Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula

The Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula are the generic name given to the mountains that lie on the Dingle Peninsula between the Brandon Group of mountains in the west, and the Slieve Mish Mountains at the eastern end of the peninsula.[2]

Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula
Beenoskee and Stradbally Mountain from Gowlane Strand
Highest point
Peak	Beenoskee
Elevation	826 m (2,710 ft) [1]
Prominence	491 m (1,611 ft) [1]
Coordinates	52°12′50″N 10°04′39″W [1]
Dimensions
Length	20 km (12 mi) E/W
Width	11 km (6.8 mi) N/S
Geography
Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula Location of Slieve Mish Mountains
Location	Kerry
Country	Republic of Ireland
Provinces of Ireland	Munster
Topo map	OSI Discovery 71/70
Geology
Age of rock	Devonian[1]
Type of rock	Purple cross-bedded sandstone[1]

Geology

Like many of the mountain ranges in Kerry, such as the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the mountains of the Central Dingle peninsula are composed predominantly of Devonian period Old Red Sandstone, with a band of Ordovician period metasediments.[3][4]

The rocks date from the Upper Devonian period (310–450 million years ago) when Ireland was in a hot equatorial setting.[5] During this 60 million year period, Ireland was the site of a major basin, known as the Munster basin, and Cork and Kerry were effectively a large alluvial floodplain.[5] Chemical oxidation stained the material with a purple–reddish colour (and green in places from chlorination), still visible today.[5] There are virtually no fossils in Old Red Sandstone.[5]

The composition of Old Red Sandstone is variable and includes sandstones, mudstones, siltstones, and conglomerates (boulders containing quartz pebbles are visible throughout the range).[5] The mountains were subject to significant glaciation with corries and U-shaped valleys, however the range does not have the sharp rocky arêtes and ridges of the MacGillycuddy Reeks range.[5]

List of peaks

The following is a download from the MountainViews Online Database, who list 23 identifiable Central Dingle peaks with an elevation, or height, above 100 metres

  Marilyn: Any height, and prominence over 150 metres (492 ft).

Peaks of the Central Dingle Mountain range (MountainViews Online Database, July 2019)

Height Rank	Prom. Rank	Name	Irish Name (if different)	Translation	Height (m)	Prom. (m)	Height (ft)	Prom. (ft)	Topo Map	OSI Grid Reference
1	1	Beenoskee	Binn os Gaoith	Mountain above the Wind/Estuary[lower-alpha 1]	826	491	2,710	1,611	70	Q580089
2	20	Stradbally Mountain	Cnoc an tSráidbhaile	Hill of Stradbally	798	40	2,618	131	70	Q587092
3	2	Slievanea NE Top	—	—	671	265	2,200	869	70	Q515064
4	12	An Cnapán Mór	—	The Big Lump[lower-alpha 2]	649	81	2,129	266	70	Q522045
5	6	Cnoc na Bánóige[lower-alpha 3]	—	Hill of the Grassy Patch	642	176	2,105	577	70	Q548048
6	21	Slievanea	Sliabh Macha Ré	Mountain of the Smooth Plain[lower-alpha 4]	629	22	2,063	73	70	Q508057
7	19	Coombane[lower-alpha 5]	An Com Bán	The White Hollow	610	42	2,001	138	70	Q568092
8	23	Croaghskearda	Cruach Sceirde	Stack of the Exposed Place[lower-alpha 6]	608	13	1,995	43	70	Q509039
9	18	Knockmulanane	Cnoc Mhaoilionáin	Mulfinan's hill	593	48	1,946	157	70	Q568049
10	15	Beenatoor	Binn an Tuair	Peak of the Bleaching Green	592	66	1,942	217	70	Q559089
11	22	Knockmulanane West Top	—	—	563	15	1,847	49	70	Q560048
12	5	Dromavally Mountain	Cnoc Dhroim an Bhaile	Hill of Dromavally[lower-alpha 7]	552	206	1,811	676	71	Q606067
13	9	Sliabh na nGabhar[lower-alpha 8]	—	Mountain of the Goats	486	120	1,594	394	70	Q539072
14	7	Cummeen[lower-alpha 9]	Sliabh an Choimín	Mountain of the Little Hollow	477	162	1,565	531	71	Q630077
15	17	Gob an Iolair[lower-alpha 10]	—	Beak of the eagle	477	48	1,564	158	70	Q545074
16	14	An Starraicín	—	The Steeple[lower-alpha 11]	458	71	1,504	233	70	Q528064
17	16	Cnoc na Bánóige N Top	—		448	52	1,469	170	70	Q552061
18	13	Knocknakilton	(unknown)[lower-alpha 12]	(unknown)[lower-alpha 12]	423	79	1,388	259	71	Q638062
19	4	Brickany[lower-alpha 13]	Breicneach	Speckled Place	374	219	1,227	719	71	Q632022
20	3	Knocknanacree	Cnoc na nAcraí	hill of na hAcraí/Acres[lower-alpha 14]	286	260	938	853	70	V572998
21	8	Doonties Commons	(unknown)	(unknown)	252	136	827	446	70	V502987
22	11	Carrigadav	(unknown)	(unknown)	240	96	787	315	71	Q626097
23	10	Farrendalouge	(unknown)	(unknown)	144	97	472	318	70	Q546115

