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Goat near top of Derrybawn (Wicklow, Cen)
This goat regarded the Ramblers with an impassive stare from around 5m away from the summit of Derrybawn For
original track, click here.
Photo: Simon Stewart
Additional Irish Picture Number 2
"Overall the terrain, albeit beautiful, is a rough mix of rocks, peat hags, heather and many dips and climbs around multiple small loughs" For
original summit, click here.
Featured Track of the Month Hitting the North
This month's selection comes from gerrym, and extracts great value from one of Ireland's finest lines of mini mountains, the summits arrayed on either side of Inishowen's Mamore Gap. This area never seems to be particularly busy, and features a dazzling variety of upland, lake and coastal views.
gerrym on Dunree to Ragtin More Double Delight
Main walk Start: 08:50, End: 18:07, Duration: 9h17m, Length: 21.7km,Ascent: 1461m, Descent: 1465m Places: Start at C29363 39144, Mamore Hill, Crockmain, Raghtin More, Croaghcarragh, Urris Hills, end at Start (statistics such as Ascent or Length etc should be regarded as approximate. Duration depends on the speed of the person making the track)
Starting a hill walk from a beautiful deserted beach, with the hills towering above is hard to beat. This morning Crummie's Bay (beside Fort Dunree) was that beach - hard to find in these days of necessary staycation! i had chosen a pair of trail shoes as the weather had been extremely dry recently - this didn't help crossing the Owenerk River as it carved through the sand, though it was low enough that my feet stayed dry?
It was a steady climb through the short heather (buzzing with bees) up into the Urris Hills, with beautiful views over the beach and then Lough Swilly and the line of the Derryveagh Mtns. The walking is pretty easy and there is a well worn path between the rocks along the line of hills. I made a worthy detour to link with the Urris Lakes Loop Walk and pass Lough Fad and Crunlough. These are beautifully nestled little loughs and one of my first wild camping adventures was at lough Fad which seemed like the adventure of a lifetime (which it was at the time).
I was soon back up on the hill tops following the line of mini summits, which all look like mighty mountains (it is true!) with stunning views over the Inishowen coastline and a good part of Donegal - and to the Sperrins and Antrim Hills on this clear day. Croaghnagarragh was reached before the significant drop to the Gap of Mamore - a little bog road can be followed down to the road itself, It is a good viewpoint for the hills to some, leading up to the bulk of Ragtin More. I met my first people at the Gap, quite a few of them in fact. though they were soon left behind as I climbed up Mamore HIll. More fabulous views all the way as I passed its 2 little summits with cairns.
Another drop to the popular track coming up from the carpark which brings people to Crockmain and its bigger neighbour, Ragtin More. My drop was rather direct and a more leisurely descent would be to follow my return leg. I followed another old bog track for a bit and then up to the summit of Crockmain. A slight drop brings a little lough and then the fairly easy pull up Ragtin More. Met a group descending and then had the mountain to myself.
I think Ragtin More is pretty cool - it is very rocky and has a number of cairns built by those who couldnt resist all those stones lying around no doubt. The views over to Dunaff Head and the golden strands of sand delight no matter how many times they are viewed. The line of hills traversed is laid out like some magnificent painting of perfect hillscape pointing the way to the rest of Donegal and all the brilliance it has to offer.
Urris Hills and Gap of Mamore
It was now time to do it all over again and it didn't feel like a chore, it felt great. Rising and dropping all the way and taking in Urris at 471m that i had deliberatley missed when exploring the loughs. The beach was a welcome sight and it was much busier than it had been this morning. The trail shoes had managed well on the dry ground. These are some of those hills that you keep going back to time after time as they hold great memories and build new ones with each return. Well worth a visit!
NORTH: In search of the past
Having easily bagged Bessy Bell in the Sperrins, pdtempan spent the rest of the day exploring the hill’s rich history, traditions and monuments.
pdtempan on Bessy Bell, (Sliabh Troim):
Returned to Sliabh Troim / Bessy Bell 8 months after our last visit. Having already visited the summit the previous time, we knocked off the summit again fairly promptly from Cashty Road. We had lunch near the summit cairn which was marked as Donald Gorm's Carn on the 1st edition 6" OS map. We then devoted the rest of the day to exploring other features on the hill. We went in search of the holy ... ... Click here ...
