IGA EXCURSIONIona and Mull, Scotland23rd - 28th July, 2023 Only 3 places left!!
2023-07-23 00:00 - 2023-07-28 23:59 (Europe/Dublin)
Leaders: Prof. Emeritus Stephen Daly (UCD) & Dr. Michael Flowerdew (CASP)

What you will see

Iona: c. 2.7 billion year old Lewisian Complex (granitic gneisses with minor intrusive rocks, anorthosite and marble) and unconformably overlying Iona Group (low grade metamorphosed conglomerates, sandstones and siltstones) cut by Ross of Mull Granite.

Mull: High metamorphic grade Moine metasediments, Ross of Mull Granite, Cenozoic basalt (like Antrim) including spectacular columnar jointing. Possible 1/2 day boat trip to Staffa.

Travel Options: Fly Dublin-Glasgow, train to Oban (option to rent car or meet someone driving over) or Car from Ireland to Belfast for the ferry to Cairnryan and drive to Oban; car ferry Oban to Craignure and drive to accommodation Daily foot passenger ferry available to Iona (no cars).

Accommodation: Self-catering cottage and camping:https://www.islandholidaycottages.com/https://fiddenfarm.co.uk/visiting-fidden-farm/

Boat option: Beneteau Oceanis 523 with 3 cabins (so up to 6 people). 23rd – 29th July. Skipper David will sail from Oban to bring us to/meet us at Mull and Iona (own cabin €914 and shared cabin for 2 is pps €457). This conditional booking, for the yacht with skipper, will disappear in 3 days time.

For full details on all aspects please contact:Stephen at (excursions@geology.ie 086 2201600) or Maria (087 3581302)

Travel to this excursion latest 23rd July. Field days: 24, 25, 26, 27, 28 last day finish and return (5 nights accommodation, 4 days in field)

Please note: A contribution to leader costs will be made by each participant

IGA & Heritage Week - Geology, History and Biodiversity of St. Mary's Church
2023-08-16 19:00 - 21:00
Every building tells a story through its history, but can the history of the stones which built it reveal more secrets? Investigating where these rocks came from, how they were carved and how they got there can tell us about trade, transport and technical capabilities at the time.Also at this site we can examine the lichens, mosses, liverworts and flowering plants to tell us about the more recent history of the building.The Irish Geological Association’s Laura Smith, Maria Cullen and Bill Sheppard have again teamed up with New Ross Street Focus’ Historian, Myles Courtney to piece together the quarrying and trade history of St. Mary’s and the significance this holds in the story at St Mary’s Church.This event explores a historic site form different perspectives including the geology of the stones used to make St. Mary’s and the tombstones around it as well as the lichens and mosses that live on these stones.The trip will be lead by a local historian, geologists, one who is also a geobiologist, giving a multi-faceted picture of St. Mary’s.You can register for the event by filling in this form: https://forms.gle/HTULZMsPp4JHAJdc8Places are limited! You will be notified once you have registered if your registration has been successful or you have been placed on a waiting list.This event is part of the Festival of Irish Geology by the Irish Geological Association

IGA & Heritage Week - Geology and Geobiology of The Rower Graveyard - Living Memorials
2023-08-17 18:00 - 20:00
The Rower Graveyard, Co. Kilkenny

Join native geologist and biologist, Maria Cullen on an exploration of the heritage and biodiversity of The Rower (Farrantemple) Cemetery. There are many gravestones of differing ages and rock types here. Each headstone has its own carving style and represents a memorial of loved ones recently or long ago departed. Each stone has its own biodiversity too – the lichens, algae, cyanobacteria, mosses and liverworts. Rather than remove this rich biodiversity that lives on rock, perhaps we can look closely and begin to appreciate these other kinds of life as worthy and of interest in their own right. Some of these species provide a patina of protection for the stone surfaces, others begin the process of recycling of rock minerals for future life. Many species are to be seen too on the stone walls surrounding the cemetery, along with ferns and flowering plants there. These walls show off the local rock types of the area – the Leinster Granite and older Schist of the Ribband Group and other kinds, a little more exotic.

With views across to the Blackstairs and along as far as Mount Leinster, this is a beautiful and peaceful resting place.

All are welcome on Thursday 17th August between 6pm and 8pm and this 2 hours of exploration together is free. Parking is available just to the north of the graveyard at Lat Long coordinates 52.454706, -6.958341

This event is part of the Festival of Irish Geology hosted by the Irish Geological Association.

IGA & Heritage Week - Wild Child Rock N Shake Adventure
2023-08-19 10:30 - 12:30
Rathmines Library, 157 Lower Rathmines Road, D06 K2K6, Co. Dublin – Dublin City

Get ready for an incredible journey through time as we combine the thrilling world of earthquakes with the fascinating realm of rocks, minerals and fossils! Join Laura Reilly and Frank Clissmann for an event full of excitement and discovery perfect for children and families.Location: Exhibition Room, Rathmines LibraryMore about the library including transport and accessibility at: https://www.dublincity.ie/residential/libraries/find-library/rathmines-libraryFeaturing…

Earthquake Adventure Zone – Experience making and seeing your own earthquake and become a seismologist! Learn the science about the Earthquakes happening in Ireland and all around the Globe. From tiny tremors to massive quakes, you’ll explore the incredible forces that shape our world.

