Seven-Year-Old Discovers Ultra-Rare Cotterite in Cork Field
Seven-year-old Ben O’Driscoll found a pearly mineral in a field near Rockforest East, Cork, which geologist Patrick Roycroft identified as cotterite, one of the world’s rarest quartz forms and the first cotterite discovery in about 150 years. With only a few dozen known specimens worldwide, all from a single Rockforest vein, the find—now dubbed the Ben O’Driscoll Cotterite—highlights Ireland’s hidden mineral history and the value of curiosity.