Carboniferous of the Newtownstewart Outlier, Northern Ireland

Mitchell, W I (ed.). 2004. The geology of Northern Ireland-our natural foundation. Geological Survey of Northern Ireland, Belfast.

W I Mitchell

Newtownstewart Outlier

Distribution and classification of Carboniferous rocks in Northern Ireland. (P947927)

Geological map of Northern Ireland showing the Carboniferous outcrop. (P947815)

The Owenkillew Sandstone Group (P947927) makes up the outlier of Carboniferous rocks located north of Newtownstewart, Co. Tyrone (P947815). It rests unconformably on the Dalradian and comprises about 1500 m of predominantly non-marine strata. Lithologies exposed in Middletown Burn [H 492 879] consist of greenish grey and purplish red sandstone and siltstone with thin beds of algal laminated (cyanobacterial) limestone. Dark grey mudstones contain miospores including rare Lycospora indicating an early Chadian age. Current indicators suggest a sediment source located to the north.