Moher Flagstone
Rock
The word rock refers to solid mineral deposits. Rocks are minerals but not all minerals are rocks. Rocks have three classifications, sedimentary, igneous and metamorphic.
Moher Flagstone, is also known as Liscannor Stone, a name given to a variety of flagstones and sandstones that rise from the lands around the Cliffs of Moher and the fishing village of Liscannor. A very hard naturally riven quartz sandstone, it was formed in the Namurian of the Middle Carboniferous Period over 320 million years ago. The stone bears the fossil tracks of marine animals that lived during Carboniferous times. These tracks give the stone a highly textured surface of infinitely varied character. The colour of the stone is typically dark silver grey to blue grey. Available from other beds within the quarries are rusty and copper coloured flags enhanced by the presence of pyrite crystals.
Moher Flagstone was first traded towards the end of the 19th Century. It was used extensively for street paving in both Ireland and the UK, while locally they were used to floor the hearth area of the traditional Irish cottage.
Ref: 2000.234
