IGA & Heritage Week – Geology of the Hook Peninsula

Hook Peninsula, Co. Wexford

The Hook Head peninsula is renowned for exquisite rock exposures with a variety of geology that encapsulates many of the important events in the Palaeozoic history of south east Ireland. The outcrops are all coastal and require short walks (up to 1 km) across fields and uneven rocky foreshores to access. We will combine thinking about physical sedimentary structures with evidence from trace fossils, palaeoecology and palaeocurrents to build up a picture of where we are on the depositional profile in south east Ireland.

Meeting Place: Car park opposite Templetown Church Ruins, Templetown, Co. Wexford
Google Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/38LJr1yKHq4ffvEr8
Coordinates: 52.179943, -6.894294

We will be stopping at four localities altogether:
Booley Bay -Considered one of Wexford’s hidden gems! A locality to see some Late Cambrian turbidites sequences.
Sandeel Bay -To look at the river deposits from the end of the Devonian Period.
Little Cove NW of Hook Head Lighthouse -Here we will examine the contact between the Bullockpark Bay dolomite and Ballysteen Formation (faults, fluids and wider significance for Irish-type mineral deposits).
Hook Head Lighthouse -One of Ireland’s best known geological sites (Hammer-free zone)!
This event is part of the Festival of Irish Geology hosted by the Irish Geological Association. It will be led by geologists Tara Leacey Smith and Laura Smith.
Please note: Parking is limited at some locations so please carpool where possible.
Duration: 4 hrs
You can register for this event at https://forms.gle/Cg533kt4WByUM9Rz6