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| Barryscourt Castle |
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| Charles Fort |
A jazz festival is held here
in the last week of October and there was a great atmosphere in this holiday resort. Although I didn’t go out to explore the town or the harbour, it is a good
base from which to explore the geology of the south-west of Ireland.
Having eaten, drank and slept well, a leisurely Day 4 started at Charles Fort, strategically placed on the cliffs overlooking the mouth of the River Bandon. Built in the 1660s, this star fort uses the Carboniferous limestone that outcrops along much of the coastline of Co. Cork and, here, the masonry is very plain.
Having eaten, drank and slept well, a leisurely Day 4 started at Charles Fort, strategically placed on the cliffs overlooking the mouth of the River Bandon. Built in the 1660s, this star fort uses the Carboniferous limestone that outcrops along much of the coastline of Co. Cork and, here, the masonry is very plain.
With a dark sky threatening heavy rain, I didn’t stay around to fully explore
this historic monument and headed inland, bypassing the city of Cork and very
briefly stopping to photograph Barryscourt Castle. My principal objective for
the day was to inspect some of the former quarries of the famous Cork Red marble.
Although
not a true marble in the metamorphic sense, this very distinctive conglomeratic Carboniferous limestone takes a good polish and was used extensively in the 19th
century for the interiors of churches and municipal buildings. Like
so many other unique building and decorative stones that were once very popular
in the Victorian period, the original quarries have now closed.
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| A Cork Red Marble quarry |
Having
worked as a stone matching specialist in the building restoration industry, I
know the many problems that can be faced when complying with a conservation architect’s
specification, which directs that “all materials used shall match the existing”.
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| Mud stained Carboniferous limestone |
With
so many old building stone quarries being infilled or – especially in urban
areas - redeveloped for housing or commercial use, geological conservation principles advocate that it is essential to preserve these sites wherever
possible.
It's not unknown for conscientious government organisations, businesses or individuals to
bring these back to life and to give local employment opportunities, and a
sense of self worth and pride, once again.
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| Various Irish marbles |
