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(poss. Ir. Cnoc Bhealach Conglais [PDT], 'hill of Bealach Conglais')
Height: 382 metres
OS 1/50k Mapsheet: 61 for top
Grid Ref: S88505 89280
Latitude: 52.947343 Longitude: -6.684106
ITM: 688434 689316
Prominence: 227m Isolation: 3.5km
There is a hillfort on summit named Rathcoran and a second one to NW. The entry in PNCW for Rathcoran refers to an article on "The Excavation of a Burial Cairn on Baltinglass Hill" in PRIA xlvi (1941), p. 221. This makes it clear that Baltinglass Hill is the English name of this height. Has been called Coolanarrig.
Baltinglass Hill is the 867th highest summit in Ireland. Baltinglass Hill is the second most westerly summit in the Dublin/Wicklow area. Our data has reached 75% of the goal for this summit. (Details)
Picture: Looking North from Baltinglass Hill. Expand pics.
At last, my 100th Local Summit
by simon3 12 Aug 2010
Sometime in 1969 or 70 I started climbing the Dublin and Wicklow Mountains, some of which are in what I would now call my Local 100.
I have climbed many of the higher ones many times and this year made a push on the more far-flung places such as Oriel Hill and Carrigroe. My final Local 100 was Baltinglass Hill which I enjoyed with two other veterans: madfrankie and wicklore. So having completed the challenge I now make a further claim: that of the slowest rate of climbing my local tops at around 2.5/ year. Beat that, young turks.
This panoramic view from the SW of the Wicklow Mountains shows Keadeen as the darker bump on the skyline about a quarter in from the right. Lugnaquillia is further away and just visible behind it. The apparently straight wall is that of the ringfort near the summit. The panoramic nature of the picture makes it appear straight, however in reality it is a circular enclosure. (Comment Rating 4.67)
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Picture: View of Baltinglass Hill from the village. Expand pics.
by wicklore 14 Sep 2008
As I drove around Baltinglass Hill looking for a likely approach point, I asked a farmer unloading sheep about access. He offered that I could park in his field and head up through his farmland. I said that I hoped to find a more public route, and he said that there was a lane beside the graveyard in Baltinglass that gave access onto the hill. He said it was ok to head up the hill that way. I found an overgrown track to the right of the graveyard at approximately S871 887(Point A). I followed this and in a few minutes entered the fields below Baltinglass Hill. I headed up towards a large cross and antennae at approx 878 892(Point B). I reached a field of painful gorse which stopped a direct uphill route, and much retracing of steps was needed to find a way through.
Reaching the cross I paused to look back down into Baltinglass and across to Tinoran Hill. Beyond the cross were more fields inhabited by cows, sheep and horses. I had to walk through them and I wondered if this was really the more public route the farmer had in mind.
The trig point of Baltinglass Hill was about another 700 metres beyond the cross. I enjoyed reaching it as I discovered the fascinating prehistoric hillfort there. The stone wall of the hillfort is a complete circle up to about 5 foot high in places. The wall itself is about 12 feet wide and I roughly measured the inside diameter at 60-70 feet. It is big! Within the circle are the remains of a few burial chambers. The weather was deteriorating rapidly and the views out to the east were disappearing. I just had time to say goodbye to Keadeen before she was engulfed in the rain clouds that would shortly reach me. To the south the Blackstairs were also cloud covered. In good weather I imagine this would be a fantastic viewpoint across the Wicklow hills.
There are no walker tracks and with the arrival of rain and cloud I used my compass to head back to the cross. I dropped down northwest to the road and walked back to my car.
I have no doubt that there are other routes available that don’t cross so much farmland. The forestry to the northwest of the summit might offer an approach. I would recommend that permission is sought every time before heading up from the graveyard side.
by Dec_Alcock 11 Mar 2010
The best access point for Baltinglass hill is along the laneway to the right of the graveyard. This has always been used for public access for the hill and permission is not necessary. This leads onto a grassy field below the cross which is easily traversed in a few minutes. A gate leads into a more rugged gorse covered field. There used to be a pathway, or sheep track, here which led directly up to the cross however this has become badly overgrown with gorse and is not recommended, by walking to the left around this area there is a much easier route. To reach the summit walk to the right along the ridge. From this point the walk is much easier as what were previously fields of heather, gorse and a fern has been reclaimed as grassland for sheep. While this makes walking less difficult unfortunately it has reduced the wilderness aspect of the hillside.
The hill fort and passage graves are located on the summit or “pinnacle” as it is known locally and are extimated to be approximately 5000 years old. They can be reached in 30 to 40 minutes. The site was first excavated in 1941and the surrounding wall is modern with the original having been robbed for wall building. The site contains remains of 3 small passage-tombs built at different times and partly-overlying each other, plus two single-chambered tombs. The view from the top is spectacular with Keadeen. Lugnaquilla and Mount Leinster among the peaks visible. (Comment Rating 4.50)
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Picture: Part of the Hillfort on Baltinglass Hill Expand pics.
by wicklore 14 Sep 2008
This photo shows a part of the huge intact hillfort beside the summit of Baltinglass Hill. I roughly measured the walls at 4-5 feet high, 12-15 feet thick and the interior diameter at 60-70 feet wide. The hillfort on nearby Tinoran Hill is almost buried, so this came as a huge surprise! (Comment Rating 3.50)
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Picture: The summit of Baltinglass Hill is unspoiled by walker activity Expand pics.
by wicklore 14 Sep 2008
This is the view looking north east from the summit of Baltinglass Hill. The weather deteriorated rapidly before I could take out map 56 to identify the hills I could see. However I think the hill in the distance on the right is Spinians Hill. (Comment Rating 3.00)
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by Dec_Alcock 11 Mar 2010
This is a view of the passage grave within the hill fort at the summit. (Comment Rating 3.00)
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