Palaeoenvironment of the plant bearing horizons of the Devonian-Carboniferous Kiltorcan formation, Kiltorcan Hill, Co. Kilkenny, Ireland

The environment of deposition of the plant-bearing horizons of the Devonian-Carboniferous Kiltorcan Formation in Co. Kilkenny is poorly known. Previous studies suggested a possible lacustrine palaeoenvironment with plant material being swept in and fluvial conditions. Reinvestigation of the plant-rich localities on Kiltorcan Hill using both sedimentological facies and palynofacies suggests that there were high-sinuosity streams carrying fine-grained sediments with the plant fossils preserved on point bars, and marginal back-swamp conditions with plant material deposited close to the growth site.