Fossil and Crystal Exploration Expedition: Embark on a journey back in time as we delve into the world of ancient creatures and rocks. Get hands-on with fossils including a fossilised shark tooth and learn how palaeontologists uncover the secrets of prehistoric life. Unearth the mysteries of dinosaurs, and become a junior fossil detective!Chat with Community Seismology officer Laura and Geologist Frank who have dedicated their lives to unravelling the mysteries of our planet’s past. Be inspired to explore the world of science.Don’t miss this unforgettable opportunity to journey through time, experiencing the Earth’s dynamic history. A day of hands-on learning, excitement, and family-friendly fun will leave you inspired by the wonders of our planet’s past.Get ready to rock and shake on a one-of-a-kind adventure!This event is part of the Festival of Irish Geology by the Irish Geological Association.

IGA & Heritage Week - Great Sugar Loaf - A Geological Exposé
2023-08-19 10:30 - 13:00
Great Sugar Loaf Mountain, Red Lane Car Park, Co. Wicklow

One of the most iconic landscape features of the North Wicklow area is surely the Sugar Loaf. It is a fitting location for an event during this particular Heritage Week given that the volcanic nature of this icon has been frequently passed down through the generations, within communities and even in schools.

Dr Bill Sheppard, a geologist with a background in numerous studies of volcanic rocks globally, and more locally at Avoca Mine and throughout the Southeast of Ireland, will lead this event.Initially, he will show how to identify volcanic rocks using rock samples and photographic images. Volcanic rocks come in a very diverse array of textures, compositions and colours. However, by understanding the various settings and characteristics one can grasp a reasonable understanding of what one is looking at/for. Progressively as one finds different volcanic rocks in an area the make-up of a volcanic area emerges.

Following this introduction, the group will traverse the c. 1-hour trail to the top of the Sugar Loaf, stopping along the way to talk about the rocks around us. In this way the geological story of the Sugar Loaf will be revealed by the time the summit is reached.

At or near the summit there will be an opportunity to view the landscape below us, impart the various geological elements in the landscape and the impact geology has on our heritage.Meeting place: Red Lane Car Park (Lat Long: 53.1475838,-6.1575913; GRID REF: O 235 120) off the L1031 road.

To book, please email president@geology.ieMaximum: 15 participants.Please book early to avoid disappointment.

IGA & Heritage Week - Geology of the Hook Peninsula
2023-08-20 11:00 - 15:00
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. WexfordGoogle Maps Link: https://goo.gl/maps/38LJr1yKHq4ffvEr8Coordinates: 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 hrsYou can register for this event at https://forms.gle/Cg533kt4WByUM9Rz6

Visit to Earth Surface Research Laboratory
2024-03-06 19:00 - 20:00
This will take around 2 hours. It will involve a preliminary talk by Victoria Lowe to illustrate how the facilities of the lab have been applied to a contemporary research project. A tour of the lab and its analytical facilities will follow led by the Director of ESRL, Dr. Michael Stock.

Numbers: Limited to 15 attendees.

IGA Whit Weekend Excursion
2024-05-31 12:00 - 2024-06-02 12:00
Roundstone, Co. Galway and Environs

Leader: Maria Cullen

Three Granites, Two Beaches, One Island and Lots of Life!

This weekend excursion (2 days of the long bank-holiday weekend), we will explore three distinct Caledonian Granites (c. 400Ma) of the Bertraghboy Bay area – Murvey, Errisbeg and Roundstone – in their type localities. Errisbeg Mountain (300m) displays the boundary between the granite there with older Lower Palaeozoic Amphibolite rocks, of the Metagabbro-Gneiss Suite (470Ma), to the north. We will visit two stunning Foraminifera “sand” beaches, at Dog’s Bay and Gorteen. In between the beaches lies an Isthmus leading south to a hammerhead-shaped Tombolo with Earawalla Point in the West and Gorteen Point to the East. Inis Ní, an island, connected by a causeway just east of Roundstone Village, will another focal point of our excursion.

The 3rd Annual IGA Visit to the Royal Irish Academy (RHA) Annual Art Exhibition 2025
2025-07-26 10:00 - 17:00
Leader Bill Sheppard

Bill Sheppard, having attended the opening of the Exhibition, is delighted to confirm that this year’s RHA Annual Art Exhibition has much to offer the geological enquiring mind. Many of Ireland’s leading Irish artists again exhibit works on which to base discussion of the geological aspects within their works. The exhibition also affords the opportunity to enjoy/be challenged by the range of art on show. Artist-members of the IGA are particularly welcome.

Peter Lewis Memorial Gold Panning Excursion
2025-09-20 11:00 - 17:00
The outing promises to promote interpersonal interactions among participants, providing yet another opportunity for the eclectic gatherings of the IGA to enjoy a great day out. Everyone will have the chance to pan for gold and witness the small sluice in action in the field, encouraging collaboration and a pleasant, shared experience. As always, what makes the day is the participants that choose to come along.
