F. R. Cowper Reed — Carrier of Comeragh Mountains. 157 



elevation known as Croghaun Hill, nearly 1,300 feet high. The 

 eastern face of the Comeraghs is drained by many small streams, 

 some of which are supplied by the tarns in the corries. North of 

 the Croghaun spur these streams flow in a general eastward direction 

 into the Clodiagh, which falls into the Suir, but south of Croghaun 

 the streams run south-east to form the rivers Mahon and Tay, which 

 enter the sea at Bonmahon and Stradbally respectively. 



From the above description of the waterways it is seen that the 

 Comeraghs give rise to a complete and independent drainage system 

 on all sides, and form a local centre, as they are supposed to have 

 done for the ice during the later stages of the Glacial Period.^ 



Distribution and Characters of the Corries and Tarns. 



The corries in the Comeraghs fall into two groups, one of which 

 lies along the steep eastern face of the mountains and the other 

 along the south side of the Nier valley. In the former group they 

 have mostly the character of mere niches in the escarpment, while in 

 the latter group they attain nearly the dignity of short valleys. All- 

 are alike characterised by steep mural precipices and by their floor 

 lying at some height above that of the thalweg of the main valley or 

 the base of the escarpment, so that they possess the appearance of 

 ' hanging valleys.' In the eastern series of corries not all have 

 received names ; only those which contain lakes are marked on the 

 map with separate designations, but there exist several others which 

 deserve notice. 



We may first enumerate those which contain lakes, commencing 

 at the northern end, and then proceed to describe them all in detail. 



I (a). Corries and their lakes in the BeeTcs of Glenpatrich 



1. Lough More. 



2. Coumduala Lough. 



(b). South of the great embayment. 



3. Coumgorra Lough. 



4. Crotty's Lough. 



5. Coumshingaun Lough. 



II (c). Corries and their lakes on the south side of the Nier Valley. 



6. Comeragh Loughs. 



7. Coumstilloge Loughs. 



The Eeeks of Glenpatrick have only two corries occupied by lakes 

 on their eastern face, but there are several other corries on the 

 escarpment, the floors of which are occupied with great sloping 

 heaps of talus from the cliffs above. A lake may have previously 

 existed in them, but has been overwhelmed and filled up by the 

 accumulation of this debris. In one case the absence of a barrier of 

 moraine or scree material across the mouth, such as is found in all 

 the others which hold a tarn, may account for this deficiency. 



1 Mem. Geol. Surv. Ireland, Explan. Sheets 167, 168, etc., p. 80. Kinalian: 

 Geol. of Ireland, p. 245. Hull: Phys. Geol. Geogr. Ireland, 1878, pp. 103, 263. 



