution of Irish Marine Bryozoa, together with biographical notes relating to the chief researchers in the group', Bulletin Irish Biogeographical Society, 14(2) , 129-184.

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KEY, M.M. Jr., MOORE, M.D., PATTERSON, W.P. and WYSE JACKSON, P.N. 2002. A stable isotope test for diagenesis comparing brachiopods, bryozoans, and cements in the Ordovician Duncannon Group, southeastern Ireland. Geological Society of America Abstracts with Programs 34(6): 17.

On a less technical level than Beacon's post (parallel to this one): Pelican had a book out titled _Geology and Scenery in Ireland_ by J.B. Whittow which would be worth looking at if it's still in print. My copy was printed in 1978, but that's when I got it. Excellent blend of enough details for the professional, and enough explanation for the interested amateur like me.

You could also go to the Antrim Plateau, ah the days of school Geology fieldtrips. There are other many places in Antrim of great interest to you, including the Giants Causeway, of course, and the Glens of

Beat you to it, I already have this book, a very battered copy! They are an excellent series. In fact it was the aquisition of a copy of this book in a charity shop that set me thinking about planning a geolgical excursion to Ireland in the first place. I think my copy is 1970's as well.

Regards.

Nigel Whittington