The Copper Coast Geopark is a designated area comprising a stretch of the southern coast of Ireland in

County Waterford County Waterford ( ga, Contae Phort Láirge) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is in the Provinces of Ireland, province of Munster and is part of the South-East Region, Ireland, South-East Region. It is named ...

, extending for some 25 km of coastline from Kilfarrasy in the east to Stradbally in the west. It was the first geopark to be designated in the country.

History

The "Copper Coast" evolved over 460 million years after it was formed by volcanic activity in the Ordovician period. The oldest

felsic In geology, felsic is a modifier describing igneous rocks that are relatively rich in elements that form feldspar and quartz.Marshak, Stephen, 2009, ''Essentials of Geology,'' W. W. Norton & Company, 3rd ed. It is contrasted with mafic rocks, whi ...

volcanic rocks have intrusive elements and are interspersed with

shale Shale is a fine-grained, clastic sedimentary rock formed from mud that is a mix of flakes of clay minerals (hydrous aluminium phyllosilicates, e.g. kaolin, Al2 Si2 O5( OH)4) and tiny fragments (silt-sized particles) of other minerals, especial ...

s. Sedimentary rocks from 370-360 Mya can be seen as reddish-brown

conglomerate Conglomerate or conglomeration may refer to: * Conglomerate (company) * Conglomerate (geology) * Conglomerate (mathematics) In popular culture: * The Conglomerate (American group), a production crew and musical group founded by Busta Rhymes ** Co ...

s, sandstones,

siltstone Siltstone, also known as aleurolite, is a clastic sedimentary rock that is composed mostly of silt. It is a form of mudrock with a low clay mineral content, which can be distinguished from shale by its lack of fissility.Blatt ''et al.'' 1980, p ...

s and shales. After a wide gap in geological time, the next exposed sequences are from the

Quaternary The Quaternary ( ) is the current and most recent of the three periods of the Cenozoic Era in the geologic time scale of the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS). It follows the Neogene Period and spans from 2.58 million years ...

period, and consist of unconsolidated tills, boulder clays and deposits of sand and gravel. The geopark encompasses about of coastline south of the Comeragh Mountains, extending from Stradbally to Kilfarrasy. The area is a plain, mostly covered by glacial till and bog, with cliffs at the sea edge. There are several streams flowing through deeply cut valleys to beaches and coves, with stack rocks and rocky headlands. The area has a rich cultural heritage, with Neolithic dolmens, Iron Age forts, pre-Christian inscribed stones, the remains of medieval churches and a castle. The coast is named for the historic metal-mining industry, the legacies of which now constitute a tourist attraction. The idea of the geopark developed from a local interest group, starting around 1997. The area was declared a European Geopark in 2001 and joined the UNESCO Global Geoparks Network in 2004, being designated a UNESCO Global Geopark in 2015. This was done to aid in sustainability but also with a view to boosting the profile of the area as a tourist destination.

Panorama

Features

This geologically diverse area contains records of

Palaeozoic The Paleozoic (or Palaeozoic) Era is the earliest of three geologic eras of the Phanerozoic Eon. The name ''Paleozoic'' ( ;) was coined by the British geologist Adam Sedgwick in 1838 by combining the Greek words ''palaiós'' (, "old") and '' ...

volcanism and the last ice age - a heritage which is interpreted locally for the visitor. The geopark trust maintains a visitor centre at Monksland Church in Knockmahon. It also owns an old engine house, part of the industrial heritage.

Organisation

The geopark is overseen by a charitable company, with voluntary local and expert directors, and a staff of a part-time manager and a geologist, supported by volunteer guides, and community employment workers from Solas and Tus.

References

External links

Parks in County Waterford Geoparks in the Republic of Ireland Global Geoparks Network members Coasts of Ireland {{coord missing, County Waterford