MacGillycuddy's Reeks

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Template:Good article Template:Use dmy dates Template:Use Irish English Template:Infobox mountain MacGillycuddy's Reeks (Template:Lga) is a sandstone and siltstone mountain range in the Iveragh Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. Stretching Template:Convert, from the Gap of Dunloe in the east, to Glencar in the west, the Reeks is Ireland's highest mountain range, and includes most of the highest peaks and sharpest ridges in Ireland, and the only peaks on the island over Template:Convert in height.

Near the centre of the range is Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain at Template:Convert. The range was heavily glaciated which carved out deep corries (e.g. the Eagle's Nest), U-shaped valleys (e.g. Lough Coomloughra), and sharp arêtes and ridges (e.g. the Beenkeragh Ridge).[1]

The range, part of the Reeks District, is a destination for mountain walkers and climbers and includes some of Ireland's most regarded walking routes such as the 15–kilometre (10 mile) Coomloughra Horseshoe, and the 26-kilometre (16 mile) MacGillycuddy's Reeks Ridge Walk that traverses the full range; it is estimated that over 140,000 people visit the range each year.[2] The entire range is in private ownership; however, reasonable access is given for recreational use.[1][2]

Geology

MacGillycuddy's Reeks are composed of sandstone particles of various sizes, which are collectively known as the Old Red Sandstone. The rocks date from the Upper Devonian period (310–450 million years ago) when Ireland was in a hot equatorial setting.[1] During this 60 million year period, Ireland was the site of a major basin, known as the Munster basin, and the counties of Cork and Kerry were effectively a large alluvial floodplain.[1] Chemical oxidation stained the material with a purple–reddish colour (and green in places from chlorination), still visible today.[1] There are virtually no fossils in Old Red Sandstone.[1] The composition of Old Red Sandstone is variable and contains quartz stones, mudstones, siltstones, and sandstone particles (boulders of conglomerate rock containing quartz pebbles are visible throughout the range).[1] The Reeks were also subject to significant glaciation which led to fracturing of the rock, and resulted in deep corries (e.g. the Eagle's Nest), U-shaped valleys (e.g. Lough Coomloughra), and sharp arêtes and ridges (e.g. the Beenkeragh Ridge).[1][3]

Geography

File:Macgillycuddy's Reeks, Lough Callee and Cnoc na Péiste (Knocknapeasta) - geograph.org.uk - 1434579.jpg
View from Carrauntoohil of the eastern section of the Reeks showing (l-to-r) Cruach Mhor, The Big Gun, Cnoc na Peiste and Maolán Buí; including Maolán Buí's large narrow north-west spur, The Bone.

MacGillycuddy's Reeks are variously described as consisting of two main sections, containing all ten of the Reeks that are above 3,000 ft:[4][1] Script error: No such module "anchor".Script error: No such module "anchor". Template:Ordered list

The Eastern Reeks meet the Coomloughea Reeks at the col of the Devil's Ladder, a popular ascent route for Carrauntoohil.[1]

MacGillycuddy's Reeks contains the three peaks in Ireland which are over Template:Convert in height, namely: Carrauntoohil, Ireland's highest mountain at Template:Convert, followed by Beenkeragh at Template:Convert and Caher at Template:Convert.[5]

The range contains eleven of the fourteen peaks in Ireland that are over Template:Convert in height, and meet the Vandeleur-Lynam classification of a mountain—peaks with a prominence over Template:Convert.[6] All but one of these eleven 3,000 ft peaks, namely Cnoc an Chuillinn East Top, are amongst the list of thirteen Irish Furths—peaks which meet the Scottish Mountaineering Club's criteria for a Munro, and they are therefore also known as Irish Munros.[7]

There are 29 peaks in the range above Template:Convert in height.[5] The range contains 14 Irish Hewitts (height above 2,000 ft and prominence above 30 metres; 100 feet),[8][5] and 16 Irish Arderins (height above 500 metres; 2000 feet and prominence above 30 metres; 100 feet).[9] The range is also known for its sharp aretes, including The Bones arete, more famously known as the Beenkeragh Ridge, and The Big Gun arete.[5]

A feature of the range is the modest topographic prominence, or "drop" between many of its peaks.[8][4] Only two of the eleven Reeks over 3,000 ft meet the Marilyn classification of a mountain (a prominence above 150 metres; 500 feet), namely Carrauntoohil and Cnoc na Péiste.[8] The only Reek that meets the P600 classification (a prominence above 600 metres; 2000 feet), is Carrauntoohil itself.[8] The combination of high peaks and low prominence, means the ridges between the peaks are at a sustained height (e.g. why the prominence is so modest), which has contributed to the popularity of ridge walking in the Reeks, particularly, the Coomloughra Horseshoe, and the MacGillycuddy's Reeks Ridge Walk, and the term, "Ireland's highest mountain range".[4][5]

