Kerlingfjord

A number of years ago the BBC ran an Irish language show called "Ar Scath na Sleibhte", which provided a bit of inspiration for me to take a visit up to Carlingford, or "Carlainn" as I was to learn the Gaelic name to be. There are some clips and photos from the series still carried on the bbc website here (clips may not play in ROI):

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p03fw143/p03fw10k

The series was mainly focused on the mountains of Ulster but included an episode on "na Sleibhte Chuailnge", the Cooley Mountains. This episode obviously resonated with me as I learned some of the mythology of Maeve's Gap, “Bearna Mheabha” being anglicised as Barnavave, the gap which is visible when descending south-east off Slieve Foye.

While I like the tales of a giant or even of Maeve’s army digging out the rocks – the “Tain Bo Cuailnge” epic sounds like a long read. A geologist will probably give a more scientific explanation of the gap arising from a fault line in the rock with granite between two humps of gabbro. More on the geology of the area can be found here: A geological field guide to Cooley, Gullion, Mourne and Slieve Croob by Sadhb Baxter.
http://louthheritage.ie/publications.shtml

Though my primary objective was Slieve Foye and Barnavave just provided a slight detour on the descent, I recall thinking (like others have commented) that of itself Barnavave would make a very fine family walk from Carlingford (but more than enough to break a sweat from sea level) given that it can be accessed on a pretty low gradient track. There are fine views across the Lough from the trig pillar top, even when cloud has obscured Slieve Foye. I met three generations of the same family that had ascended a less taxing route from the west, the youngest daubing initials on the cross, which strangely seems to be the done thing.

Back then to the view of the “Lough”. If the Irish called this stretch of water “Cuan Carlainn”, it was the Norsemen that added the “ford”. The reason is as obvious looking north-east from Barnavave as anywhere. You've a bird's eye view of a very fine fjord, at least in name if not textbook glaciated character! I suppose the vikings should know what's a fjord and what's not! Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1504/comment/19844/

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Tain Bo Cualinge

'Archaeology Ireland' Heritage Guide number 69: "The Route of An Táin Bó Cúailgne in County Louth", which can be found at the link below, comments on the mythology of Barnavave as follows:

"Barnavave: Having failed to cross the Cronn, Medb’s forces tracked up Glenmore to the river source. The story relates that ‘they would have gone between its source and the mountain only that Medb would not allow it [preferring] that they should go across the mountain so that the track they made might remain there for ever as an insult to the men of Ulster. So they … dug up the earth in front of them (to make a pass through the mountain) which was called Bernas Bó Cúailnge.’ The gap is still there, right on the summit of Barnavave Mountain."

It also seeks to clarify another point of contention regarding Barnavave that you may encounter:
"Most academic writers have equated Bernas Bó Cúailnge with the Windy Gap at the head of Glenmore, but this ignores what the OS maps, farmers and hill-walkers have known for generations: that Barnavave
(Medb’s Gap) is the Bernas Bó Cúailnge (Gap of the Cows of Cooley) of the Táin. The
dramatic but entirely natural fault-line on its summit is visible only from a couple of points on the lowlands, most notably from the village of Grange."

http://louthheritage.ie/publications.shtml Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1504/comment/19845/

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Gentle Ascent.

At times the route up hill from Carlingford may be too steep for some and for those who wish to visit the new cross on Barnavave the option is to ascend from the opposite side . From GlMor Tn (J16000 10505) you can gently follow the Tain Way up to the ridge which connects this hill and Slieve Foye, a few meters before the ridge bear right and if you visit the trig first you will be rewarded with fine views over Carlingford , a short walk thru the little wooden gate will take you up to the cross. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/1504/comment/19628/

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