County Top of Roscommon

On Saturday 7 August 2010, I parked at Kn Colry (G919 191) where the Miner’s Way meets the road before setting off along the Miner’s Way uphill towards the wind farm. I passed close to the bases of several wind turbines before reaching a 90° bend to the right at E (G903 197) (still in Leitrim). I had MV’s grid ref for Roscommon’s County Top (F (G90251 19607) at that time) programmed into my Garmin, which took me into a gravel pit. I studied OS Sheet 26 at this point and compared it closely to the MV grid reference. Things didn’t look right. At this point, I used a ruler to mark my location on the map to discover that I was still in Leitrim. Not sure how precisely the county boundary has been drawn on the map, but I could see that I was about 100m from Roscommon. Even by allowing a 50m margin of error, I was clearly still in Leitrim. I returned to the junction, to study the map again.

My eyes were drawn from the map to see an unsupervised Rottweiler trotting towards me. I quickly scanned the 360° surroundings hoping to see its master, but there was no-one else around. He strolled up to me quite calmly, and I patted him on the head. I said, “Good doggy, good doggy...” certain that I only had seconds left to live. I walked calmly back towards where I’d parked. The dog walked alongside me like a bouncer escorting a troublemaker from a bar. We walked for a couple of hundred metres, then he stopped. I kept walking, and he stood watching me for a while. Then he galloped back towards the gravel pit. Despite the fact that I was still alive, I felt a strong sense of failure at that point. I decided not to give up on this County Top so easily. Into the GPS, I entered the grid ref of a point on the map which was clearly located above the 410m contour but also in Roscommon.

I scanned the area for the Rottweiller. He was nowhere to be seen. I followed my GPS across bog to the new grid ref, stopping within thirty metres of a tiny pile of stones. I went over for a quick inspection to discover that it was a cairn-like structure – recently built, judging by the pink-flowered heather visible underneath through the gaps in the stones. I marked its position on the GPS and on the map. I was definitely standing in Roscommon, and close to the county boundary. I studied the topography, visualising the county boundary passing through. There were other points of similar height nearby, so I used the plumb needle on my compass to turn it into a rudimentary level. A quick – and very basic – levelling exercise revealed that the cairn “probably” marks the County Top of Roscommon, although this requires a more accurate method of verification. Using the GPS to an accuracy of 6m, the grid ref for this cairn is G (G90408 19523) and its elevation is 416m. The area around the cairn resembles virgin ground, although it is sited within 20m of a wind turbine access track. I added a nearby stone to the cairn, took a few photos, and left feeling satisfied that I’d completed the County Top of Roscommon. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1055/comment/5996/

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The true Top of Roscommon !

I have read Gribster's comment with great interest. When I visited the SE Slope in June 2008 I used OSNI Sheet 26 (B Edition 2001) which placed the high point on the County Boundary as H (G90400 19550) and not I (G903 196), the then listed MV co-ordinates. This said the MV reference conveniently placed the high point at a track junction some 100m NW of my reading. As I was walking part of the Miner's Way at the time I found the track actually crossed the MV reference point en route and it was therefore a simple matter of leaving the track and walking the short distance out to my own reference point H (G90400 19550). This appears to lie within a 25m margin of error from that given by Gribster and the now accepted MV reference. At the time there was nothing marking the spot and I am glad to read that a small cairn of stones has since been errected. I also recall that the hummocky ground had a number of "contenders" for the highest point but a short stroll around will satisfy even the most fastidious walker that s/he has been to the Top of Roscommon! Intrigued by the apparent discrepancy between the original MV reference and the currently accepted one, I again studied my maps and have found that on an earlier version of Sheet 26 (dated 1981) the County Boundary high point was indeed located, just beside a track, at I (G903 196) (the original MV reference). I therefore assume that this was the map used to determine the earlier MV reference point. Indeed tracks at that time were not as well marked on the map, and pre-dated the laying of more substantial tracks to service the later established Wind Farm. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1055/comment/6641/

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Highest Point in Roscommon

I crossed Seltannasaggart SE Slope in June 2008 when walking part of the Miner's Way over the mountain. We started at Kn Colry (G919 191) which is the start of a stoney track leading up to the top.The views to the E over Lough Allen to Slieve Anierin and the Fermanagh/Cavan mountains beyond are extensive but were marred by an assortment of rubbish to the side of the track . The top of the mountain, which supports a Wind Farm is a mess as it is subject to open cast mining. Indeed the the high point for Seltannasaggart 426m is difficult to locate and without the help of a GPS virtually impossible. Maybe by now it has been mined out of existence !! Not so Seltannasaggart SE Slope. It is positioned on the downward slope just off of the track on the left. Nothing as yet marks the spot as a County Top but given the ready supply of rocks/stones in the area County Top Summiteers may decide to build a small cairn to mark the highest point in Roscommon. Return by the same roue or if two cars are available it is a very rewarding walk to continue down along the Miners Way and if time allows climb the nearby Kilronan Mountain J (G90100 14900) before descending to the Arigna Mining Museum and Centre K (G92400 14400). Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1055/comment/4029/

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County Top Log Book?

Climbed (?) this county top on the return from Seltannasaggart. The look on my wife's face said it all really, regarding my diversion to include it in the days walk and my sanity for doing so. Should have said I needed a pee, and disappeared off the track to bag it!

Perhaps a cairn with a county tops log book installed within it, would provide a suitable reason / excuse to visit? Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1055/comment/5939/

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Cairn for Seltannasaggart SE Slope?

I have to concur with Harry Goodmans comment (and others on Seltannasaggart) regarding the desolate industrial landscape at the top of this mountain. However, when I went up (via the Miners Way which was very marshy) I found this rock with an arrow on it in the area of Seltannasaggart SE Slope. Now this has been put there either by the nearby quarry or the wind farm people but it is as good as a cairn you will get on this top! Oh, by the way, there is a high voltage cable by the rock, perhaps that is what the arrow is for? Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1055/comment/4593/

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