The ‘old red sandstone’ of county mayo,Northwest Ireland

The distribution and stratigraphic relations of the Old Red Sandstone of the Clew Bay area. County Mayo are described. They comprise two groups both dominated by conglomerates, one Lower Devonian and one Middle Devonian, which have differing clast contents and which are separated by faults. The sediments are described in terms of five facies which are all interpreted as alluvial fan deposits. Provenance data from palaeocurrents and clast composition suggest transport predominantly to the west-northwest but one formation shows an opposite sense of transport. The rocks are folded about northeast-southwest axial traces and are affected by numerous faults. Structures are more complex than those of the Lower Carboniferous rocks which unconformably overlie the Devonian. A similar tectonosedimentary setting to the Old Red Sandstone of parts of the Scottish Caledonides is indicated.