Fossil hunting in Ireland

It's mostly down to the lack of exposed strata of the right time period that might contain dinosaurs. The sedimentary rocks here are mostly palaeozoic, with a majority being of carboniferous origin. Limestone coal etc. I am surprised there haven't been more discoveries of note in those time periods though. There is some of the right stuff dinosaur wise around Lough Neagh up north, cretaceous AFAIR. There could be more elsewhere undiscovered. I noticed a load of flint nodules on beaches around wexford which may come from later strata, but it may be under the Irish sea.

Around sheelin I would have said carboniferous limestone. Sheelin has/had some of the best wild lake trout fishing in Europe which among other things was down to the limestone. The ph allows for bigger invertebrates, which in turn means bigger trout that eat them. Fishing there in the past I saw and collected a few fossils like Quint mentions.

When I was into this many moons ago, I found portmarnock not too great TBH. The fossils weren't the most obvious and quite spread out. Certainly compared to other sites.

I remember hook head being great for them. Got a fair few there. Used a hammer too, but this was back in the day and the hammer only loosened ones pretty close to falling soon anyway. Hey I was 13/14 so digging was well out of the question.:D I never disturbed any really in situ. My guideline was that if a swift kick wouldn't dislodge it then I wouldn't go at it with a hammer.

Another good place was easkey in the west of ireland. Serious beauties I got there. At the point where the river runs into the sea there's a fossil coral reef laid out and easily seen in the sea polished rocks. Popular place among surfers now I gather.

Outpost31 wrote:

Have you ever been to Booley Bay? Ediacara fossils abound in this area

Really precambrian/cambrian stuff? Cool Never knew they were there.