NORTH: Never mind the Bolaght
Extracting maximum value from a modest summit in Tyrone is dino, who eschewed the chance for a quick boggy nip up and down in order to create a more substantial outing utilizing farm tracks, windfarm tracks, the Ulster Way as well as some roads. It certainly looks like a pleasant rural ramble, and could easily be the main part of a day involving ticking off some other easily accessible summits in the area
dino on Bolaght Mountain Loop (Includes Roads)
This route combines the approaches of a number of members who have commented on the Bolaght Mountain listing. Please not| walk, Len: 15.4km, Climb: 283m, Area: Bolaght Mountain, South Donegal & West T ... Click here ...
NORTH: Forest to crag to moorland summit
An interesting and varied landscape greeted pdtempan on his ascent of Mullaghmore
In the Sperrin Mountains.
pdtempan on Mullaghmore, (Mullach Mór):
Two of us climbed Mullaghmore on Sun Aug 15th to recce this walk for a future group walk. We parked at the Moydamlaght Forest car park at H742986 mentioned by gerrym. There are blue/yellow signs here for the Ulster Way and red/yellow signs for Slí Hiúdaí/Hudy's Way. Once you start walking in the forest, you will also see the "Eagles Rock Trail" waymarked. It seems that Eagles Rock is another name ... ... Click here ...
NORTH: Song Sung Bluestacks
A fine linear traverse in Donegal courtesy of OlddogHardroad, starting over the irascible little summit of Scraigs (it even sounds irascible) before crossing Aghla, taking in a lot of pathless ground while remaining totally geographically logical. Obviously transport is required but two cars enables some road walking to be lopped off the end. Such is the relative purity of the objective that your track reviewer couldn't think of any logical extensions or diversions.
OlddogHardroad on Fintown to Glenties, across Scraigs and Aghla
| walk, Len: 22.2km, Climb: 972m, Area: An Screig Mhór, Bluestack Mountains (Ireland) An Screig Mhór, An Eachla, Aghla Mountain South Top ... Click here ...
NORTH: Lovely mountain, horrible humans
Member No1Grumbler discovered that someone had left their mark on the summit of the beautiful Doan in the Mournes in the most disgusting way.
No1Grumbler on Doan, (Dún Maol Chobha):
Myself and the Voortrekker decided on a quick jaunt up the M1 for some bagging of Butter MT, Doan and Ben Crom.
I'd climbed Doan from the Silent Valley back in 2010(?) and enjoyed a memorable evening watching the sunset. Like others say here, Doan is a special place and I was looking forward to a return. Parked at an overflowing Ott car park, with cars on verges 100m either side of entrance. ... ... Click here ...
WEST: Sublime ascent
The weather obliged to provide Damian120 with a rewarding ascent of the beautiful Ben Lugmore in the Mweelrea area.
Damian120 on Ben Lugmore East Top, (Binn an Loig Mhóir (mullach thoir)):
It was a beautiful September day, the last of the autumnal Indian Summer, when myself and my hiking partner Martin King tackled Ben Lugmore. The early morning mist and fog shrouded the Ramp and Ben Lugmore was completely unseen. We decided to press ahead to the central section of the Ramp and make a final decision on whether to continue or turn back. Thankfully after time, the sun increased in tem ... ... Click here ...
SOUTH-WEST: He is the egg man, rather than the walrus
Fun and games in the Dunkerrons as simon3 draws ever nearer to completion of the Arderins with an 'rather exploratory, unlikely to be repeated, and very much on-sight' ascent of Slievenashaska South Top (given that conditions underfoot and overhead necessitated going over the substantially higher Coomnahorna to reach it). This is all splendid land for the experienced walker who doesn't need a path to follow, and for such as those the number of possible itineraries is legion.
simon3 on Oval route turned into a cracked egg shape by circumstance.
The plan had been to reach Slievenashaska S (SS) from the Kerry Way to the south just west of Sneem. The Kerry Way, sun,| walk, Len: 17.2km, Climb: 869m, Area: Coomnahorna, Dunkerron Mountains (Irelan ... Click here ...
