Kinahan — On Irish Metal Mining. 267 



Farther northward, in the Co. Kildare, Metamorphic rooks 

 (Ordovicians) intervene between the Granyte and the Carboniferous 

 rocks, but they do not extend southward into the Co. Carlow ; to 

 the eastward of the range, however, at Clonegall and Newtown- 

 barry a tongue of these rocks extends from the Co. Wexford into 

 this county. 



This county does not appear in Griffith's lists ; but in the Coal 

 Measure there are some seams and nodular beds of clay-iron stone 

 that were mined between 1600 and 1641 by Christopher Wands- 

 worth (Wandesford) ; who had also works, including a foundry for 

 ordnance, at Idrone. — (See Leimter Coal-field, Co. Kilkenny). In latter 

 years iron was raised near Shillalagh, Co. Wicklow, and probably 

 also in this county. 



Except the clay-iron stone there are no authentic records of 

 minerals or veins. Grold, indeed, is said to have been found not 

 many years ago in one of the valleys N. E. of Graguenamanagh : 

 this has not, however, been authenticated. Lead is also said to 

 have been found in one of the same valleys, and some trials were 

 made unsuccessfully. It may be pointed out that these trials were 

 injudicious, and not in the places where lodes would probably be 

 found. 



Cavan. 



About Lough Sheelin, at the south of the county, and extend- 

 ing in from Westmeath, is the edge of the great central tract of 

 Carboniferous Limestone \ while in the vicinity of Stradone there is a 

 small outlier. The north-western portion of the area is solely 

 occupied by Carboniferous rocks ; in places there being Coal 

 Measure; as in a small tract between Ballyconnell and Swan- 

 linbar ; and in the hill country, to the N. W., of which Cuilcagh, 

 partly in Leitrim, is the highest summit. At Cavan there is a 

 limited tract of Carboniferous Sandstone, and S. W. of it is an in- 

 trude of Granyte, while the rest of the area is occupied by Ordovi- 

 cians. 



The mountain tract to the N. W. is a portion of the Conn aught 

 Coal-field ; including portions of the counties Cavan and Fer- 

 managh [Province of Ulster), with parts of Sligo, Leitrim, and 

 Roscommon [Province of Connaught). As all are part of the one 

 field, they may here be described together. 



