Geology Week in Portlaoise Library with Michele Castiaux – 21st to 25th January 2020.

Following the success of Geology Week in Athlone Library held by Margaret Franklin last October, Michele Castiaux will be holding another Geology Week event in Portlaoise Library, Co. Laois.  This is a public awareness event and will consist of:

• Tuesday 21st to Saturday 25th January: exhibition of posters, rock, fossil and mineral samples (Irish and other)
• Tuesday 21st January: “Rock Detective” children’s workshop (fully booked)
• Friday 24th January: two “Rock Detective” children’s workshops (fully booked)
• Saturday 25th January: full-day event on the theme of “Rock Detective”.  Members of the public are invited to bring in rock samples to have them identified.

This week will also be an opportunity to raise awareness of the “Geological Heritage of Laois” published in 2016 and  available to download here.  This audit of geological sites was carried out by Matthew Parkes, Ronan Hennessy, Robert Meehan, Vincent Gallagher and Sarah Gatley. The Laois Geological Heritage Project was supported by the Heritage Council, the Geological Survey Ireland and the Laois County Council. The resulting report was an action of the County Laois Heritage Plan 2014-2019.

The Heritage Officer of Laois County Council, Catherine Casey, has kindly donated the book “Geology of Laois and Offaly” by Dr. John Feehan as a prize which will be raffled off on Saturday 25th January.  Visitors to the library will be invited to take part in the draw during the preceding week.