504 The Mineralogiccd Resources of Ireland. [Oct., 



Clay-ironstone was formerly extensively worked from the shales 

 which overlie the uppermost coal-seam, both at the Kock Colliery 

 and south-east of Glin. Here there was a furnace for smelting the 

 ore, but the ironstones are generally too poor in quality and too 

 small in quantity to make them of any economic value. 



3. Tipper ary and Kilkenny . — This is one of the most im- 

 portant coal-fields in Ireland, and has been ably described by Sir 

 E. Griffith, in his ' Keport on the Leiuster Coal-field,' and more 

 recently by the officers of the Geological Survey.* The coal is of 

 three varieties, known in the district as anthracite, cidm, and kelve. 

 Of these the anthracite is the most valuable, and the kelve the 

 least, being merely a carbonaceous ferruginous shale, with so much 

 combustible matter as to be used for fuel. The culm is exten- 

 sively used for brick-making and lime-burning ; and the anthracite, 

 which is generally highly pyritous, when ignited gives out an in- 

 tense heat. The following is a general section of the strata of this 

 coal-field in its thickest part : — 



General Section neae Castlecomek. 



Ft. In. 



Uppermost strata 12 



Peacock coal 110 



lutermediate strata 45 



Stony coal 3 



Intermediate strata 21 



Double seam of coal (partly fireclay) 5 



Intermediate strata 1 20 



Three-foot seam of coal 3 



Intermediate sti-ata 180 



Foot coal 16 



Intermediate strata (about) 300 



Gale Hill coal 6 



Flagstone series (about) 650 



Black shale series 500 



Carboniferous limestone. 



The lowest seam of coal is not workable, but the " foot " and 

 "three-foot" seams have a considerable range, and have been 

 largely worked. The uppermost seams occupy only a very limited 

 area, as they have been denuded from ofl" the gi*eater portion of the 

 coal-field. Along with the seams of coal are several beds of clay- 

 ironstone of fair quality and thickness. These were once mined 

 and smelted at Moyhora and Lacka, in the Queen's County. In 

 the deep workings at Massford, and at Coolham Hill, Moyhora, 

 Moyadd, and other places, the old workings were on an extensive 

 scale.f This coal-field possesses sixteen coUieries now at work. 



4. Leitrim and Fermanagh. — This coal-field is of considerable 

 extent, lying to the north of, and around, the shores of Lough Allen. 

 It contains several seams of coal, at least two of which are workable, 



* • Explanation of Geological Survey Map 137,' by Messrs. Jukes, Kinahan, and 

 Du Noyer. 1859. 



t Mr.G. H. Kinahan's ' Explanation of Geological Survey Map, aliect 137,' p. 51. 



