The Maidens
The Maidens (
Ballygalley,[3] or 13 miles from Larne.[4] The West Maiden or Northern Rock is about half a mile further out.[4][5] Lighthouses were built on both rocks; the West Maiden was abandoned in 1903 and the East Maiden was automated in 1977.[5]
Geology
The Maidens is an example of an olivine-
eruption. At the Maidens, magma was forced underground through layers of weakness, but never reached the surface. It cooled more slowly, solidifying and leaving a hard rock, relatively resistant to weathering compared to the strata around it and so forming the islands left today. Other examples of nearby sills are Fair Head, the Portrush sill which forms Ramore Head and the Skerries, and the Knocksoghey Sill near Ballintoy, part of which forms Sheep Island.[6]
See also
- Geology of Northern Ireland
References
- Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht. Retrieved 6 June 2020.
- ISBN 978-0-85389-742-2.
- ISBN 978-0-9531956-9-5. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ a b Dillon, Jim (1996). "Memoirs of a Lighthouse Keeper". The Beam. 26. Commissioners of Irish Lights.
- ^ a b Rowlett, Russ. "Lighthouses of Northern Ireland". The Lighthouse Directory. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
- ^ Wilson, H. E. (1972). Regional Geology of Northern Ireland. HMSO. p. 77.
| Volcanism |  | |
|---|---|---|
| Volcanic plugs | ||
| Dykes and sills |
| |
| Metamorphic | ||
| Sedimentary | ||
| Lists | ||
