Kin ah an — On Irish Metal Mining. 297 



tact lode" at the junction of the Carboniferous and Ordovician 

 rocks, extending for at least thirty miles ; from Orallow's Hill, 

 Co. Clare, to the westward ; to Toomavara on the eastward. Along 

 this line mines have been worked at Grarran, near Toomavara, and 

 at Silvermines ; while indications have been detected in the Co. 

 Clare, which seem to suggest that in other places along this "con- 

 tact break " profitable lodes may yet be discovered. 



At Lackamore, copper was raised in old times, while an un- 

 successful attempt to work the lodes was made between 1800 and 

 1810 ; they were subsequently opened on by the Mining Company, 

 who broke some very rich ore ; but as the quantity was small, they 

 also abandoned them. The last adventurers were the Messrs. 

 Taylors of London, who raised some ore up to 1859. Lewis 

 mentions a lode found in the townlands of Cappaghwhite, 

 Ballysinode, and Grortdrum, which contains rich copper in bunches, 

 and was leased to the Mining Company, who, in 1826, spent some 

 money at Gortdrum, but apparently without any return. 



At Hollyford there are two parallel lodes cut off by a cross 

 •course. On the eastern, or Ballycolein lode, there was an ancient 

 mine ; as about 1850, at the cross course, were found " Old Mens " 

 workings and tools. In 1858 the western lode was worked under 

 Captain John Pascoe, while subsequently the mines got into the 

 bands of an English bogus company, who became bankrupts. 



Tyrone. 



The geology of Tyrone is very interesting. To the north, 

 coming in from Londonderry and Donegal, are Metamorphic 

 xocks, which belong to two distinct geological periods, probably 

 Ordovicians and Cambrians — south of the laiter, at Pomeroy, are 

 unaltered Ordovicians. Dr. Hincks has suggested that the older 

 rocks may be Laurentians, but solely on account of their litho- 

 logical characters ; they are evidently of the same age as the older 

 rocks in Donegal. The Pomeroy Ordovicians are overlaid by 

 Silurians of the Fermanagh type, and those to the south and east 

 by Carboniferous Sandstones, Shales, and Limestones; and on the 

 latter, to the north-eastward of Dungannon, are the Coal Measures 

 of the Ulster Coal-fields. Margining, and on the Coal Measure, 



