Joint IGA and BGS Weekend Excursion
11th and 12th April 2026
Leaders: Frankie Butler (Cambridge University), James Shaw and Mark Cooper (GSNI)
Frankie is a second year PhD student working on Slieve Gullion and other igneous complexes in Iceland and St Kilda, where there’s evidence of magma mingling and mixing. James Shaw is the newly recruited structural geologist with GSNI. Mark Cooper needs no introduction, but for those who don’t know him he is Chief Geologist with GSNI.
This excursion will examine the neighbouring Slieve Gullion and Carlingford igneous complexes and their country rocks. These complexes are Paleogene in age and developed in response to opening of the North Atlantic some 60 million years ago. Representing magma chambers that may have fed the surface, we will examine the various exposed rock types including granophyres, gabbros and basalts. This excursion includes a trip into the Slieve Gullion Forest Park which enjoys really impressive views of Slieve Gullion and the surrounding circle of hills. The latter reflect the Layered Complex and Ring Dyke. Together they sit in the Ring of Gullion area of outstanding natural beauty and are part of the Mourne Gullion Strangford UNESCO Global Geopark.
Packed lunches will be needed on both days though we will aim to travel via the odd tea shop. Dress appropriately for weather conditions – waterproof footwear with ankle support is advised. The rock exposures we will be looking at are intertidal and on slopes so will be slippery. There will be some short periods of moderate exertion on both days.
Participants are limited to 30. Please click HERE to register.
After completing the registration form, you will be contacted within 7 days to confirm registration. Please email stephen.carrington@ucd.ie if you register and are subsequently unable to attend, so that your place can be reallocated.
Accommodation and Transport
If you are arriving by train, Newry Train station has a shuttle bus to take you into the centre of the town). It is also a convenient place to leave your car. You could be collected from here as long as there are enough participants willing to car share.
Slieve Gullion Forest Park has a parking charge at the car park and is open until 6.00pm. Further details about the park and a map can be found via this link. You could car share from here as well.
https://www.visitmournegullionstrangford.com/dbimgs/Slieve%20Gullion%20Forest%20Park%20-%20Site%20Map%202024.pdf54°06’42.6″N 6°26’34.3″W
Newry has 3 hotels – Canal Court and Mourne Country Hotel and Flagstaff Lodge is also close to Newry and there are some apartments/B and Bs
Carnlough /Omeath- there are a number of B and Bs and Airbnb properties
Hilltown -Downshire Arms Apartments 12.5 km from Newry
Meigh– Killeavey castle is a lovely hotel to visit but quite expensive, there are a number of small cottages / Airbnb properties
e.g. Bluebell Lane Camping near Meigh
Warrenpoint– 10.5 kms from Newry eg Whistledown hotel and there are a few B and Bs/ airbnb
Banbridge – the Belmont hotel and there are a few airbnbs
Restaurants
Carlingford : there are numerous restaurants in Carlingford but Saturday night can be very busy as it is also a popular place for Hen and Stag weekends. If you aim to stay in Carlingford keep this in mind. Ruby Ellen’s tea room is very good ( cash only)
Newry La Dolce Vita, Flagstaff Lodge, the Brass Monkey
Meigh The Yellow Heifer is worth a visit
Banbridge Salt at the Outlet, Blend and Batch in the town
Fitzpatricks Near Ravensdale
You would need to book a table on Saturday evening.
Proposed Itinerary
Day 1 – 11th April.
10.30am: Meet in Carlingford Carpark. Toilets and shops available.
54.06136590016264, -6.2746319187877075
https://maps.app.goo.gl/seEiuY7R3uZZ7S8S8
From here we will drive to Windy Gap and the Long Woman’s Grave where we can examine granophyres intrude by thin cone sheets immediately west of the carpark. Afterwards we will work our way east, up the hillside to examine gabbros and a cone sheet.
12.30-1.30pm: Lunch at Long Woman’s Grave
1.30pm: Drive to King John’s Castle. 54.04330299329394, -6.18688534062593. https://maps.app.goo.gl/TF9yui7Rxa9QxrzQ9
We will drive via the carpark in Carlingford where toilets are available.
Around the castle and on the adjacent foreshore, we will examine folded Silurian country rocks, and excellent examples of cone sheets, which in places display coarse felspar phenocrysts. We will also be able to see a later (but still Paleogene) dyke that cross-cuts the cone sheets – providing a field relationship and relative age.
4pm: End of Day 1 of excursion. Return to accommodation.
Day 2 -12 April 2026.
9.30am: Meet at Slieve Gullion Forest Park. Toilets and café available.
54.11618365127685, -6.408820929195619
https://maps.app.goo.gl/AdUi8SVSUgqFszN1A
From here we will take the Scenic Forest Drive to the viewing platform carpark at 54.11943020170674, -6.44343584533981. https://maps.app.goo.gl/GtER8hQNaUG1vX4G7
From the viewing area we will see the surrounding Ring of Gullion which is a Ring Dyke that was intruded into a ring fault, and the summit of Slieve Gullion which represents the central Layered Complex. Next to the carpark we can examine granophyres and gabbros mingling and mixing.
11.00am Head to quarry with coarse gabbros at 54.11777201017092, -6.45036108738007. https://maps.app.goo.gl/6QE86dNCFMuxBLsA6
Located around the carpark we can look at exposures of very coarse grained gabbro and evidence of layering. There are also finer-grained dolerite intrusions which look similar to the cone sheets of Carlingford. Deep gullies carved through the rocks here indicate the presence of faults.
12.30-1.30pm. Lunch 54.11777201017092, -6.45036108738007. https://maps.app.goo.gl/KyKMAPQ24xEEqqxA6
1.30pm: We will drive further along the scenic route and stop at another quarried exposure.
54.11183760566464, -6.442854970647209. https://maps.app.goo.gl/Cc7dTvCBzJXaxAM66
Things are different here, in addition to granophyres we see coarse granodiorites that belong to the much older Newry Igneous Complex (~407 Ma – lower Devonian). This nature of this exposure is under investigation, but we suspect it to be a foundered block from the roof of the magma chamber that detached and sank into the Paleogene magma around about 61 Ma.
2.30 pm: After completing the scenic drive and taking a comfort break, we will drive to Camlough Quarry 54.159794295666266, -6.413569212006077. https://maps.app.goo.gl/UTtoitbLdFZvfQFP8
Here we see granophyre of the Slieve Gullion Ring Dyke intruded into a mix of Silurian country rocks which show much evidence of heating and deformation. In addition to the Ring dyke, which dips steeply outwards, there are ‘tuffisites’ that tell of hot gases and explosive activity associated with the complex. There’s also evidence of intrusion of Newry Igneous Complex granodiorite and some hint of copper mineralization.
4pm: End of excursion
Note:- if you download this document to your phone, you can click on the location links and the location will open in Google Maps. If you prefer a different mapping app, them you can cut and paste the grid ref.
