The Tournaisian marine transgression in Ireland ( palaeogeography).

The palaeogeography of Ireland through Tournaisian times is reconstructed on the basis of well-dated miospore assemblages from some 30 sections in the nonmarine U Old Red Sandstone, and overlying marine sediments. The U Palaeozoic sea first entered Ireland from the S in late Devonian times, progressed steadily N, reaching Cork Harbour by Devonian/Carboniferous boundary times, and the Clew Bay area of NW Ireland in the early Visean. The top of the Old Red Sandstone facies is demonstrated to be strongly diachronous in Ireland, and much of the Old Red Sandstone in central and northern areas is shown to be Carboniferous, not Devonian, in age. - Authors