Scribbagh ASSI

Scribbagh is of significant geological importance. The disused quarry provides access to a series of unusual Carboniferous limestones that occur near the top of the Dartry Limestone Formation.

This site is of importance because of the unique series of rocks and associated fossils found here. The rocks are exposed in a disused quarry.

These rocks are of Carboniferous age, the geological period that lasted from 354 to 290 million years ago. During much of this period, Northern Ireland was covered by fairly shallow tropical waters.

Much of the quarry face is composed of a series of limestones. However the lowest sections consist of limestones and shales. It is the thin dark grey shale layer that contains an abundant collection of fossils of which the most common are corals.

The rocks found at Scribbagh were deposited in an ancient sea. The geological evidence indicates that this was very shallow. The range of fossils tell us something of the life present in this ancient sea and can also be used to date the rocks.