642 Scientific Proceedings, Royal Dublin Society. 



Possible existence of a Coalfield at Lame and beneath the North Channel. 



On page 638 it has been pointed out that the easterly bounding anticline 

 of the Lough Neagh basin follows the coast southward as far as Glenarm, but 

 at this point passes inland, leaving to the east an area in which the chalk is 

 faulted down to progressively lower levels. This depressed area is probably 

 the margin of a transverse synclinal trough similar to that of the Bann 

 Valley and Lough Neagh, occupying the bed of the North Channel. That 

 such a synclinal exists is borne out by the gap in the Highland border 

 .ridge between Ton- Head and the Mull of Kintyre. It is impossible to go 

 further than this in defining the course of this basin, but its western limit on 

 the land may be taken as roughly indicated by aline joining McAuley's Head 

 near Glenarm to Carrickfergus. In the neighbourhood of Lame there is a 

 belt of land some five miles wide to the east of this- line, and it is well 

 worth while to consider the possibility of the occurrence of Coal Measures 

 within this area, because of the ease with which coal could be shipped from 

 this excellent seaport. Moreover its discovery would open up possibilities of 

 access to an extensive field extending seaward beneath the Channel, and in 

 the event of a tunnel to Scotland ever being constructed, it might not be 

 beyond the skill of the engineers of that date to work the North Channel 

 coalfield from that tunnel. 



Now, as to the probability of the occurrence of coal in this area, it must 

 be remembered that we have no evidence of its existence at all comparable to 

 that yielded by the Lough Neagh basin. It is entirely a matter of analogy. 

 It is true that in a boring at Duncrue, north of Carrickfergus, and just within 

 the limits of the supposed basin, strata, which appear from the borer's 

 description to be almost certainly Carboniferous, were found beneath the 

 Trias at a depth of 836 feet. There is no certainty, however, that these beds 

 belonged to the Coal Measures, but it is something to be assured of the 

 existence of any Carboniferous beds in this position. Their presence there 

 renders it fairly probable that some miles further into the basin at Larne or 

 Island Magee actual Coal Measures might be found. It cannot be denied, 

 however, that this field, if it exists, would be difficult to work on account of 

 its highly faulted character. If explorations are ever undertaken, the first 

 boring should be located as far to the north-east as is possible, the .best site 

 being probably the small outcrop of chalk on the coast of Island Magee 

 opposite the Isle of Muck. 



