Kinahan — Slates ami Clays (Bricks, 8fc). 85 



feet thick. It is of a softer nature, and is crossed by diagonal 

 joints, which prevents the material being wrought economically into 

 slabs ; but it splits more easily than either of the others into 

 roofing slates, and it is from it most of these were made. The lowest 

 bed is about 14 feet thick. It is not as good for slabs as the upper 

 one; but is better than the middle one, having fewer diagonal 

 joints, so that in places good-sized blocks can be procured ; whilst 

 from the waste roofing slates were made. The quarry is a great 

 cave in the face of the hill. It is remarkable that in the good 

 veins of these Silurian slate the angle of the cleavage is always 

 low, while in the best slate of Ordovician age the inclination is 

 high, often vertical. 



In Coole, which lies westward of the Geokaun quarry, there is 

 a very good vein of slate, both for slabs and roofing purposes ; it 

 has been very little worked. 



The vein of slate on Beginish has already been described. 



On the mainland, near Cahirciveen, to the west of Ballycarbery 

 Castle, some slates have been raised from a purple vein, while 

 in the county to the eastward slate has been raised in the 

 Lough Carra district, but not extensively. Small workings for 

 local use are mentioned at page 96 when describing the slates used 

 for walling purposes. 



KILKENNY. 



In the Ordovician rocks in the valley of the Lingaun, at the 

 junction of Tipperary and Kilkenny, the Ormond quarries have 

 been opened on slate veins. The slate is of excellent quality ; but 

 unfortunately near the river, where the quarries are situated, the 

 strata are very much cut up and shifted by faults, which adds 

 considerably to the working expenses, as the slate vein may be cut 

 out when a quarry is in full working order. Farther away from 

 the vein, in the hills, the veins seem to be much more continuous, 

 and therefore more suitable for the site of a quarry ; besides, on 

 the hills the veins could be worked by a tunnel and level without 

 the expense of the present lifting and pumping. These quarries 

 used to supply a large quantity of slates. 



The Ormond Slate Quarries are in the townlands of Knockroe 

 and Mealoughmore, barony of Kells, Co. Kilkenny. The veins are 



