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Abbeytown Mine & Quarry, Ballysadare, Sligo County, Connacht, Irelandi
| Regional Level Types | |
|---|---|
| Abbeytown Mine & Quarry | Quarry |
| Ballysadare | - not defined - |
| Sligo County | County |
| Connacht | Province |
| Ireland | Country |
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Latitude & Longitude (WGS84):
54° 12' 51'' North , 8° 31' 30'' West
Latitude & Longitude (decimal):
Type:
Köppen climate type:
Nearest Settlements:
| Place | Population | Distance |
|---|---|---|
| Ballisodare | 1,344 (2017) | 1.1km |
| Collooney | 1,369 (2013) | 3.8km |
| Ballygawley | 321 (2013) | 5.7km |
| Coolaney | 866 (2013) | 6.3km |
| Sligo | 20,228 (2014) | 7.1km |
A large quarry now occupies the site of the mine. It used to intersect old underground workings and sulphide mineralization. There were sometimes large vugs up to a metre across but more commonly smaller less interesting calcite and dolomite lined vugs. Quarrying has now moved away from the mineralized area into unaltered limestone so good specimens are now scarce. In the 1990s a vertical pipe-like breccia filled structure was exposed. This seemed not to be related to the base metal mineralization but may have been a collapsed cavern. It yielded many fine calcites from the unstable, muddy material.
Zn-Pb sulfide mineralization at Abbeytown mine and Twigspark quarry comprise the only known carbonate-hosted base metal sulfide deposits in the Sligo syncline, northwest Ireland. Limestone sedimentation occurred uniformly throughout the region during the Early Carboniferous (Mississippian) as observed by field relationships and lithofacies; however, petrographic and stable isotope evidence indicate that host-rock dolomitization occurred under different conditions at localities to the west and east of the Ox Mountains inlier, suggesting significant uplift and geologic isolation of these areas prior to dolomitization. Localized fluid flow systems are thought to be responsible for sulfide mineralization and associated epigenetic carbonate cements.
Select Mineral List Type
Standard Detailed Gallery Strunz Chemical ElementsDetailed Mineral List:
| ⓘ Baryte Formula: BaSO4 Description: Tiny, yellow crystals, only a few specimens known. References: |
| ✪ Calcite Formula: CaCO3 Description: Probably Ireland's premier calcite location. Varied habits, crystals up to 18 cm, often pale yellowish. References: |
| ⓘ Chalcopyrite Formula: CuFeS2 Description: Small crystals on calcite. References: |
| ✪ Dolomite Formula: CaMg(CO3)2 Description: Fine saddle shaped crystals on calcite. References: |
| ⓘ Enargite Formula: Cu3AsS4 Colour: Metallic Grey Description: Millimetre sized crystals on needle quartz/dolomite. Only known from a single spot in the quarry. |
| ⓘ Fluorite Formula: CaF2 Habit: Cubic Description: Found sparingly in the 1980s. Seems to be absent now. References: |
| ⓘ Galena Formula: PbS Habit: Usually octahedral, sometimes more complex habits. References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
| ⓘ Gypsum var. Selenite Formula: CaSO4 · 2H2O References: |
| ⓘ Hydrozincite Formula: Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 Description: Abundant in some of the old workings. Is entirely post-mining in origin. References: |
| ⓘ Malachite Formula: Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 References: |
| ⓘ Marcasite Formula: FeS2 References: |
| ⓘ 'Petroleum var. Bitumen' Description: Occasional, hard, shiny black blobs with calcite and sulphides. References: |
| ⓘ Pyrite Formula: FeS2 Description: Is a significant contaminant of the quarry produce. The quarrymen try to avoid it. Good crystals are scarce. References: |
| ✪ Quartz Formula: SiO2 Description: "Herkimer diamond" double terminated crystals up to 9 cm, often with bubbles inside. Rare, but can be of excellent quality. References: |
| ⓘ Quartz var. Chalcedony Formula: SiO2 Description: Grey, banded, very scarce. References: |
| ⓘ Sphalerite Formula: ZnS Description: Mostly massive, dark brown. Local remobilization has produced small crystals of ruby and honey blende varieties. References: |
| ⓘ 'Tennantite Subgroup' Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S |
| ⓘ 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' Formula: Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
List of minerals arranged by Strunz 10th Edition classification
| Group 2 - Sulphides and Sulfosalts | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| ⓘ | Sphalerite | 2.CB.05a | ZnS |
| ⓘ | Chalcopyrite | 2.CB.10a | CuFeS2 |
| ⓘ | Galena | 2.CD.10 | PbS |
| ⓘ | Pyrite | 2.EB.05a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | Marcasite | 2.EB.10a | FeS2 |
| ⓘ | 'Tennantite Subgroup' | 2.GB.05 | Cu6(Cu4C2+2)As4S12S |
| ⓘ | 'Tetrahedrite Subgroup' | 2.GB.05 | Cu6(Cu4C2+2)Sb4S12S |
| ⓘ | Enargite | 2.KA.05 | Cu3AsS4 |
| Group 3 - Halides | |||
| ⓘ | Fluorite | 3.AB.25 | CaF2 |
| Group 4 - Oxides and Hydroxides | |||
| ⓘ | Quartz var. Chalcedony | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 |
| ⓘ | 4.DA.05 | SiO2 | |
| Group 5 - Nitrates and Carbonates | |||
| ⓘ | Calcite | 5.AB.05 | CaCO3 |
| ⓘ | Dolomite | 5.AB.10 | CaMg(CO3)2 |
| ⓘ | Malachite | 5.BA.10 | Cu2(CO3)(OH)2 |
| ⓘ | Hydrozincite | 5.BA.15 | Zn5(CO3)2(OH)6 |
| Group 7 - Sulphates, Chromates, Molybdates and Tungstates | |||
| ⓘ | Baryte | 7.AD.35 | BaSO4 |
| ⓘ | Gypsum | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| ⓘ | var. Selenite | 7.CD.40 | CaSO4 · 2H2O |
| Unclassified | |||
| ⓘ | 'Petroleum var. Bitumen' | - | |
List of minerals for each chemical element
Other Regions, Features and Areas containing this locality
British and Irish IslesGroup of Islands
Eurasian PlateTectonic Plate
- CaldeonidesOrogenic Belt
EuropeContinent
Ireland (island)Island
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Abbeytown Mine & Quarry, Ballysadare, Sligo County, Connacht, Ireland