Ownership

File:MacGillycuddy's Reeks as viewed from Churchtown Cemetery, Co Kerry, Ireland.jpg
The Reeks as viewed from Churchtown Cemetery, near Beaufort, in 1990

The entire range is held in private ownership, both in individually owned freehold parcels in the lower reaches and in commonly owned, open upland zones ('commonage'). A State-sponsored report into access for the range in December 2013 titled MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Development Assessment (also called the Mountain Access Project, or MAP), mapped the complex network of land titles.[3] Unlike many other national mountain ranges, the MacGillycuddy's Reeks are not part of a national park or a trust structure.[3][2]

The private ownership has led to issues around the upkeep of popular paths in the Reeks, most particularly the erosion of the Devil's Ladder path, which is used to summit Carrauntoohil; and various car-parks and bridges used by climbers.[10][3] The 2013 MAP report noted the importance of safety in light of the increasing climbers and walkers to the Reeks. The MAP report stated that Kerry Mountain Rescue ("KMR") logged 17 fatalities on the Reeks between 1966 and 2000, or about one every second year, but since 2000, KMR had been logging approximately 2 fatalities per annum.[1][2]

In 2019 the Irish Times reported that the MacGillycuddy Reeks Mountain Access Forum, a cross-body group of landowners, commercial users and public access and walking groups set up in 2014 with the aim of "protecting, managing and sustainably developing the MacGillycuddy's Reeks mountain range, while halting and reversing the obvious and worsening path erosion", had achieved some success laying down new pathways in the Hag's Glen approach to Carrauntoohil; however, the Irish Times still wondered, "Should the Kerry reeks be a national park?".[2]

Naming

File:The Eagle's Nest (Carrauntoohil, Kerry).jpg
Looking into the deep Eagle's Nest corrie from the Hag's Glen. The Nest is surrounded by Carrauntoohil (left), The Bones (back, centre), and Beenkeragh (right); Knockbrinea is at the far right. The Hag's Tooth is visible at the entrance to the corrie, as is the Hag's Tooth Ridge up to the summit of Beenkeragh.

The full name of the range in Irish is Cruacha Dubha Mhic Giolla Mo Chuda, meaning "the black stacks of McGillycuddy". This is commonly shortened to Na Cruacha Dubha.[11][12] The name is translated into English as "MacGillycuddy's Reeks",[12] where reek is a Hiberno-English form of the word rick, denoting a stack.[13]

The MacGillycuddys (Template:Lga) were a sept, or branch, of the O'Sullivan Moore clan. The MacGillycuddy is recorded as being one of a smaller number of Gaelic chieftains whose lands were returned post the Cromwellian confiscations, which explains why the name survives to this day.[12] The MacGillycuddy family tomb is at Kilgobnet, County Kerry, between the mountains and Killorglin.[12] The clan chief, McGillycuddy of the Reeks, owned land in this part of Munster until the end of the 20th century.

Recreation

File:The Reeks, Killarney, Ireland, by Fanny Steers, 1857 (18ac54c3-0434-4ac9-b7ba-ed29a7111c1a).jpg
1857 painting by Fanny Steers and bought by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. It remains on display in the Longfellow House in Cambridge, Massachusetts.
File:The Macgillicuddy Reeks, Killarney. County Kerry, Ireland-LCCN2002717420.tif
Photochrome print created around 1900 for sale as a souvenir

Visitors

Jim Ryan's 2006 book on the Reeks, Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains, stated that there were 25,000 annual visitors to the Reeks.[1] The 2013 MAP report quoted Ryan's figures, which were cited in the MAP's Terms of Reference, but stated that: "The Reeks are accessed by at least 25,000 recreational users per annum. It is highly likely that the numbers are a factor of 4 times higher based on observation of the year-round level of usage – but data is required to ascertain the visitor numbers."[3] It was estimated that 125,000 visitors entered the range in 2017 from footfall at three main access points,[10] and that 140,000 entered in 2018 by recording footfall at four main access points.[2] The Reeks are a popular subject for artists and photographers, with souvenir prints offered for sale among "Views of Ireland."[14][15]

Hill walking

File:Coomloughra Lough (MacGillycuddy's Reeks).jpg
The Coomloughra Horseshoe around the Lough Coomloughra, with Caher East Top and Caher West Top on the right, Carrauntoohil back left, and the Beenkeragh Ridge on the far left.

