434 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



to supply the south portion of the Co. Down and Dundalk with 

 lime and cut stone. In some beds very large blocks can be raised ; 

 principally quarried for lime ; not very good for tool-work. 



Kilcurly. Two miles from Dundalk. — Greyish-blue ; compact ; 

 crystalline ; works freely. 



Ardee. — Dark-grey ; semi-compact ; difficult to work. 



Drogheda. — Dark greyish-blue, inclined to black ; earthy ; com- 

 pact ; in part shaly. The old buildings in which it has been used 

 are very much weathered. 



Bheephill. Three miles from Drogheda. — Light bluish-grey ; 

 crystalline; compact; works freely. A very good stone, very 

 unlike any other in the county, being more like those at Lough 

 Sheelin, in the Co. Meath (Ross Castle). It has been used in 

 some of the public buildings in Drogheda, and extensively in the 

 adjoining portion of the Co. Meath, and in the restoration by 

 Mr. Roe of Christ Church Cathedral, Dublin. 



Lime strong and good, but dark-coloured. 



Mayo. 



As in the adjoining county of Gal way, there are here also 

 extensive crags or sheets of bare limestone, especially in the neigh- 

 bourhood of Lough Mask ; and the good quality of the limestone 

 has prevented other stone being wrought or even looked for. 



Cong and Ballinrobe. — In various places in the neighbourhood 

 of these towns, varieties of grey and blue ; crystalline ; compact ; 

 sound ; works easily ; splits easily ; can be raised in very large 

 blocks ; suitable for all kinds of cut-stone purposes. 



Westport. — Two quarries in the vicinity, the larger called 

 Farm Quarry. Greyish-blue ; very good quality; bedded from 1J to 

 2 feet thick. At the Farm Quarry there is a clearing of about 

 20 feet of soil and 16 feet of bluish sandstone. A peculiarity of 

 the limestone is the occurrence of invisible joints, called " threads" 

 by the quarrymen. These do not detract from the value of the 

 stone, as it does not weather, nor, when in work, do the stones 

 crack along them. They are of great use to the workmen, as 

 by experience they have learned that, if they throw water on 

 the face of a bed, they can seethe "threads" when it is drying 

 off, and subsequently, by the judicious application of the wedge, 

 they can readily split the stones. 



