DU NOTER — BITUMINOUS COAL OF THE A.RIGNA DISTRICT. 87 



I traced the outcrop of the two coal-beds around the entire north- 

 ern, eastern, and southern limit of Kilronan Mount ; devoting my 

 attention specially to those which appear in the townlands of Aghabehy, 

 Tullytawen, and Eover, and in those of Carrownaualt, Derreenavoggy, 

 and Cross Hill, on the eastern brow of the mountain. On the other 

 side of the Arigna valley I examined particularly the coal "crops" in 

 the townlands of Greghnaslieve, Tullytawen, and Seltennaveeny, 

 without however having had time to connect them accurately over 

 the intervening spaces. Their position as indicated on the map, and the 

 faults disturbing them, will not, however, be very far from the truth. 

 The following observations are extracted from my field notes : — 

 1. The Aghabehy Coal-field. — This lies on the northern slope of 

 Kilronan mountain, at an elevation of 510 to 899 feet above the level 

 of Lough Allen, from which it is distant about six miles by the 

 road ; there is here but one bed of workable coal, called " the top coal," 

 1 foot (3 inches in thickness, which includes 6 to 8 inches for holing. 

 The roof of this coal is slate, and the floor sandstone. The second, or 

 lower coal, or " crow coal," is separated from the first by 20 to 55 

 feet of very hard sandstone ; it has a thin fire-clay seat with a sand- 

 stone or " rock " roof; and is 6 to 8 inches thick, it is full of thin 

 seams of earth, and yields only culm of an inferior quality. The 

 culm derived from the "holiugs"* of the top seam is very superior, 

 and cokes well. Blocks of a light, flaky, and glistening coal, measuring 

 8 to 10y inches in thickness, are now being delivered at the pit-mouth, 

 at the cost of 55, 6d. a ton, including the culm ; a ready sale is effected 

 for this at 10s. per ton for thick and screened coal, and 8s. per ton for 

 the culm, giving however to every ton of culm 4 cwt. of the thick 

 coal. When struck with the hammer, I remarked that these blocks of 

 coal shivered throughout their bulk, which induced me to suppose that 

 they would not bear any rough treatment in their transit over long 

 distances. 



From the northern outcrop of the " top coal " in the N.W. portion 

 of the towuland of Aghabehy, and at the stream near the road, a fault 

 has been proved, causing a downthrow to the west of about 100 feet ; 

 it strikes from this point South by Fast to the shafts near the top of 

 the hill, a distance of about 850 yards, or half a mile. From this 

 point I believe it strikes S.S.E. into the adjoining lowland of Tully- 



* The term "holing" is applied to Unit portion of the bottom of the coal-seam which, 

 in the absence of a Fire clay "seat," is picked away by the miner in order to extract the 

 coal above in blocks. In this instance, the refuse makes excellent culm. 



