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A special compilation of papers on the Quaternary of Ireland published in Irish Journal of Earth Sciences

2019; Royal Irish Academy; Volume: 37; Issue: 1 Linguagem: Inglês

10.1353/ijes.2019.0008

2009-0064

Patrick N. Wyse Jackson, M.J. Parkes, John Murray,

Wildlife Ecology and Conservation

A SPECIAL COMPILATION OF PAPERS ON THE QUATERNARY OF IRELAND PUBLISHED IN IRISH JOURNAL OF EARTH SCIENCES PATRICK WYSE JACKSON, MATTHEW PARKES and JOHN MURRAY Introduction The ‘purple journal’ is an important vehicle for the dissemination of research on the geology and geomorphology of Ireland. Begun in 1978, the first five volumes were published by the Royal Dublin ­ Society when it was styled the Journal of Earth Sciences, Royal Dublin Society, but since 1984 the Royal Irish Academy has published thirty-two volumes as the Irish Journal of Earth Sciences (IJES). To mark the 20th Congress of the International Union for Quaternary Research (INQUA) held in Dublin during July 2019, the Royal Irish Academy is delighted to republish online a selection of twelve IJES papers of direct interest to delegates. The current IJES editors have made this selection to illustrate the range of Quaternary topics published in the journal, but also to acknowledge the contributions made by all of the authors in this area. While these papers have made important standalone contributions in their particular fields, many have gone on to be influential on the research of others. The Irish landmass is strategically located on the western frontier of Europe and has been profoundly influenced geomorphologically by Pleistocene and Holocene events. Ice sheet advances and subsequent retreats have sculpted numerous glaciogenic landscape features and sea-level changes have greatly altered the coastline of the entire island. These­ research themes feature prominently in the selection of IJES papers below. Perhaps unsurprisingly, Ireland has a long tradition of research on subjects relating to the Pleistocene, Holocene and the glaciations that ­ affected this ­ island over that last 2.6 million years. In 1697 Thomas­ Molyneux was the first to describe the Giant Irish Deer, which was revisited by the anatomist John Hart in the early 1800s, and more recently by ­ Stephen J. Gould and Tony Barnosky. As was noted by the eminent historian of geology, ­ Gordon Herries Davies, the terms ‘Drumlin’ and ‘Esker’ are deeply rooted in the Irish language. The bone craze of the 1880s was actually promoted by the Royal Irish Academy, who sponsored cave explorers such as Richard Ussher to collect and document ­ Pleistocene faunas. In the last few decades these collections have become useful sources of material for ancient DNA studies. In the 1930s the Dane, Knud Jessen, arrived in Ireland and commenced studies on the vegetation history of Ballybetagh Boy near Enniskerry. This led to further long-term studies of Irish vegetational history by Frank Mitchell and Bill Watts, studies that are continued by their successors to this day. Ireland, both onshore and offshore, remains a fertile ground for research in glacial, interglacial and Quaternary subjects. It is hoped that you enjoy this collection of articles , which showcases the wide range and high quality of scholarship published in the journal. Irish Journal of Earth Sciences publishes peer-reviewed original scholarship, discussion papers and reviews on any broad topic of Earth science interest, geology and­ palaeontology. We are always open to receiving articles for consideration, and the increasing profile and electronic availability of the journal means that we can offer a high-profile outlet for good quality research. Irish Journal of Earth Sciences (2019) © 2019 Royal Irish Academy i ...