The Tellus geoscience surveys of the north of Ireland: context, delivery and impacts

€15 million of government and EU funding was spent on geophysical and geochemical sampling surveys in the north of Ireland between 2004 and 2013. This was a concerted national investment in the terrestrial earth sciences in Ireland, intended both to stimulate mineral exploration and to generate essential data for environmental management. Here we summarise the background to this work and the surveys that were undertaken. The scientific results have been widely published elsewhere and the purpose of this book is to reflect on the outcomes in terms of the economy, the environment and policy