FOSSIL SITES IN IRELAND - Section 3-1 - County Wexford - Hook Head - Mississippian

Contents - Fossils sites in Ireland

Section 1-1 - Fossil collecting in Ireland
Section 1-2 - Where are the dinosaurs?
Section 1-3 - The good news

Section 2-1 - Precambrian/Cambrian
Section 2-2 - Ordovician
Section 2-3 - Silurian
Section 2-4 - Devonian
Section 2-5 - Carboniferous/Mississippian
Section 2-6 - Carboniferous/Pennsylvanian

Chapter 3 - Fossil sites in Ireland
Section 3-4 - County Sligo - Streedagh Point - Mississippian 

Resources 

Chapter 3 - Fossil sites in Ireland

by Jutta Kruse, version April 2025

This chapter gives examples of fossil specimens from several sites in Ireland. Each location is covered in a separate section. Full citations at Resources.

The locations are relatively easy to find, accessible and open to the public.

Visits to all locations are taken at your own risk. Coastal rocks can be very slippery at times, especially when wet. Winds, tides and large waves add risk factors. Please inform yourself on local conditions and always be safe.

Please leave fossils in Ireland where you find them. Search, find, identify, photograph and post them online, but do not specify the exact location where they were found to protect them from damage.

If you spot any errors or omissions, please let me know, Jutta at info@fossils.ie

Images ⓒ Jutta Kruse unless otherwise noted.

Section 3-1 - County Wexford - Hook Head - Mississippian

Fig. 3-1.1 - Location of Hook Head, county Wexford.


The fossil fauna in the Mississippian Carboniferous rocks near Hook Head lighthouse in county Wexford is very diverse (Overview of the Mississippian period in Ireland: Holland & Sanders, 2009, Chapters 10 & 11), (Meehan et al., 2018), (Meere et al., 2020, pp 332-334). 

The outcrop to the east of the lighthouse tower belongs to the Ballysteen Formation (Meere et al., 2020, pp 332-334). Crinoids, brachiopods, bryozoans, corals, gastropods, nautiloids, trilobites, sea urchins and shark teeth can all be found on the cliffs around the lighthouse (GSI, Hook overview, undated) (GSI, Hook, undated).

Fig. 3-1.2 - The fossil-rich cliffs at Hook Head lighthouse.


Fig. 3-1.3 - Diverse typical Mississippian fossils at Hook Head lighthouse (brachiopods, bryozoan, crinoids). Width of view c. 15cm.


Fig. 3-1.4 - A network of the colony-forming bryozoan Fenestella at Hook Head lighthouse. Width of view c. 15cm.


Fig. 3-1.5 - Rugose, solitary coral Siphonophyllia at Hook Head lighthouse.
For scale 10-Euro-cent coin.


Fig. 3-1.6 - Elliptical crinoid ossicle at Hook Head lighthouse.


Fig. 3-1.7 - Brachiopod Schelwienella at Hook Head lighthouse.


Fig. 3-1.8 - Brachiopod Spirifer at Hook Head lighthouse.