452 FrGccecUngs of the Royal Irislt Acadony. 



runs JS^.E. along the Hook promontory carries fragments of the 

 Hook promontory rocks as far as the Keeragh islands ; it has also, 

 in part, formed a lagoon occupying the inside portion of Bannow 

 Bay, a considerable ridge of blowing or " ^olian di'ift" having 

 accumulated as a ridge, extending from the headland JN'.E. of Fethard. 

 This ridge, however, cannot extend farther, for here, as at Tramore 

 Bay, the opposite coast (Bannow Island) is rock-bound. When this 

 tidal current passes Ingard Point it runs northward to the opposite 

 coast, part from thence going I^.E., and part S.W., to the gut called 

 Eethard Bay, the latter current forming a ridge or bar extending 

 toward the S.E. from the north shore of Fethard Bay. 



The '' counter-tide " which runs JST.W. from Crossfamoge Point 

 has a considerable driftage, . and to it in a great measure is due 

 the ^olian sand-ridge, over six miles long, which separates the 

 lagoon"'^ called the Ballyteigue Lough from the open sea. The coast 

 opposite the end of this ridge is of drift, easily denuded, consequently 

 the ridge is yearly extending westward. Since the Ordnance maps 

 were made (1840) it has grown nearly two hundi^ed yards. This 

 seems to be a good example of the effect of tidal currents, pure and 

 simple, as the most continued and effective winds on this coast are 

 from about the S.W., and opposite to the dii'ection of the driftage 

 due to the " counter- tide." 



The secondary current which generates the counter-tide just 

 mentioned runs IST.E. along the IST.W. of the Saltees ; but along 

 the S.E. of those islands, there is also a secondary cui'rent running 

 in a nearly similar direction ; these meet in the sounds, between 

 the islands and the mainland, forming "counter- tides," ''races," 

 and half-tide banks : the most marked of the last is called St. Patrick's 

 Bridge, and extends nearly from the mainland, a little east of Cross- 

 famoge Point, toward the north Saltee Island. Between this bank 

 and Crossfarnoge, at Kilmore, a pier was erected to shelter fishing- 

 boats from the S.W. winds ; the anchorage, however, is rapidly fill- 

 ing up, on account of the tidal driftage. 



In the bay between the Saltees and Camsore, there are " counter- 

 tides," the most marked being due to an in-shore stream, that runs 

 westward from Carnsore, during thi-ee-quarters of the tide, -^-hile 

 during the other quarter the current runs to the eastward. These 

 different currents cause a great complication in the driftage, they 

 also seem to assist the wind-waves considerably, as, during storms 

 from the southward, the ridges enclosing the lagoons called Tacumshin 

 and Lady's Island lakes are moved inland, while the coast line in places 

 between Kilmore and Carnsore is being rapidly denuded. South 

 of Tacumshin lake, there is a " counter- tide " running eastward 

 to Kilturk bank ; this drifts the bank westward, thus causing the 

 natural embouchure of the lake to be at the western end of the bank, 



* This lagoon i-i no'w for the most part rcdaimed. 



