In 2012 an accumulation with at least 250 echinoids (sea urchins) was discovered in Carboniferous rocks 100 meters north of Slade Castle at the Hook Head Peninsula, Ireland. Echinoids are exceptionally well preserved with peristomal plates, Aristotle's lantern and spines attached. This is the first instance of an accumulation of these characteristics in European Paleozoic rocks.
The Hook Head Peninsula is protected under Irish conservation laws, outcrop disturbance of any kind in that area is highly discouraged. A multidisciplinary team with experience in palaeontology, geoheritage and geoconservation among others, successfully recovered the echinoid-bearing slab on December 4th 2014 and immediately donated it to the National Museum of Ireland for preservation and further research.
Click here for the poster presented at the IGRM 2013, when the finding was first reported. This was short-listed as one of the best posters of the convention.