Featured summit comment Coumshingaun Loop JohnFinn
A very helpful and detailed account of a tricky ascent of Kilclooney (highest mountain in the Comeraghs) via the Coumshingaun route - a hillwalk made by JohnFinn on September 3rd. John's description shows that it's not always best to take the obvious path. Sometimes it's best to do what's counter-intuitive. The rewards for getting up top can be great - as seen in a super accompanying photo.
The Coumshingaun Loop is one of my favourite walks, one that I've done at least once a year for more years than I care to remember. I was back there on 1st September in the company of three women who wanted the reassurance of someone familiar with the walk.
We parked at the Kilclooney Wood car park and headed up in a clockwise direction. I've always done it clockwise - it seems more "natural" somehow.
Once you are out of the wood it is a straightforward ascent up the left spur. When you reach the prominent rocky outcrop there is a pleasant section of easy scrambling and spectacular views of the lake.
The most difficult part of this spur is the section just below the plateau.It is quite steep and I've seen many people turn back at this juncture. The thing to do is to avoid the first defined path up the cliff face; instead, go a bit further to the left where there is another easier path to the top. It requires some scrambling and is probably best avoided by those who haven't a great head for heights.
From there it is a pleasant walk along the rim of the plateau with the lake far below. Then on to the right-hand spur (assuming you are doing it clockwise of course) where you make your way to the rocky outcrop that marks the beginning of the descent proper to the corrie floor.
Avoid making your way through the outcrop as it will prove to be a physical and metaphorical pain in the posterior. Instead, skirt it well to the left until you find the well trodden path that will take you down.
From there make your way across to the beginning of the left spur that you ascended at the outset and your path to the wood and the car park will be obvious. Allow 3 to 4 hours.
Photo: JohnFinn, Above Coumshingaun Lake
SOUTH: Splendid views from this fine summit.
Climbing Knockeirky South top on a fine summer’s day, Colin Murphy enjoyed magnificent views and counts it among his favourite walks.
group on Knockeirky South Top, (Cnoc Adhairce (mullach theas)):
One approach is from the south. Leave the main road at at V829 527 and drive up the road which curves around towards a farm. If there is a farmer present, ask permission to access the mountain through the gate at V829 528, although it has previously been granted with no problem. There is sufficient room to park at the farm entrance (also previously granted) or alternatively there is parking for on ... ... Click here ...
SOUTH: Imagine a gap, it's easy if you try
Encounters with a mob of loud, youthful thrillseekers on Cnoc na Toinne, Bunsen7 sought solace in the reflections of Victorian era geologists!
Bunsen7 on Cnoc na Toinne:
My recent visit to Cnoc Na Toinne coincided with the arrival at the top of the devil's ladder of a very large, loud group of supposedly 70 twenty-something thrillseekers, each of which was welcomed by the ever growing crowd by a raucous reception and cries of "ole, ole, ole".
They were there for the craic. I was there for the views. We both got what we wanted. But it suited me that we were goin ... ... Click here ...
SOUTH: Tricky but spectacular descent.
Glenkeel Top in the Cahas is a little gem, writes Colin Murphy, who made a somewhat precarious but rewarding descent past stunning scenery and tumbling waterfalls.
Colin Murphy on Glenkeel Top, (Barr an Ghleanna Chaoil):
Having bagged Glenkeel Top from Knockeirky South, rather than retracing my steps, I decided to take the more adventurous route down, roughly following the Glenkeel River. I picked up a good track just east of the river crossing at V834 538 and followed this as it meandered back and forth across the water, however aware that it ended in a farmyard, and nervous of encountering a farmer, I left the t ... ... Click here ...
EAST: Keeping us in the loop
Member JohnFinn provides a detailed guide to making the most of the spectacular Coumshingaun Loop in the Comeraghs.
JohnFinn on Kilclooney Mountain, (Fáschom):
The Coumshingaun Loop is one of my favourite walks, one that I've done at least once a year for more years than I care to remember.
I was back there on 1st September in the company of three women who wanted the reassurance of someone familiar with the walk.
We parked at the Kilclooney Wood car park and headed up in a clockwise direction. I've always done it clockwise - it seems more "natura ... ... Click here ...
