Explore Ireland's Fossil Heritage

Ireland’s landscape is made up of rocks that were formed over hundreds of millions of years. These rocks contain clues about the ancient Earth and its different environments. Some of these rocks contain fossils, which are the remains of plants and animals that lived millions of years ago. Ireland’s rich fossil heritage spans over 500 million years of Earth history and includes some of the earliest evidence for fossil animals and for life on land. Find out more about these fossils below. 

Irish Fossil Videos

Learn all about Ireland's Fossil Heritage in our video series below. 

Introduction to Fossils

In Ireland we're lucky to be surrounded by nature and a landscape filled with reminders of our heritage. But did you know that the Irish landscape also holds secrets to a much more ancient past - traces of once- living creatures that are millions of years old?

Life Under the Sea

Studying the rocks that contain fossils teaches us about their environment or habitat. 70% of Ireland's rocks were laid down under the sea, so our most common fossils are of marine creatures preserved in limestone rocks. By studying the fossils contained within these rocks, we can help us reconstruct ancient marine communities.

Life on Land

Many counties in Ireland have rocks that were lain down on land. These rocks date to the Devonian and Carboniferous Periods and tell us about when when life colonised terrestrial habitats - from the first evidence of plants to lush swampy forests and the creatures that lived within them.

Ireland's Favourite Fossil 2022

Find out more