See also

• Brandon Group, a mountain range in Dingle Peninsula
• Slieve Mish Mountains, a mountain range in Dingle Peninsula
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of mountains of the British Isles by height
• List of P600 mountains in the British Isles
• List of Marilyns in the British Isles
• List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

Notes

1. This name is locally understood to mean 'mountain above the wind', but as wind speeds tend only to increase the more height one gains, one has to ask what this could possibly mean. Another possibility is that gaoth is rather an archaic word for a water feature (possibly Lough Gill or the estuary of the nearby Owenmore River), and that the name was no longer understood once this word had fallen out of common use.[2]
2. An Seabhac also gives the alternative name An Sliabh Dubh ("the black mountain"). Previously Gowlane Beg.[2]
3. Also known as Banoge North.[2]
4. The anglicised form Slievanea would appear to derive from Ir. Sliabh an Fhia, 'mountain of the deer'. The deer is also an important symbol in Celtic mythology. In many tales they lure people into the realm of the gods. Remains of several fulachta fia (venison-cooking pits) can be found around Lough Adoon.[2]
5. Marked as 'Coombane' on the 6 map. The name refers originally to a hollow in the upper reaches of Kilcummin Beg townland.[2]
6. Near a path over the brow of the hill between Gowlin and Lisdargan there is an underground passage called Staighre Chaitlín (Cathleen's Stairs) which leads to a cave.[2]
7. Three cairns on the summit ridge of Dromavally Mountain are named Cú Chulainn's House, Cú Chulainn's Bed and Cú Chulainn's Grave.[2]
8. The Irish form is given as Slí na gCorr on the OS Discovery map. However, this is clearly not the name of a mountain. It either refers to a track or is perhaps a corruption of Sliabh na nGabhar.[2]
9. An Seabhac also mentions a peak called An Bhinn Bháin above Lough Acummeen, but this may refer to a cliff rather than the summit.[2]
10. Since Beenbo is clearly a separate name (probably from Ir. Binn Bó, 'peak of the cow'), it seems likely that it is the true name of the summit, while Gob an Iolair applies originally to the sharp point just N of the summit.[2]
11. This peak earns its name with its pointed peak.[2]
12. This name is not mentioned by An Seabhac in TCCD. It is unclear what the second element is.[2]
13. This hill, located in the townland of Ballynane, is unnamed on OS Discovery map but named on the old ½ series and on road atlases. Has been called Tullig.[2]
14. Acres (na hAcraí) is a townland name.[2]

References

1. "Beenoskee". MountainViews Online Database. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
2. Paul Tempan (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). MountainViews.ie.
3. "Site Name: Slieve Mish Mountains (Special Area of Conservation)" (PDF). Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht. 20 July 2016. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
4. "Slieve Mish Mountains SAC" (PDF). National Parks and Wildlife Service (Ireland). September 2017. Retrieved 20 July 2019.
5. Ryan, Jim (2006). Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1905172337.