ESCR - Pollaphuca, Mourne Mountains

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Summary Full report
Pollaphuca, Mourne Mountains	Down

Site number:	555
ESCC:	EO
Locality Type:	Mountan outcrop	Status:	local interest
Grid Reference:	J310283 Approximate
Google maps:	54.1874,-5.99321
County:	Down	Council area:	Newry, Mourne & Down District Council
Period:	Tertiary
Stages:	Eocene, Palaeocene
Lithostrat:	Granite, Mourne Mountains Granites

Site Description
Pollaphuca, Mourne Mountains, Co.Down, July 1997.
Highlights:
Epidote-bearing greisen veining in granite with reported cassiterite.
Introduction:
Pollaphuca is the saddle between Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Bearnagh, approximately 7km WSW of Newcastle. McKillen and Earls (1981) reported an occurrence of tin mineralization at this site, in the form of cassiterite associated with greisen veins in the Mourne Mountains G2 granite. As such, this may be the only bedrock occurrence of cassiterite in the Mourne Mountains, since rumoured occurrences at the Miners Hole beside the Silent Valley reservoir were not confirmed by exploration in the 1970s-1980s.
Description:
Pollaphuca, Mourne Mountains, Co.Down, July 1997: outcrop of greisen veins. During a site visit (July 1997), outcrops of greisen veins were located c.25m northeast of the Mourne Wall at Pollaphuca. The mineralization comprises 2 or 3 parallel veins, each a few centimetres thick, composed of epidote, quartz and minor dark-coloured minerals (initially thought to be wolframite, but subsequently identified as manganese oxide staining). X-ray diffraction scans of two samples failed to identify cassiterite although this may be present in small quantities (<2%).
Notes:
See also Key Site 1129 - Mournes - The Granites - Overview.

Keywords
Minerals:	Cassiterite, Epidote
Rocks:	Granite, Greisen
Structures:	mineral vein

Measurements
Length:	4m	Width:	1m	Height:
Depth:		Area:

Access
Approach:	The greisen veins are exposed in the path leading from the Trassey track to the gap in the Mourne Wall.
Management:
Mountain outcrop accessible only by hill-walkers. At the date of the site visit in 1997, path-laying works were in progress in the area. Following discussions with the National Trust, measures were taken to prevent the visited locality (measuring about 4m long by 1m wide) from being damaged or obscured by path construction.


Record type:	ESCR report	Recorded by:	R. Nawaz and N.R. Moles
Entered by:	E M Porter
Last updated:	07 MAY 68

Enlander, I., Dempster, M. & Doughty, P., 2026. Pollaphuca, Mourne Mountains, County Down, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review.
https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=555. Accessed on 2026-11-08.

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