EAST: A world of pure(ish) imagination
Just when you think it's theoretically impossible to come up with a variant on Djouce and Maulin in the Wicklow mountains...well JohnA and the leader in his walking club seem to have managed it. Starting from Ballinastoe Wood and working upwards avoiding the main forest tracks (indeed crossing recently felled areas) and especially shunning the infamous boardwalk over White Hill before wombling over Djouce, down into Glensoulan and up Maulin, before managing to find some contouring variety on the return. Fine work. JohnA on Ballinastoe, Djouce, Maulin
This walk starts from Ballinastoe Wood (Bl'Stoe Wd) which has MTB routes and some car parking.Unlike many a walk usi| walk, Len: 17.4km, Climb: 878m, Area: Djouce, Wicklow (Ireland) Djouce, Mauli ... Click here ...
EAST: Misty day, burned summit
The area around the top of Wicklow’s other Sugarloaf has sadly been largely turned into a blackened wasteland, writes hibby.
hibby on Sugarloaf:
Walked up Sugarloaf and Lobawn. Parked at the forest entrance and walked up along the forest fence. Evidence of recent fire in the area of the summit, with a blackened wasteland of burned heather to the west of the path and the summit cairn. I found a frog sitting in the unburned heather near the cairn and he obligingly posed for a photo.
Too misty for views today unfortunately. ... Click here ...
MIDLANDS: Hostile attitude
TommyMc recalls an unpleasant encounter with a land-owner on his ascent of the historic Uisneach Hill in the midlands. [ED Please note in an earlier comment this year, member ceadeile has explained that this hill is on a working farm and that the owners arrange access through tours so other members visiting the place can see that this is the case. We appreciate that this information was not available to our writer when he visited the place some years ago.]
TommyMc on Uisneach, (Cnoc Uisnigh):
I took a detour up here on a bright winter's Saturday a few years ago after seeing tourist board signage at Slieve Na Calliagh promoting this hill and a number of other attractions across the north midlands. There was a reasonable scattering of cars in the car park at the entrance near an empty office and cafe area. Seeing nobody around, I ambled a few hundred yards of a boreen uphill, finding a f ... ... Click here ...
MIDLANDS: Mystery glazed dog.
After a ramble up through the forestry on Ballinacurra Hill in the Midlands, member High-King is surprised to find that the summit area is marked by a Delph white dog! Anyone who knows more, please contact us.
High-King on Ballincurra Hill, (Cnoc Bhaile an Charraigh):
I started in Templederry and took the road marked Dolla, I drove to the forestry entrance about 2km on my right hand side, Parking for 3 to 4 cars. Step over the forestry barrier and follow the good track uphill. After 20 minutes there is a sign on your right "burial ground". This is not the turn to take. Go another five minutes and the road splits. Take the road to the right and uphill. After a ... ... Click here ...
Sorry if we didn't mention what you posted .. there's a list of all contributors for recent
month(s) later.
MOTLEY GATHERING
Volunteering for 2021: Strengthening the MountainViews Committee
Currently we have a number of officers on the committee such as chairperson, secretary etc. We
really could use some further committee members to achieve our strategic goals and spread the
load.
Position
In Brief
Ordinary members
For those taking an interest in the MV committee or indeed committees in general we
can also use some further "regular" committee members without a specific role. There
are many smaller quite finite projects that might suit regular members.
Publicity
MountainViews is a great resource based on over 1300 people's contributions over 18
years. Great that is if you have heard of it. And that's where we could use some
practical publicity help.
The Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth
Quite apart from programmers, MV's progress can also use help from
people who can really follow through on tasks like creating lists, checking stats,
researching place names or geology. Whether on the committee or not we value such
people's contributions.
Tushetti is rated the most beautiful place in Georgia (Sakartvelo) by the locals. Fergal Hingerty spent a week here one summer, and describes one of the hikes he did.
Keselo Hill
We flew into Tbilisi very early one morning, and then had a 12 hour journey over the notorious Abano Pass (2850 Metres) which is rated the most dangerous road in Europe. After all of that just to get to Tushetti, an early night was required to recover before we could even consider where to hike. The next morning after some local cuisine for breakfast our thoughts turned to which hike was to be tackled. On consulting the map and locals’ advice we decided to climb the Pirikiti Ridge.
