1912. Halussv. — Stipcyficial Deposits of Co. Wexford. 175 



ON THE SUPERFICIAL DEPOSITS OF THE 

 COUNTY OF WEXFORD. 



BY T. HALLISSY, B.A., M.R.I. A. 



(Contributed with the permission of the Director of the 

 Geological Survey of Ireland.) 



The country to the east of the Leinster Chain is overspread 

 with certain varieties of loose superficial deposits, concerning 

 which much uncertainty prevails with regard to their 

 origin and to their stratigraphical relations to one another. 

 These deposits are best developed on the Wicklow and 

 Wexford coasts, extending from Arklow to Kilmore and 

 spreading from the coast inland as far as Ferns, Gorey, and 

 Enniscorthy. During an investigation of the soils of the 

 Wexford district for the Geological Survey, the writer was 

 afforded an opportunity of stud3aEg these deposits, and he is 

 preparing a paper, in association with the Director of 

 the Survey, dealing with their character and origin. In 

 the present note, it is proposed to discuss briefly the nature of 

 the deposits, and to give the conclusions, as regards their 

 geological history, that have been arrived at as a result of 

 the recent investigation. 



In the area referred to, three different varieties of loose 

 superficial deposit can be recognised : The first variety, a 

 highly calcareous chocolate-coloured clay or "marl," 

 known as the " Wexford marl," occurs practically over the 

 whole district up to between the 200 and 300 -foot contour 

 line. This marl contains numerous arctic and other shells, 

 jasper, coal, chalk-flints, rounded pebbles of chalk, sand- 

 stone, diorite, felsite, red granite, &c., as well as a con- 

 siderable number of striated limestone and sandstone 

 boulders. Formerly the " marl ' was used as a manure, or 

 rather as an amendment, for its fertilising value depended 

 entirely on its content of carbonate of hme. The occurrence 

 of numerous marl-holes, now for the most part filled with 

 water, enables one to trace the deposit over the whole dis- 

 trict. The second variety consists of sands and gravels 

 containing numerous shell-fragments, magnetic iron sand, 



