Site Description |
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 | Roadside quarries, Derrygonnelly-Garrison road, Doagh Glebe Townland, Co. Fermanagh. |
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Description: |
The outcrop of the Doagh Limestone Member of the Carraun Shale Formation is confined to the Doagh Outlier. The stratotype section for the member is located on the south side of the Derrygonnelly - Garrison road at, and for 450m to the west of, Doagh Primary School (H0529 5170). The limestone is exposed in small quarries dipping north at between 10-40 deg. The top and base of the member are exposed in isolated sections in contact with shales, and its thickness is estimated at about 8m. The maximum exposed thickness of limestone is 6.1m in a disused quarry located below the forestry observation tower in Mullynaskeagh Townland (H0612 5232), 1.005km northeast of the Primary School (disused). The outcrop of the Doagh Limestone defines a northeasterly plunging, faulted syncline and the limestone is exposed on both limbs. |
Everywhere in its outcrop the limestone consists of pale grey to fawn, medium to coarse-grained pel- and oosparites, containing oncolites and algal structures, in beds up to 0.45m thick. The limestones commonly contain a rich and partially silicified fauna of brachiopods, bryozoa and gastropods and although the micro- biota is severely restricted, the occurrence of Endospiroplectammina sp. indicates a latest Brigantian age as it is not known in older strata and is particularly common in the Namurian. Some thin intercalations of calcareous black shale, containing abundant brachiopods and bryozoa, are present in the stratotype. |
Interpretation: |
The presence of oncolites and algal structures led Brandon (1972) to correlate the Doagh Limestone Member with the Tawnyunshinagh Limestone Member of Cuilcagh Mountain, and the outcrop in Cos. Leitrim and Cavan. |
Conclusions: |
The Doagh Limestone Member is confined to the Doagh Outlier of County Fermanagh. Although formerly assigned to the Upper Limestone (Glencar-Dartry Formations), it is evident that it is part of the Carraun Shale Formation and is thought to correlate with the very distinctive Tawnyunshinagh Limestone Member. |
Notes: |
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For information on other sites in Subarea-1 see; |
Key Site 1174 - Subarea-1; Derrygonnelly-Marble Arch-Cuilcagh. |