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Earth Science Conservation Review
| Creevan Burn, Cavanacaw | Tyrone |
| Site number: | 561 | ||
| ESCC: | EO | ||
| Locality Type: | River bank | Status: | local interest |
| Grid Reference: | H404701 Centroid | ||
| Google maps: | 54.57802,-7.37522 | ||
| County: | Tyrone | Council area: | Fermanagh & Omagh District Council |
| Site Description | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highlights: | |
1m-wide auriferous quartz vein: lead to discovery of Cavanacaw deposit. | |
| Introduction: | |
Creevan Burn is a tributary of the Owenreagh River located about 4km SW of Omagh. The Burn runs through Cavanacaw Townland and is one of many streams in the area found by Riofinex to carry alluvial gold. Follow-up exploration led to the discovery of the Cavanacaw gold prospect (Cliff and Wolfenden, 1992; Omagh Minerals Ltd., 1992). The first indication of auriferous quartz vein mineralization was the discovery of quartz veins in the Creevan Burn. These included the so-called ‘Discovery Vein’ located on the north bank of the Burn c.100m south of the SW edge of Glenfern farm. This locality was visited (in 1997) and the vein outcrop was found with some difficulty, due to its overgrown state and poorly maintained fencing. No sulphides were visible and the site is considered less interesting than the sites at Curraghinalt (Key Site 521) and Rylagh Burn (Key Site 522). | |
| Description: | |
This area which lies to the south of the Cavanacaw locality occurs within what has been called the "Lack Shear Zone" (Cliff and Wolfenden, 1992) and is also associated with the occurrence of graphitic pelites. In the Creevan Burn sections, steeply inclined north-south shear zones with intense scaly fabrics and gouges have east or west down extensional shear sense, similar in every sense to the north-south structures at Rylagh Burn (Key Site 522). K-Ar model ages of this gouge indicate Variscan faulting (Earls et al., 1996). These steep shear zones terminate down into (or are cut by) low angle narrow, breccia and gouge associated faults that have wave-like undulating geometries and top to the ESE movement sense. These faults, which are associated with coplanar quartz veins, both cut early ductile mylonites and are associated with non-cylindroidal folds of these mylonites (Earls et al., 1996). | |
| Conclusions: | |
Due to difficulties of access and poor quality of exposures, the authors do not recommend designation of this site. | |
| Keywords | |
|---|---|
| Minerals: | Gold, Quartz |
| Rocks: | Pelitic rock |
| Structures: | hydrothermal vein, fault gouge, shear zone |
| Measurements | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Length: | Width: | 1m | Height: | ||
| Depth: | Area: | ||||
| Access | |
|---|---|
| Management: | |
Access is very difficult. |
| 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. Creevan Burn, Cavanacaw, County Tyrone, site details. [In] Earth Science Conservation Review. https://www.habitas.org.uk/escr/site.php?item=561. Accessed on 2026-11-06. |
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