222 



Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



COPPER. 



[Copper is recorded as having been found native in the mines at East Cronebane and 

 Connary in cracks or slight shrinkage fissures in the veins, while the mine water has 

 deposited it on the metals in the old working. Native copper, sometimes in geodes, 

 was found at Kilduane, Bonmahon, Co. Waterford, and sparingly in some of the lodes 

 in S.W". Cork. Yellow copper ore {chalcopyrite) is often found associated with lead 

 in the limestones of Carboniferous age, but usually in too small quantities to be of 

 any value. In the sandstones, whether high up or at the base {Lower Carboniferous 

 sandstone), the copper usually predominates. In the Devonian rocks it princi- 

 pally occurs as the yellow ore {chalcopyrite), and grey ore {tetrahedrite) ; and on 

 the backs {gossan lodes) of some of the lodes, the carbonates {malachite and aiurites), 

 and oxide {melaconite). Generally it is only associated with sulphur ore or 

 mundic {pyrite) ; but sometimes lead {galenite) and barytes {barite) are present ; the 

 latter in places being so mixed as to deteriorate or ruin the ore. The ores are most 

 prevalent in the Metallic Shales, or the upper zone of the Devonians. In the unaltered 

 Silurians, Ordovicians, and Cambrians, also in the granyte, the yellow ore, similarly as 

 in the Carboniferous, usually occurs associated with the lead ores; but only in 

 small quantities ; while in the metamorphic rocks it is in larger quantities ; sometimes 

 being independent, but more often associated with pyrites, lead, zinc, or barytes. 

 Some of the pyrite or sulphur ore at Ovoca was a poor ore of copper containing from 

 2 or 3 to 8 or 10 units ; and the copper in the ash of such ores, after the sulphar is 

 abstracted, is found to be remunerative. 

 At Carrigacat and Kilcrohane, Co. Cork, and Ballymurtagh, Co. "Wicklow, the copper ore 

 {coppery pyrite) is in part auriferous, while most of the old coppery lodes in the great 

 Ovoca channel probably contained some gold. At Garryard, Gortnadyne, and Gort- 

 shaneroe, Co. Tipperary, and near Bantry, Co. Cork, the copper ores are argenti- 

 ferous.] 