The most common reason for visiting the Reeks is to climb Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil. The popular route starts from Cronin's Yard (Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".) and enters the Hag's Glen to climb the Devil's Ladder (the col between Carrauntoohil and Cnoc na Toinne), from which the summit is accessed.[4] A more challenging route is via the Hag's Tooth Ridge which circles the Eagle's Nest, and takes in Beenkeragh, and the Beenkeragh Ridge.[1]

MacGillycuddy's Reeks is particularly regarded for the quality of its ridge walking routes,[4] with the 6–8 hour Template:Convert Coomloughra Horseshoe, that circles Lough Coomloughra, considered "one of Ireland's classic ridge walks", which takes in all three of Ireland's Template:Convert peaks, namely, Carrauntoohil, Beenkeragh, and Caher (East Top and West Top), as well as the famous Beenkeragh Ridge.[16][17][4][1]

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The most challenging route is the full MacGillycuddy's Reeks Ridge Walk, a 12- to 14-hour, Template:Convert traverse of the entire range.[1] The route normally starts at the eastern end from Kate Kearney's Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe.[18] The route takes in Stickeen Mountain (Template:Convert) and Cnoc an Bhráca (Template:Convert) before reaching the ridge proper at Cruach Mhór (Template:Convert). From there it continues along the narrow arete of The Big Gun (Template:Convert) to Cnoc na Péiste (Template:Convert), and continuing along the chain of Maolán Buí (Template:Convert), Cnoc an Chuillinn (Template:Convert), Cnoc na Toinne (Template:Convert) to the summit of Carrauntoohil (Template:Convert).

From Carrauntoohil, a number of variations are possible, the main one being a detour to Beenkeragh (Template:Convert) before returning along the same route to get to Caher (Template:Convert) and then on to Caher West Top (Template:Convert) before descending to the Hydro-Track (Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".) car park near Lough Acoose, Glencar.

An alternative variation is to continue from Beenkeragh on the northern side of the Coomloughra Horseshoe to the peaks or Skregmore (Template:Convert) and Cnoc Íochtair (Template:Convert) before descending to the Hydro-Track car park.[19][4][1]

Rock and winter climbing

File:Eagle's Nest (Lough Cummeenoughter) in Carrauntoohil in winter.jpg
Carruntoohil's northeastern corrie (Eagle's Nest), a winter climbing area.

MacGillycuddy's Reeks are not especially known for their rock-climbing routes, unlike Ailladie in Clare or Fair Head in Antrim. The Template:Convert rock climbing grade Very Difficult (V-Diff), Howling Ridge up the central arete between the east and north-east faces of Carrauntoohil is notable.[20][21][22] The north-east face of Carrauntoohil (e.g. the Eagle's Nest area), is better known for its winter climbing, conditions permitting, offering 80 routes with 7 up to winter Grade V.[23][24]

List of peaks

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The following is a download from the MountainViews Online Database, which lists 29 identifiable Reeks with an elevation, or height, above Template:Convert.[25]

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  Furth (or Irish Munro): Height over Template:Convert, and on the SMC Furth list.

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  Marilyn: Any height, and prominence over Template:Convert.
Peaks of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks (MountainViews Online Database, October 2018)
Height
Rank 		Prominence
Rank 		Name Height
(m) 		Prominence
(m) 		Height
(ft) 		Prominence
(ft) 		Topo
Map 		OSI Grid
Reference
1 1 Carrauntoohil 1,039 1,039 3,407 3,407 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
2 8 Beenkeragh 1,008 91 3,308 298 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
3 5 Caher 1,000 100 3,281 327 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
4 2 Cnoc na Péiste 988 253 3,241 830 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
5 25 Caher West Top 973 24 3,194 79 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
6 20 Maolán Buí 973 38 3,192 125 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
7 15 Cnoc an Chuillinn 958 53 3,143 174 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
8 21 The Bones 957 37 3,138 122 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
9 12 The Big Gun 939 74 3,081 243 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
10 22 Cruach Mhór 932 34 3,058 112 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
11 28 Cnoc an Chuillinn East Top 926 21 3,038 69 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
12 23 Knockbrinnea (W) 854 29 2,802 95 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
13 26 Stumpa Bharr na hAbhann 852 23 2,796 76 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
14 16 Skregmore 848 50 2,781 164 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
15 27 Knockbrinnea (E) 847 22 2,779 72 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
16 9 Cnoc na Toinne 845 80 2,772 262 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
17 19 Cnoc Íochtair 746 44 2,448 144 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
18 7 Cnoc an Bhráca 731 96 2,398 315 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
19 14 Cnoc na dTarbh 655 60 2,149 197 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
20 29 Hag's Tooth 650 15 2,133 49 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
21 17 Brassel Mountain 575 50 1,886 164 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
22 10 Screig Bheag 573 78 1,880 256 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
23 6 Binn Bhán 460 96 1,508 315 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
24 24 Binn Dubh 452 27 1,483 89 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
25 11 Binn Dhearg 450 76 1,475 249 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
26 18 Struicín 440 45 1,444 148 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
27 13 Cnoc Breac 425 70 1,394 230 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
28 3 Knocknabrone Hill 353 188 1,158 617 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".
29 4 Gortnagan 298 122 978 400 78 Script error: No such module "Ordnance Survey coordinates".

See also

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References

Template:Reflist

Further reading

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External links

Template:Mountains of Great Britain and Ireland Template:Irish provinces highest mountains Template:Mountains and hills of Munster

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