Kinahan — On Irish Arenaceous Rocks. 569 



nians of the Kerry Head district and Slieve Mish graduate 

 upwards, through the Lower Carboniferous Sandstone (Yellotv 

 Sandstone) and Lower Limestone Shale into limestone, while to 

 the east of the county, on the latter, are the Coal-measures. 



[The types here are quite different to those in the Kenmare River Valley, except 

 as mentioned, in the vicinity of Kenmare, where the rocks are allied to those of the 

 north-east.] 



The sandstones, especially those in the Devonians and Coal- 

 measures, were much more used in old times than at present, as 

 now limestone is generally preferred for cut-stone purposes. The 

 sandstones of the county were, however, principally used in the 

 early Norman architecture; and, from these ancient structures, 

 as exhibited at Ardfert, and in different other ancient ecclesias- 

 tical buildings, they seem capable of making good and durable 

 work. 



Ordovician. — The grits and sandstones of this age are not of 

 much account at the present time, except for local purposes, as 

 the localities in which they occur are more or less inaccessible. 

 Some of the early structures in the area would suggest that they 

 were capable of being used in good and durable work. 



Llandovery or Passage Beds (Smerwick series) and Silurian. 

 — In the Smerwick series there are many excellent stones of 

 reddish, purplish, and brownish colour, none of which are in 

 demand on account of their isolated and inaccessible position. In 

 the groups next above [Ferriter Cove and Croaghmarhin series) there 

 are some good beds ; but in general they do not appear to be 

 eminently suited for cut-stone purposes ; but in the highest group, 

 Dingle beds, there are some first-class stones, suitable not only for 

 cut-stone purposes, but for all sorts of heavy work, being capable of 

 being raised in blocks of large dimensions. There is, however, 

 only a small market for them, and they seem to be used nearly 

 solely for local purposes. In the county south of Dingle Bay, in 

 Grlen, or the valley adjoining St. Finan's Bay, there is the old 

 structure called after that saint. It is a cloghaun, or bee-hive 

 house, built of a fine-grained sandstone of the locality [Qlengariff 

 grits), without mortar. The stones in the interior of the cell were 

 so neatly joined and put together, that when visited some twenty- 

 five years ago they presented a perfectly smooth and even sur- 



