The Dowery Hill Member of metamorphosed basalt, dolerite and siltstone is here recognized as the oldest exposed volcanic unit of the Lower Ordovician Ribband Group, with a minimum age of early Arenig. Peperites and resedimented hydroclastic breccia demonstrate a volcanic origin for the basalts. The igneous rocks are tholeiitic, with a trace element geochemistry indicative of a subduction-modified fertile mantle source, which we interpret as recording an early stage of volcanic arc evolution. The member is therefore the oldest known component of the volcanic arc generated by subduction of Iapetus oceanic lithosphere under southeastern Ireland. Subduction started earlier than predicted by current plate tectonic models, and these should be re-evaluated.