padodes on Tibradden Mountain

Tibradden has just become much more accessible, even to Sunday strollers. Replacing the old muddy trail along the ridge, there is now a path with sections of boardwalk and raised causeway. It stretches along the high ground between Tibradden Forest carpark and the Wicklow Way, at the point where it drops to the road in Glencullen. Perhaps this may awaken renewed interest in the prehistoric burial place that marks the highest point on the ridge at B (O1486 2226).

When the original cairn was excavated in 1849 by members of the Royal Irish Academy, it was found to contain a rectangular, stone-lined cist, which held a burial urn and a food vessel (now in the National Museum, I believe). The contemporary account that was given of the excavation made no reference, however, to the elaborate surrounding structure that we can see today: a circular, roofless, dry-walled chamber, almost 3 metres in diameter, accessed from the NE through a narrow passage. For that reason, the suspicion later arose that this outer structure might have been added as a megalithic folly, perhaps around 1850, using stone from the cairn. During conservation work that was undertaken in 1956, an examination was carried out and it was found that the stonework of the chamber walls and passage indeed suggested mid-19th century craftsmanship. One person deceived by the false appearances was the poet Robert Graves, who refers to this monument as a passage tomb in his fanciful "The White Goddess" (still the bible of our present-day Wiccans!). There is a slab with two spiral patterns – one big, one small - inside the chamber, but given the curious overlapping of fact and fiction on Tibradden, I would be slow to bet my bottom euro on
its stone-age credentials.

The photo is taken looking NW. On the right, in the distance, is Montpelier Hill, which also had a large megalithic cairn until it was disturbed by the building of the so-called ‘Hell Fire Club’ around 1729. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/560/comment/3375/

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padodes on Tibradden Mountain

In Samuel Beckett’s collection, “More Pricks than Kicks”, there’s a story called “Love and Lethe” whose wryly humorous drama takes place on Tibradden Mountain. It tells of Beckett’s anti-hero, Belacqua, a philandering Dublin student, who takes his belle of the moment, Ruby Tough, to the top of Tibradden with the intention of carrying out a suicide pact with her. In the end, it fails and turns to “inevitable nuptial”.

The description of the scenery, though literary, is clearly based on first-hand experience of the mountain. It’s easy to find ourselves following the two characters in their climb: “Wisps of snipe and whatever it is of grouse squirted out of the heather on all sides … They plunged on and up through the deep ling and whortleberry … A high mesh wire fence, flung like a shingles round the mountain, obstructed their passage … They pushed on and soon the summit, complete with fairy rath, came into view, howbeit still at a considerable distance.” Particularly interesting is the description of the panorama from the top: “The first thing they had to do of course when they got to the top was admire the view, with special reference to Dun Laoghaire framed to perfection in the shoulders of Three Rock and Kilmashogue, the long arms of the harbour like an entreaty in the blue sea … To the west in the valley a plantation of larches nearly brought tears to the eyes of Belacqua, till raising those unruly members to the slopes of Glendoo, mottled like a leopard, that lay beyond, he thought of Synge and recovered his spirits. Wicklow full of breasts with pimples, he refused to consider. Ruby agreed. The city and plains to the north meant nothing to either of them in the mood they were in.”

Beckett doesn’t give the name of the mountain, but from the descriptive references, corroborated by E. O’Brien in his well-informed “The Beckett Country”, I don’t think there can be any doubt about the identity. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/560/comment/3473/

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dewsbury on Tibradden Mountain

I walked from the Tibradden car park with a group of 20 to the top of Tibradden and beyond towards Fairy Castle. We returned back the same route - personally I find circular routes (or A to B) more appealing. It was a Sunday morning and fairly busy.

We were guided by two mountain rangers (DMP) who were very helpful and informative - giving lots of information - but not too much ! So a big thank you to the volunteer rangers. Generally a nice walk , not tough but with great views. I would consider doing a linear walk next time - from tibradden car park, to fairy castle and then ending 3-rock car park. This promises to be a varied walk with numerous points of interest. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/560/comment/4549/

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A break(in) from the norm!

Climbed Tibradden from C (O14636 22090) after reading reports of car vandalism at the usual Coillte car park area.Headed NE directly for the summit D (O14875 22274) after an initial slog up fairly steep ground and through a forested area.A very quick alternative route for a peak bag. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/560/comment/6588/

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walker_hollick on Tibradden Mountain

It is possible to include this as part of a longish walk starting at Cruagh Wood car park, up Glendoo, Knocknagun and Prince William Seat on the southside of the Glencullen valley, then down the Wicklow Way to the R116, down along the R116 to Glencullen. From Glencullen turn left onto the Stepaside road, then left again on a forest track just after a pitch and putt course. Climb
Two Rock Mountain/Fairy Castle, then continue along the ridge to Tibradden, down through the forest to the road and a short road walk back to the start.

It is not really worthwhile climbing on its own, if you want a short climb, you are better off doing
Two Rock mountain. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/560/comment/2691/

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