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Earth Science Conservation Review
| Montiaghroe Townland Quarry | Fermanagh |
| Site number: | 236 | File Number: | H16 |
| ESCC: | ED | ||
| Locality Type: | Quarry (disused) | Status: | ESCR |
| Grid Reference: | H18966892 Centroid | ||
| Google maps: | 54.5685,-7.70777 | ||
| County: | Fermanagh | Council area: | Fermanagh & Omagh District Council |
| Period: | Carboniferous | ||
| Stages: | Arundian, Visean | ||
| Lithostrat: | Drumskinny Sandstone Member, Mullaghmore Sandstone, Tyrone Group | ||
| Site Description | |
|---|---|
| Highlights: | |
The small quarry is the stratotype of the Drumskinny Sandstone Member and exposes pale coloured sandstones typical of this unit. | |
| Description: | |
The quarry is located 100m west of the Kesh-Castlederg Road and is excavated in a low ridge of sandstone that is isolated from the main outcrop of the member to the north, on both sides of this road. The quarry consists of one main face about 10m long and about 2m of thinly bedded sandstones dip southwards at 10 deg. The sandstones are pale fawn to white, non-calcareous, with detrital micas and burrows including Arenicolites and Rhizocorallium. Very rare specimens of brachiopods occur in these sandstones. In other localities where this member is exposed sedimentary structures are very common and include ripple marks, trough and planar cross-laminations, channel sandstones, erosion surfaces and slumped bedding. A rich, transported assemblage of brachiopods, bivalves, bryozoa and crinoid debris is found in some calcareous sandstones. | |
| Interpretation: | |
There is little doubt that these sandstones were deposited in a marine environment. There is however a greater variety of conditions within this member varying from shallow water, high energy environment with ripples and sandstone forsets to subaqueous channel deposits. Whatever the environment the sandstones are usually well-washed. Rich marine benthos may have been introduced into the area during storm conditions. | |
| Conclusions: | |
Both the Dromore and Drumskinny members consist of pale coloured clean sandstones and have a very reduced fauna, both of the shelly variety and as trace fossils. Both members were deposited in a shallow-marine deltaic environment. Sedimentary structures in the former appear to indicate deposition under high energy sheet flood conditions of gradually increasing amounts of sand. In contrast the latter sandstones were deposited, also in shallow water but under much more variable conditions varying from shallow water, high energy intertidal to subaqueous channel flow. | |
| Notes: | |
For information on other sites in Subarea-3 see; Key Site 1176 - Subarea-3; Kesh-Omagh. | |
| Keywords | |
|---|---|
| Rocks: | Sand, Sandstone |
| Fossil Groups: | Bivalve, Brachiopod, Crinoid, Polyzoan, Trace fossil |
| Structures: | cross-bedding, ripple marks |
| Relations: | Marine sediments |
| Access | |
|---|---|
| Approach: | 100m west of the Kesh-Castlederg Road, 5km NNE of Kesh. |
| Map(s): | See 1:50,000 O.S. Sheet 17 (Lower Lough Erne). | ||
| Record type: | ESCR report | ||
| Entered by: | Doughty, P.J. | ||
| Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Montiaghroe Townland Quarry, County Fermanagh, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=236. Accessed on 2026-11-06. |
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