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Earth Science Conservation Review

Summary Full report
Slieve Gullion Ring - Mullaghbawn CentralArmagh
Site number:1122
ESCC:ED
Locality Type:Quarry (disused) Status: ASSI
Grid Reference: H981183 Centroid
Google maps: 54.10494,-6.50023
County: ArmaghCouncil area:Newry, Mourne & Down District Council
Period:Tertiary, Devonian
Stages:Devonian Undifferentiated, Palaeogene
Lithostrat:Newry Granodiorite, Porphyritic Felsite, Slieve Gullion Complex
Site Description
image: 1122a.jpg Disused roadside quarry, NW of Mullaghbawn Mountain, Co. Armagh; in Newry Granodiorite, within the ring-fault.
Disused roadside quarry, NW of Mullaghbawn Mountain, Co. Armagh; in Newry Granodiorite, within the ring-fault.
Description:
This site is located at a disused roadside quarry and crags N of the road between Carrive and Mullaghbawn. The old quarry section, now badly weathered and overgrown, exposes Newry granodiorite within the 'ring'; the rock is reddened and discoloured by pneumatolytic and/or hydrothermal activity. W of the quarry, a deep valley overhung by crags
image: 1122b.jpg Gulley through Porphyritic Felsite ring-dyke, with quarry face just visible on right-hand side of distant hill; light coloured Newry Granodiorite to the left of quarry, with darker rock near the summit marking flow-banded margin of ring-dyke.
Gulley through Porphyritic Felsite ring-dyke, with quarry face just visible on right-hand side of distant hill; light coloured Newry Granodiorite to the left of quarry, with darker rock near the summit marking flow-banded margin of ring-dyke.
is eroded through the Porphyritic Felsite ring-dyke. At the inner margin the felsite is a dark red brown in colour and markedly flow banded.
Importance:
The flow banded rock at the margin of the felsite shows eutaxitic structure. Fiamme (flame structures) can be seen in the hand specimen and welded glass shards can be found in thin section under the petrological microscope;
image: 1122c.jpg Photomicrograph of tuffisitic rock at margin of Porphyritic Felsite; phenocrysts of quartz and feldspar are set in well oxidised, red-brown matrix; compressed glass shards define apparent flow structure.
Photomicrograph of tuffisitic rock at margin of Porphyritic Felsite; phenocrysts of quartz and feldspar are set in well oxidised, red-brown matrix; compressed glass shards define apparent flow structure.
both features indicate its emplacement as an intrusive welded tuff or tuffisite.
Notes:


For reference list see; Key Site 1118 - Slieve Gullion Ring - Overview
Keywords
Rocks:Felsite, Granodiorite, Tuff, Tuffisite
Structures:eutaxitic, fiamme, ring-dyke
Relations:Intrusion
Access
Approach:Drive W out of Mullaghbane village for approximately 1 km. At the Y juntion take the left road towards Carrive for a further 300 m or so. The quarry is at the roadside.
Map(s): For site location see the 1:50,000 O.S. Sheet 28 (Monaghan).
Record type: ESCR report    
Entered by: E M Porter
 Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Slieve Gullion Ring - Mullaghbawn Central, County Armagh, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review.
https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=1122. Accessed on 2026-11-08.

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