Bochorna
We started by leaving the hostel in Omala Village and climbed to the col between the graveyard and Omalo hill before dropping down into the valley below. We ignored the track heading west and followed another horse trail through the forest until eventually, after climbing through numerous ridges, we arrived at a clearing.
On the ridge.
Here we found a dusty horse track which led through the meadows and up onto the ridge. We strolled through the meadow and reached our first peak at 2502 meters.
The panoramic view from this point was fantastic through all the valleys and also up to the 4000 meters plus peaks of the mountains bordering Chechnya, Ingushetia, and Dagestan.
We then continued along the ridge until we approached a second peak in the way. It took a minor scramble to get there, but the steep drop below us down the river valley towards the famous village of Dartlo was phenomenal.
The meadows we passed through were a kaleidoscope of colour and countless insects flew, shuffled and crawled. They were to be seen in all directions from crickets to butterflies from brown to grey, from green to khaki; even a shocking pink insect could be spotted from time to time.
After a rest at the summit of Sakhevi East (2821 metres), we proceeded up onto the plateau at the top where the peak of Sakhevi could be spotted.
We got to the peak (2925 metres) just as it turned lunchtime and rested at the "khati" near the summit. Pagan khati shrines are a unique part of the Tushetian culture and are ubiquitous on the peaks scattered around the valleys; small stone cairns topped with a white crystal.
We followed the ridge and climbed the other peak Pitsilanta (2996 metres) which again had fantastic views in all directions. During these climbs we were circled by eagles overhead the whole time.
Then we dropped down to the valley below by following a track before we took a short cut down a steep embankment until we reached a lower track. We followed this and soon came to the village of Bochorna (2325 metres), the highest settlement in Europe. This has one permanent resident - a man who lives with his mother whose sole occupation is to make cheese.
From here it was a long walk back to the village of Upper Omalo where we had a nice beer. It was much needed of after 9 hours hiking to and from and even along the Pirikita ridge.
Map of the Pirikiti Ridge
To sum up Tusheti is a national park area in the Tushetti region of North east Georgia bordered by Dagestan and Checyna regions of the Russian Federation. Security on the border is very tight and there are no go zones which are guarded by armed border guards. However apart from the roads the area is completely safe and the locals very hospitable.
There is no electricity in the valleys that make up this area and the population drops to a tenth when the Abano Pass closes. There are a few guesthouses in the valleys. A truly wonderful place to visit.
-- Fergal Hingerty
CHALLENGE
A place for those interested in Challenge Walks
Group pic at the Fei Sheehy earlier this year (repeat)
Reports of many of the Challenge Walks and indeed news, blogs and more - can be found on the newly created page . . . CHALLENGE WALKS NEWS, REPORTS, BLOGS & MORE . . .
mountainviews.ie/challengenews
You should be able to find this link easily off the main Challenge Walks Page.
Another new feature that's closely related to Challenge Walking and other services provided by MountainViews is our new page listing Irish Compleatists of the Scottish Munros. We could use some recent compleaters reports for this!
mountainviews.ie/IrishMunroists
See some more info below on this new feature.
There's an autumnal chill in the air and the last swallows are away. Days are shortening, nights are getting longer, and soon we'll be putting the clocks back. But one animal that doesn't leave us for warmer climes or disappear into hibernation is the deer. Indeed, deer are particularly noticeable to hill-walkers in October because they are active and noisy in their mating season with the roaring and bellowing of the stags.
There is something very special, almost magical or sacred, about getting an unexpected glimpse of deer in the wild. This is implicit in the story of St. Gobnait, who was told by an angel to leave the Aran Islands and to travel until she saw nine white deer. She travelled south to Co. Cork and saw first three deer at Clondrohid, then six at Ballymakeera, then finally nine white deer at Ballyvourney. It was here that she founded her church. Mullach an Ois / Mullaghanish, ‘summit of the deer’, overlooks the village.
