IRELAND BRANCH O.U.G.S. Organiser: Phyllis Turkington. Phyllis has BSc honours, mostly in Earth Sciences, and a PGCE Science, both of from The Open University, and a diploma in Geology with University College Cork. Ph.: 0044 028-97561990 or 04897561990 from the Republic E-mail: ireland@ougs.org

Ireland was originally part of North West Branch but the sea between the islands prevented attendance on field trips. The Ireland Branch was set up in the last century when John Leahy agreed to take on the role of organiser in Ireland ( he is older than he looks !) John took S102 the year it was first presented in the Republic (1993) and went on to study Geology with the OU. He has now graduated. Several other existing members joined him to form the Branch notably Phyllis Turkington, the present Organiser, who at that time took on the role of Branch Treasurer.

The Ireland Branch is part of the Open University Geological Society John Leahy's photograph from the Iceland trip, winner of 2005 Moyra Eldridge Photograpic Competition is now on the OUGS web site. Our Former field trips: gives a taste of Irish geology by describing some of the sites of interest that we have visited.

IRELAND

In a very broad sense Ireland consists of a central plain of Carboniferous Limestone rimmed by mountains of Lower Palaeozoic age or older. Only to the northeast lie younger rocks notably the Tertiary basalts of the Giant's Causeway.

DUBLIN

Dublin lies on the east coast of Ireland where the Carboniferous Limestone breaches the mountain rim and reaches the coast. The city is built on, and in part with, Carboniferous Limestone. The limestone extends northwards about 25km before encountering the Lower Palaeozoic sediments and volcanics of the Balbriggan inlier. Navan, where the largest zinc mine in Europe is hosted in the limestone, lies 45km to the northwest.

To the south of Dublin the limestone is fault-bounded. Beyond the fault at an oblique angle running roughly northeast - southwest, is the largest granite batholith in these islands, the Leinster Granite. The granite lies within Ordovician and Silurian sediments and beyond them to the east, at Bray, are Cambrian sediments. Close to the Granite there is a narrow contact metamorphic aureole and in Killiney impressive andalusite schists may be seen. Within the Lower Palaeozoic rocks there are many occurrences of economic minerals, probably the best known being the volcanogenic massive sulphide deposit at Avoca, where copper was mined until 1982.

For details contact Phyllis Turkington.

2/3 May South Wicklow Granites with Michael John O'Mahony

Staying in the Lord Bagnel, Leighlanbridge 2 nights B&B 1D €129 We will visit sites at the south end of the granite complex described in the Wicklow field trip.

20 June. Giants Causeway coast and Carraig-a-rede. Leader Paul Lyall.

The Giants Causeway is the 'premier geological site in Ireland' well worth a weekend trip from the South or from the 'mainland'.

Check out the Wessex web page for long field trip to Northern Ireland in August.

TOP

Former field trips:

OUGS Irish Branch Library: