THE SYNCLINE - Allihies Beara West Cork

The spectacular landscapes of the West Cork peninsulas with their raw and almost

skeletal qualities are very much the product of the underlying bedrock geology of the

region. This geology predominantly consists of layered sandstones, siltstones and

mudstones of Upper Devonian age that were deposited in a large sedimentary basin,

the Munster Basin, 380-360 million years ago.

“This syncline structure, while relatively small, very powerfully evokes the incredible tectonic forces that were required to produce the Variscan mountain belt of southern Ireland, a geological event that shapes our landscapes to this very day.” –Dr Pat Meere
Head of Geology at UCC Cork City and co-author of Geology of Ireland: A Field Guide.

Photography © Liam Blake

Poetry Tony Curtis