In Ireland we have three main types of deer: red, sika and fallow. The red deer (Cervus elaphus) is our largest land mammal, while the sika (Cervus nippon), first introduced from Japan and other parts of Asia in the 19th century, is the smallest. Its coat can vary in colour from light red spotted with cream in summer to dark grey, almost black in winter. However, they have a white rump with black trim that remains constant throughout the year. There is an excellent gallery of photos on the website of the Irish Deer Society, which will help you distinguish the various species: www.irishdeersociety.ie
The most common type of deer is the fallow, which can be differentiated from the others by the white spots on the flank and the palmate antlers of the males. In simple terms, their headgear is shaped like hands or shovels with a large solid area from which rounded points extend, whereas red and sika deer have simple branching sharp points. Fallow deer (Dama dama) is also an introduced species, brought to Ireland by the Anglo-Normans in the 13th century. Now, whilst fallow deer are the most numerous in Ireland, they are often kept on enclosed areas of parkland. This means that hill-walkers are more likely to encounter red deer or sika than fallow in the wild. The herd in Phoenix Park is one of fallow deer. A young Dara McAnulty (who now has two books to his name: Diary of a Young Naturalist (2020) and Wild Child (2021)) posted this informative and engaging blog about fallow deer five years ago after a school visit to Crom Castle, Co. Fermanagh: daramcanulty.com/day-15-jolly-good-fallow They are the nearest living relative of the giant Irish deer (Megaloceros giganteus, commonly called ‘Irish elk’), which also had palmate antlers, though on a more massive scale.
Although the red deer is often touted as our only ‘native’ species of deer, this also needs qualification as it has not been continuously present. It was here at the end of the last Ice Age, at which time there were also giant Irish deer. However, like the giant Irish deer, red deer died out as the climate warmed. They were probably re-introduced from Britain and/or Europe by Neolithic people about 5,000 years ago.
So, where are the best places to see deer in the wild in Ireland? All the photos included here were taken by MV members in Killarney National Park or in the Wicklow Mountains. I’ve also frequently seen them in Glenveagh National Park in Co. Donegal. This summer I’ve encountered deer in 4 different locations: on Sliabh Troim / Bessy Bell in Co. Tyrone (red hind); in the North Downs in Surrey, England (roe deer, a species we don’t have in Ireland); at Randalstown, Co. Antrim, (red deer drinking and feeding on the weed growing in the River Maine, a truly magical sight); and in Randalstown Forest (a farmed herd of fallow deer). These fallow deer were so white that, at first, we mistook a female for a goat, until we went a little further along and saw that the daddy ‘goat’ had palmate antlers, which gave us a clue that it was really a fallow buck (dumb, I know!).
Three words of caution re deer:
1) if you come across a young deer hidden in vegetation, don’t imagine it has been abandoned and don’t move it: the mother will return.
2) this may be more of a problem on parkland than on open hills, but… it is rare, but not completely unknown for people to be gored by deer, so make sure you don’t cramp a deer’s space, especially if you approach to take photographs.
3) deer, along with sheep, dogs and birds, are one of the animals that can carry ticks. If you are bitten by a tick from an infected deer, there is a risk of developing Lyme disease, a very serious condition that cannot be fully cured, if the tick is not removed completely and promptly. It’s always wise to check thoroughly for ticks at the end of a walk where you’ve passed through vegetation, but especially if you notice an itch and you’ve been in an area where deer might be present.
Logainmneacha / Place-Names
Slievanea (mountainviews.ie/summit/242), just east of the Connor Pass in Co. Kerry, is called Sliabh Mhacha Ré in Irish, but in reality these are two totally different names for the same place. Slievanea is probably from Ir. Sliabh an Fhia, ‘mountain of the deer’. Deer-hunting was clearly an important part of the local subsistence economy of Corca Dhuibhne / the Dingle Peninsula in prehistoric times, as archaeologists have found remains of a deer trap with pointed stakes nearby on the shore of Lough Adoon. Deer must have been driven off the slopes of An Starraicín / Slievenalecka (the eastern neighbour of Slievanea) into this trap. Close by, at the southern end of Lough Adoon, is a group of fulachta fiadh, ancient cooking pits used for boiling venison. The fulacht fiadh is one of the most common archaeological sites found throughout Ireland. The practice of driving deer into a trap or an enclosed space is well documented in Scotland in the Middle Ages and early modern period, where it was called eileidrig. The practice and the associated Scottish place-names have been researched by my colleague Michael Ansell. However, it seems to be less well-known in Ireland.
