jackill on Foildarg

Foildarg is easily reached over the narrow rutted road starting at D (R891 482) but pray you don’t meet anyone coming down and that you don’t fall into a pothole and emerge in China ! Its summit seems to be the location of Irelands highest off road track with jumps and even an oil storage tank. The summit pillar is kept company by a plaque to David Alan Addison who died in 1968, under what circumstances we can only wonder?
The hills here were formed around 300 million years ago when pressure from the African plate on the European plate caused an area of subterranean quartzite edged by old red sandstone to break through the limestone layer laid down by an ancient sea 50 millon years before that. The lithologies in this area are much like those of the Slieve Blooms with greywackes(which interestingly also make up about 30%of the landmass of New Zealand) and banded siltstones which provide graptolite fossils in areas . These can be seen near the main road outside Hollyford. Some local quarries also reveal a large amount of small local faults which are thought to be widespread in the area but mostly covered by glacial deposits. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/660/comment/3566/

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Don't be foiled by the dearg track

The narrow rutted track jackill refers to crosses Foildarg from east to west, and passes by the summit trig pillar. While it may be suitable for vehicles from the western approach, it would only be suitable for army tanks or monster rally trucks if driving up from the east. It is possible to pull a car some way up the track to get it off the main road. Then it is a walk of 20 mins along the increasingly deteriorating track to the summit. It is easy to see why the word ‘darg’ (from ‘dearg’ or ‘red’) makes it into the name Foildarg – the exposed soil of the track is a striking earthy red colour. This obviously relates to the red sandstone jackill refers to in his piece, and explains the logic of why locals call it Red Hill, as explained by Jimmy Barry.

A burnt out car and debris mar the summit area, but the wider views east across to Knockbane and the Lacenacreena – Glenaneagh group are pleasant, while rolling farmland sweeps south to the distant Galty Mountains. The memorial plaque to the pilot David Alan Addison who crashed here in 1968 remains in good condition at the trig pillar. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/660/comment/6268/

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Jimmy Barry on Foildarg

David Alan Addison died when his small plane crashed not to far from the piller. He was trying to land in Shannon but crashed in bad weather. Cappawhite is the village just under Foildarg to the South and to the north is Hollyford. Local's (like me) call it the red hill. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/660/comment/4478/

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