1869.] The Miner alogical Resources of Ireland. 505 



and one of bituminous coal of fair quality, which is worked near 

 Cashel. There are several collieries in the vicinity of Boyle and 

 Drumkeeran. As the Government surveyors have not as yet 

 entered upon the examination of this district, we are as yet only 

 partially acquainted with its mineral resources. 



5. The little coal- tracts of the county Meath are also only 

 partially explored, but it is well known that the beds of coal are 

 of very limited extent. 



6. Bungannon. — The area of this coal-field does not exceed 

 twelve square miles, only part of which is productive of coal ; but as 

 compared with the coal-tracts we have been considering, it is com- 

 paratively rich in minerals, which have been examined and described 

 in detail by Sir E. Griffith. 



Unhke the coal-fields of the south and west of Ireland, which 

 are on every side bounded by the Carboniferous limestone or the 

 Atlantic Ocean, the Tyrone coal-field is bounded to the south and 

 east by the New Ked Sandstone formation, below which the seams of 

 coal may be considered to dip, and to be within reach of mining 

 operations. The coal-field is divisible into two districts, namely, 

 that of Coal-Island and Annahone : the former, according to the 

 estimate of Sir E. Griffith, has an area of about 7000 acres, and 

 the latter over 300 acres. The general section in its deepest part 

 is as follows : — 



Section of the Tyrone Coal-pieli). 



Ft, In. 



Upper coal (impure) 2 2 



Intermediate strata 37 



Annaher coal (soft) 9 



Inteiinediate strata 55 



Bone coal 3 



Intermediate strata 39 



Shininf/ coal 2 10 



Intermediate strata 78 



Brackavcel coal (good quality) 4 6 



Intermediate strata 74 



Baltaboy coal (sn]phurous) 3 



Intermediate strata 72 



6'o;-inas/jt'a coa/ (partly canuel) 6 0- 



Interraediate strata 225 



Derry coal (good quality) 4 6 



Below these are several other seams, and as a general rule the 

 coal of this district is of fair quality, and is associated with several 

 beds of ironstone and fireclay. 



To what extent this coal-field underlies the flat tract of ground 

 which stretches eastward to the banks of Lough Neagh, and south- 

 wards to the banks of the river Blackwater, is a question of 

 economic importance remaining to be solved. It is to be hoped 

 that beds of coal, of such value both as regards thickness and 

 quality as to resemble those of several of the English coal-fields, 