At 772m, Coomacarrea (mountainviews.ie/summit/59) is the highest peak on the Glenbeigh Horseshoe, Co. Kerry. The name is from Ir. Com an Charria, ‘hollow of the stag’, referring originally to one of the hollows on the side of the peak.
Lemnaheltia is a mountain townland in Co. Galway running down from Garraun South Top (mountainviews.ie/summit/347) to Kylemore Lake. The name Lemnaheltia is derived from Ir. Léim na hEilte, ‘leap of the doe’ and relates to the tale of a legendary jump made by a deer being hunted by Fionn Mac Cumhail. While the deer escaped, one of Fionn’s dogs, Bran, fell and drowned in the lake. The place must have been quite well-known as it is marked on Mercator's map of Ireland (1595) as Dosleape.
The Deer’s Leap (190m+), Co. Tyrone, is an outlier of the Sperrin Mountains situated to the west of Mullaghcarn (mountainviews.ie/summit/371). This could be another legendary name like Lemnaheltia, but I’m not aware of any folklore, nor an Irish version.
Sliabh Fíoch / Slieve Fyagh (mountainviews.ie/summit/918) is a remote peak in NW Mayo whose names means ‘mountain abounding in deer’.
Céim an Fhia / The Pass of Keimaneigh in Co. Cork connects Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh / Ballingeary with Bantry Bay. Travellers passing through the gorge may occasionally see deer crossing this gap from one range of hills to another. Damhais / Douce Mountain on the east side may mean ‘stag ridge’.
Céim an Daimh is the original Irish name of Moll’s Gap between Kenmare and Killarney, Co. Kerry. It was explained as ‘step of the ox’ by John O’Donovan at the time of the first Ordnance Survey, but this is one of many names in which the word damh could equally mean ‘stag’.
Mullach an Ois / Mullaghanish (mountainviews.ie/summit/199) is known to many as the site of the tallest television transmitter in Ireland. The name means ‘summit of the deer’. It is situated north of the Gaeltacht village of Baile Bhuirne / Ballyvourney, Co. Cork, where, according to local tradition, St. Gobnait established her church upon seeing nine white deer. A townland on the eastern flank of the peak is called Gleann Daimh / Glendav, ‘glen of the stag… or ox’.
The MountainViews ANNUAL, brought out in 2021.
We published the annual in Feb 2021, in the midst of the pandemic.
For 2020 the Annual has 64 pages in 18 Articles about walking on hills, mountains, coast and islands here and abroad. Some working around Covid19, some despite it, some for the future.
SUMMITEERS and PLACE-VISITORS CORNER
A place for those interested in Summiteering, Bagging, Highpointing, visiting islands and coastal places.
A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits - The Vandeleur-Lynams & The Arderins
MountainViews first book available online and in some bookshops. The first reprint with numerous
minor amendments is available.
simon3 on A Guide to Irelands Mountain Summits
MountainViews first book available online and in many bookshops.
As members will know, for over a decade, Mountainviews.ie has been providing unique information to hillwalkers on all aspects of exploring and enjoying Ireland's upland areas. It's been a collaborative effort by over 1000 of you, and currently contains over 6000 comments on 1057 mountains and hills on the island of Ireland ... ... Click here ...
SITE NEWS
Reports of MountainViews.ie not working: certificate out of date
A user has reported that they were not able to access MountainViews.ie It turned out that there is a general cause, explained here:
Our volunteer Misha who looks after various technical matters for MV says:
I hope it won't be an issue with other users, or at least with a very limited number of other users. The only advice we can give is to keep OSes and browsers up-to-date: for example, in the notified case the OS he's using has not been updated since 2017.
So update your operating system if you can.
MountainViews Surveying and Changes to Lists.
Here are measurements made in September 2021. The one measurement that might have affected a list was that for Cahernageeha in the Dunkerrons. The OSI had listed this with height 499m so there was a possibility that the height was slightly over 500m which would have made it an Arderin given its prominence. However our measurement gave 498.7m - not surprising since the top had a trig pillar on it which probably means that its height had been established precisely by OSI. For An Bheann Mhór above Sneem, there was a bigger change, from 308m to 309.4. The top in this case was an outcrop not a trig pillar.
