A small country at the western periphery of Europe, Ireland is endowed with a spectacular variety of geology. The rocks that make up the island offer a unique window into a two-billion-year history. This history includes almost all types of geological settings, including sedimentary basins, shallow tropical seas, high mountain ranges and active volcanoes.

Sixteen field areas are described, showing how to venture into the field to explore the classic sites of Irish geology. Most excursions are on or near the coast and the variety of globally celebrated landscapes reflects the diversity of geology. Studying geology in the field can be intellectually exciting and rewarding and will draw anyone curious about how our planet works into the field time and time again. Emphasis is placed on understanding processes that operated in the geological past to produce today's rocks.

Detailed 'step-by-step' itineraries are provided and the material is presented in a manner accessible to the non-specialist. This book is an invaluable background resource to plan and execute field-based exercises to any of the classic areas of Irish geology described.