All about the IGA...

The Irish Geological Association (IGA) is open to all who are interested in geology in Ireland and beyond. Our members range from professional geologists to beginners of any age. We hold roughly ten lectures a year, usually held in Dublin, with some in Belfast, Cork and Galway. There are about three weekend field-trips a year and various day trips. Other events include Members’ nights and the AGM.

IGA field trip on Clare Island 2003 with Pete Coxon (Photo TdB)

From its inception about 40 years ago, the IGA has had a membership that is drawn from many backgrounds. Earth Science students, complete amateurs and qualified geologists all happily join together in the enthusiastic pursuit of geological knowledge, both Irish and global. Over the years, the Universities and The Geological Survey of Ireland have been very supportive in providing venues for lectures, while several Geology related companies have been very generous in providing core funding, which allows the membership fees to be kept at a very reasonable €20, with a family membership available at €30 (sterling area equivalent rates also available and UK or overseas members very welcome membership page click here).

IGA activities include about a dozen lectures a year, on topics as various as “Mineral water vs. tap water”, “Darwin and Robinson Crusoe” (work that one out!), “Will it get hot or cold – and how fast?” and “Mass extinctions – what we can learn from fossil plants”, to name only a very few. Apart from the lectures, about five or six, one or two day, weekend field trips per annum are organised to interesting geological locations around Ireland and previous trips have been to places like “The Copper Coast of Wexford and Waterford”, “The Carboniferous deltaic deposits of S. Clare”, “The margins of the Wicklow Granite” and “Gold Panning in the Dublin Hills", again, to name but a few. The lectures are given and the field trips are lead by qualified geologists, BUT they are pitched to be understood by amateurs. There is no blinding with science! Other recent Irish field trips include one to the Castlecomer coalfields and another to ‘The Mullet’ in Mayo, along with a day field trip to see the amazing folded strata at Lough Shinney, North County Dublin.

In the last couple of years, field trips have been organised to interesting geological sites outside Ireland. In 2006 a group went all around Iceland in six days, checking out the amazing volcanics of the ocean floor spreading zone exposed above water. In 2007 a group went to “The Jurassic Coast” of Devon and Dorset, to see the wonderful array of Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks and fossils that are abundant there. The 2008 highly sucessful overseas field trip was to Poland. 2009 anticipates an overseas trip a little closer to home with a tour to the Isle of Mann.

Once a year, there is at lest one very relaxed ‘Members’ Night’, when all are encouraged to bring in anything geological that’s of interest to them, be it precious specimens or mysterious stones for identification. There is tea, coffee, wine and cheeze etc., a short talk on a light topic and general chit-chat.

New members are very welcome at any time and students at any level can join for only €5 per annum, so join up and see Ireland in a very different light. You can join on the membership page click here.

IRISH GEOLOGICAL ASSOCIATION COUNCIL 2009

President: Peter Lewis

Vice-Presidents: Dave Chew, Susan Pyne

Treasurer: Angela Casey

Newsletter Editor: Tom de Brit

Excursions Secretary: Dan O'Shea

Ordinary Council Members:
Frank Clissmann
Sophie Preteseille
Ed McKenna
Gordon Poole
Bettie Higgs
John Murray

CONTACT: info@geology.ie

SUSTAINING MEMBERS

We would like to sincerely thank our 2009 and previous Sustaining Members who have helped to keep the IGA accessible to all over the years. Because of their generous help we are able to keep our subscriptions at a very affordable level. In 2009 they are:

Gypsum Indistries Plc

Dept. of Communications, Energy and Natural Resources

Cement Roadstone Holdings Plc

Conroy Diamonds and Gold Plc

Boliden Tara Mines Ltd

Irish Salt Mining and Exploration Co