(Information above and below are since we last presented such figures, which is generally a
month but can be longer when we don't have an html newsletter.)
Our contributors to all threads this month:
Bunsen7 (1), Colin Murphy (11), Damian120 (2), High-King (3), JohnA (1), JohnFinn (1), No1Grumbler (1), OlddogHardroad (1), Pepe (1), RicardoVerdi (1), TommyMc (1), ToughSoles (1), adgrenna (1), caiomhin (1), dino (1), eamonoc (2), gerrym (1), Communal summary entries (7), hibby (2), markwallace (1), pdtempan (4), simon3 (12), thomas_g (1), three5four0 (1)
For a fuller list view Community |
Recent Contributors
Summary.
MountainViews now has 9692 comments about 1668 different
hills, mountains, island and coastal features out of the total in our current full list
(2204 on island of Ireland). We want to get a good gps track showing each of the
major ways to visit each
of these places and summits in Ireland. If you see an option to add a "Short Summary" then do
please consider creating one since another objective is to have a short summary for every summit
and island and coastal feature in Ireland. There's quite a few
opportunities for you to be the first to comment on a place, not so many on summits, however
lots of opportunities for islands and coastal features as we bring them out. We also have around
2700 shared GPS tracks, mostly in Ireland. Apart from a few popular areas, there is a need for
more routes in many different areas. Plain shared tracks without descriptions are welcome
however if you have time then do please add route descriptions with photos.
NOTICES
Notices
If you are contributing, please be careful to respect the interests of landowners.
Suggest access routes well away from houses, gardens or that could conceivably impact
farming activities. When walking, keep away from gardens or farm buildings. Use stiles
or gates wherever possible. Never do anything that could allow animals to roam where the
farmer did not intend. Ask permission where appropriate.
Take care if parking and do not obstruct roads, lanes and field entrances to access by
farm machinery, which can be large. Exercise your dog in parks or forests but avoid
countryside or open hillside where they may worry sheep.
Report suspicious activity to the police forces, as below.
If your car is broken into in an upland area report it to the PSNI or Gardai as this
will help them be aware of the issue and tackle it in future. Store the numbers. In
Northern Ireland use the PSNI non-emergency number 0845 600 8000. In the Republic you
can find the local Garda District HQs phone numbers at www.garda.ie/Stations/Default.aspx.
Specifically for the hotspot of Wicklow: the Garda Divisional Headquarters in Bray is 01
6665300.
If you hear of a problem area or route, write it up in MountainViews
which does everyone a service.
Report rubbish tipping in the Republic - ring EPA hotline 1850 365 121
Report recreational quads in national park area (in which they are banned). They are
also banned in the Mournes. For Wicklow please phone the Duty Ranger: 087-9803899 or the
office during office hours Telephone: +353-404-45800. For the Mournes ring the PSNI (as
above) or contact Mournes Heritage Trust. Put these numbers in your phone, take regs
etc. Let MV know of contact numbers for other areas.
If you have visited some of the less well known places, we would appreciate a place
rating and also "Improve Grid Ref" for summits and other places.
If you find errors in the basic information about places such as in their names, their
heights, county name etc please use the "Propose Places Database Change" option.
If we can, let's make MV have more than one route up a summit or to a place so as to
reduce the tendency for paths to appear. Your grid refs in comments for different
starting points show up on MountainViews maps as well as shared GPS tracks.
Visit the MountainViews Facebook page.
Visit the Challenge Walks Ireland page (jointly managed by MountainViews)
This newsletter
This newsletter
Editor: Simon Stewart, Homepage:
www.simonstewart.ie
Assistant editors: Colin Murphy, David Owens
Summit comment reviews: David Murphy
Challenge Info: Jim Holmes
Track reviews: Peter Walker
Book reviews: Aidan Dillon, Peter Walker, Mel O'Hara
Videography: Peter Walker
Graphics design advice & cartoons: madfrankie
Development & support volunteers: Vanush "Misha" Paturyan, Mike Griffin
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