Kinahan — On Granite and Metamorphic Rocks. 201 



work. " The town of Naas is situated just on the border of the 

 rocks, and is badly supplied with building-stones ; cut-stone being 

 generally obtained, either from the limestone, at some distance, or 

 from the granite of the Wicklow range." {Wilkinson.) 



CARLOW. 

 Granites. 



In the north-eastern part of this county the granite is generally 

 of a bad class, friable or coarse ; but towards the western boundary 

 of the granite tract, especially near Bagenalstown, some excellent 

 stones have been procured, both from the surface-blocks and from 

 quarries. Granite is the stone generally used, not only in this 

 area, but also in the valley of the Barrow, to the eastward, for 

 quoins, sills, gate-posts, walling, and all cut-stone purposes. It is 

 also used for fences ; split blocks 8 or 10 inches square, and about 

 8 feet long, being placed on granite pillars, of the same transverse 

 dimensions. These fences are both durable and cheap, costing 

 about 8s. to 10s. a perch. 



" The Lunatic Asylum, Court House, Union Workhouse, and 

 many other buildings in the town of Carlow, were erected of local 

 granite, procured from different quarries. Can be had in nearly 

 any scantlings. From hard to free, not difficult to work ; used in 

 punched, chiselled, moulded, and rubble work." (J. W. Mellon.) 

 In the north-eastern part of the Carlow granite ground the 

 rock comes to the surface in different places ; but it is often either 

 a growan, or too friable for use, and it is always more or less coarse. 

 In addition to the surface-blocks, the following seem to be the 

 places in which the better stones can be quarried : — 



Palatine, on the mearing of Wicklow and Carlow. Grey, 

 coarse-grained, regularly jointed, (g. s. m.) 



Ballyloo, about two miles northward of Nurney. Regularly 

 jointed ; has a tendency to break-up into cuboidal blocks. 

 (g. s. m.) 



Graigue na Spidcloge, nearly three miles north-east of Nurney. 



Coarse-grained; felspathic; well- jointed ; easily raised, (g. s. m.) 



Nurney. More or less similar to last. In places in this vicinity, 



as also to the S.W., in the country about a mile and a-half east of 



Leighlin Bridge, similar stones have been quarried, (g. s. m.) 



SCIEN. PROC. R.D.8. — VOL. VI., FT. IV. E. 



