1905- 



Proceedings of Irish Societies. 



195 



Sandy Braes, so called from the rhyolite, which, on weathering, decom- 

 poses into fine gravel and sand. There are several exposures throughout 

 the Braes, but, as they are all on a small scale, much difficulty was met 

 with in securing specimens owing to the rock surfaces being greatly 

 weathered. However, the party were rewarded with good examples of 

 the various rocks, the most noticeable being the bluish and pink 

 rhyolites, which are well banded, and show the flow marks very plainly. 

 Attention was also given to the fluidal obsidians which were met with, 

 specimens being quickly annexed by the members. 



Jui^Y 29. — The fifth excursion was held to Magheramorne. Forty 

 members and friends assembled at the Northern Counties Railway at 

 2.45 and took seats in the reserved carriages in waiting. On reaching 

 IMaglieramorne, by permission of Colonel M'Calmont, M,P.,tlie demesne 

 and glen were thoroughly explored and many specimens obtained. The 

 well-known quarries were next visited, and various fossils extracted by 

 hammer and chisel. After a short business meeting, at which some new 

 members were elected, the members proceeded to examine theKstuarine 

 clays beside the pier. The 8.20 train was taken for Belfast. 



BELFAST AND DUBLIN NATURALISTS' FIELD CLUBS. 



JUI.Y 12-14.— Joint Bxcursion to Dundai^k The combined party, 



which was small in numbers, having reached Dundalk before noon, drove 

 to the first place to be visited, Ivouth Abbey. On arriving at Dromiskin 

 the round tower, church, and graveyard, were all examined, and again 

 nothing but regret could be expressed at the way the hands of the care- 

 less and the vandal are destroying our ancient monuments. 



Thursday found the party eager for the day's work, and at 9 o'clock 

 all were again seated in brakes, and were fortunate enough to be 

 accompanied by a large number of the members of the Louth Archaeolo- 

 gical Society (under whose guidance the Clubs were for this day), and 

 started for Castletown Castle and the great mound or fort called Dun- 

 dalgan, which is said to have given the name Dundalk to the town. A 

 little further along the road the very interesting fort of Rosskeagh was 

 examined, and Mr. Tempest gave the party all the information available 

 about this very curious structure. The party then drove to Faughart, 

 where a most interesting group of remains was visited — fort, church, and 

 graveyard. Then past Moira Castle, or what remains of it, a very strong 

 and important structure, once guarding the celebrated Moyra Pass, to 

 the remarkable stone of Kilnasaggart 



The next visit was to Ravensdale Park, kindly thrown open for the 

 inspection of the members of the united Clubs. Here the party broke 

 up into various sections. Some visited the gardens, others went 

 botanisiug through the park, and the remainder went to view and photo- 

 graph the stone circle lately discovered here by the Rev. N. Lawless, P.P., 

 of Faughart. The next item on the programme was the visit to the 

 great cromlech known as the Giant's Load. 



