18 FF. R. Cowper Reed—Coastal Features, Co. Waterford. 
Knockavelish Head on the north. The straight stretch of sand and 
shingle across the head of the bay is known as Fornaght Strand, 
but on each side the cliffs of the promontories descend abruptly into 
the sea without any beach exposed at their base, except a narrow 
strip at low tide in a few coves on the south and a mass of tumbled 
rocks on the north. 
Two typical glaciated valleys, of which the southern one is the 
larger and longer, unite at the back of the flat expanse of marshy 
land which lies behind the strand at a slightly higher level; and they 
are separated by a ridge of Old Red Sandstone, which is the formation 
composing the whole surrounding area. This median ridge is 
particularly interesting because it ends abruptly at a distance of over 
200 yards from the present sea-margin in a steep slope with a vertical 
cliff at its base, and in this way descends suddenly to the level of the 
alluvial flat. That this cliff has been produced by marine erosion and 
is in fact an old sea-margin is strongly supported (1) by the existence 
of an old rock-platform preserved beneath the drift deposits at the 
north end of the strand, and (2) by the occurrence of distinet traces 
of the same feature as a shelf cut in the face of the massive Old Red 
conglomerate cliffs of Knockavelish Head, which bounds the bay on 
the north. This shelf must be regarded as the much reduced 
remnant of a rock-platform; its continuity has been interrupted by 
subsequent erosion and its width narrowed to 3 to 4 feet. It stands 
at a height of about 10-15 feet above the shore-platform which is now 
being formed by wave-erosion, and at about 4—5 feet above the 
present high-water mark. The level of this rocky ledge corresponds 
roughly with the base of the inland cliff above mentioned, though the 
latter seems rather higher owing to the subsequent accumulation of 
superficial deposits round its foot. On the opposite side of the 
bay this rock-cut terrace cannot be well traced, probably owing 
to the nature of the cliffs of Creadan Head, which consist of nearly 
horizontal soft sandstone beds at sea-level with occasional intercalated 
thin bands of conglomerate, so that they have been rapidly undermined 
and worn away. But inland up the Creadan valley traces of the old 
sea-cliff can still be observed. 
Returning now to the north end of Fornaght Strand, we find a line 
of cliffs running for about 150 yards nearly at right angles to the 
trend of the Old Red southern flank of Knockavelish Head. They 
rise gradually from sea-level to a height of about 40 feet at their 
northern end, where they end abruptly against the headland. 
These cliffs are composed of sand, gravel, ‘head,’ and Boulder-clay 
banked up against the solid rock of the northern flank of the 
valley, and they rest on a platform of Old Red conglomerate and 
Ordovician slates and flags which slopes up gently northwards. 
_ This platform is well levelled, and forms the old plane of marine 
erosion at the base of the inland sea-cliff, though its extension inwards 
to the latter is covered by the drift and other deposits of the alluvial 
flat. The subsequent erosion by the sea of the northern side and floor 
of this partially filled valley has caused the formation of this 
interesting section in the drift deposits. The actual junction of the 
latter with the solid rocky side of the valley is somewhat obscured by 
