Kinahan— States and Ctai/s (Bricks, Sfc). 81 



Thorn, eastward of Letterkenny ; between Dunfanaghy and 

 Falcarragh (Cross-roads), a heavy slate, quarried in different places 

 for local purposes; near Milford; Strawbridge, four miles from 

 Carndonagh; Carriclunacrolij, nine miles from Carndonagh; 

 Dttnmore, nine miles from Carndonagh ; Buncrana ; Fahan Point. 

 In all these places there have only been trials made, or very small 

 quarries opened. 



On the shore of Lough Swilly, at Saltpans, to the north of 

 Rathmullen, there is a vein of good-looking slate. 



In the country west of Lough Swilly there are numerous 

 bedded sheets of whinstone, which have baked the associated 

 shales; and some of these baked rocks are good novaculites or 

 honestones. A good vein occurs west of Oughterlinn E. C. 

 Church, north of Lough Swilly. 



Gtentoicn quarry, about two miles west of St. Johnstown. In 

 this neighbourhood there appears to be two or more veins of slate, 

 which have been holed in places. Tradition has it that slates have 

 been procured here for about 100 years, the oldest working being 

 about a quarter of a mile N.E. of the present quarry. They are 

 mentioned by Dr. McFarlane, who wrote in the beginning of the 

 century. The main vein is from twenty to thirty feet wide, 

 and ranges about N. 60° E., dipping northward at from 50° to 70°, 

 the cleavage striking N. 20° W~, and hading E. at about 55°. 

 For a length of over a quarter of a mile there are old openings 

 along its out-crop ; while to the eastward, at the margin of the 

 drift slope, a deep quarry was opened some fifty or sixty years 

 ago by a Mr. Alexander, who raised the stuff, waste, and water 

 by an engine. About forty years ago (say 1845) it fell into the 

 hands of the landlord, the Marquess (afterwards Duke) of Abercorn, 

 who, at a cost of £2000, ran in a tunnel, from the valley on the 

 east, 380 yards long, which cut the vein eighty-four feet below the 

 surface. This tunnel drained the workings, besides being used as 

 a tramway, by which the stuff and rubbish was removed. Subse- 

 quently the vein was wrought for about 400 yards to the level of 

 the tunnel, while at the eastern end it was further worked for a 

 depth of forty feet below that level. The works were continued 

 to the year 1879, when, on account of the depression in trade, they 

 ceased to pay, and had to be abandoned. At that time from 

 twenty to thirty hands were employed making the slates, all of 



