Ireland

The Irish Republic (Gaelic Éire), or just 'Ireland', occupies most of the island of Ireland, and has a total area of about 70,270 square kilometers.  Its only land border lies to the north-east with Northern Ireland, currently part of the United Kingdom.  For further details, see the Wikipedia article at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Republic_of_Ireland.

The centre of the Irish Republic is mainly a flat boggy plain, drained by the River Shannon.  However, this central plain is ringed by ranges of high hills.  

The main ranges are, starting from the south-west corner, and moving clockwise: 

• The Caha Mountains (Gaelic An Ceachach) are a range of sandstone hills on the Beara Peninsula in County Cork. The highest in the range is Hungry Hill (685m).  This has a prominence of c.400 metres. 

• The Iveragh Hills and, in particular, Macgillycuddy’s Reeks (Gaelic Na Cruacha Dubha – ‘The Black Stacks’) are a range of rugged sandstone peaks in County Kerry on the Iveragh peninsula.  The area contains the three highest hills in Ireland (all over 1000 metres), the highest being Carrauntoohil (1038m), with equivalent prominence. 

• The Dingle Hills, also in County Kerry, on the peninsula of that name, are another range of heavily glaciated sandstone hills, reaching their highest point on Brandon Mountain (952m).  This has a prominence of c.930 metres.

• The Maumturks (Gaelic Na Sléibhte Mhám Toirc) in Connemara in County Galway are a range of hills composed of volcanic rocks, reaching their highest point on Barrslievenaroy (702m).  This has a prominence of c.629 metres.

•  The Twelve Bens (Gaelic Beanna Beola), also in Connemara in County Galway, are a range of rugged hills mainly composed of metamorphic rocks (quartzite).  The highest in the range is Benbaun (729m).  This has a prominence of c.686 metres.

•  The Nephin Range, in County Mayo, are a group of quartzite hills, reaching their highest point on Nephin (806m).  This has a prominence of c.750 metres.

•  The Murrisk Hills, also in County Mayo, reach their highest point on Mweelrea (814m).  This has a prominence of c.778 metres.  Also in the range is Ireland’s most holy hill – Croagh Patrick (764m), with a prominence of c.640 metres.  These hills are mainly composed of igneous rocks. 

• The Ox Mountains (Gaelic Sliabh Gamh) are a range of hills in County Sligo composed of metamorphic (gneiss and schist) and volcanic rocks (granite).  The highest point in the range is Knockalongy 544m.  This has a prominence of c.482 metres. 

• The Cuilcagh range lies on the border with Northern Ireland in County Leitrem.  The highest point is Cuilcagh (665m), which has a prominence of c.606 metres.  These hills are mainly composed of sedimentary rocks (sandstone).  On the southern flank is the source of the River Shannon. 

•  The Dartry Mountains in County Leitrim are a small range of limestone hills, reaching their highest point on Truskmore(647m).  This has a prominence of c.560 metres.

•  The Blue Stack Mountains (Gaelic Na Cruacha Gorma) lie in County Donegal, and reach their highest point on Croaghgorm (674m).  This has a prominence of c.522 metres.  They are mainly composed of volcanic rocks. 

• The Derryveagh Mountains (Gaelic Cnoic Dhoire Bheatha) are in the north of County Donegal and reach their highest point on Errigal Mountain (751m).  This has a prominence of c.688 metres.  They are mainly composed of metamorphic rocks (quartzite). 

• The Wicklow Mountains (Gaelic Sléibhte Chill Mhantáin), south of Dublin, in Counties Dublin, Wicklow and Wexford are a range of rounded hills, mainly composed of volcanic rocks (granite).  They reach their highest point on Lugnaquillia (925m).  This has a prominence of c.838 metres. 

• The Blackstairs Mountains (Gaelic Na Staighrí Dubha) are a range of hills on the border between Counties Carlow and Wexford.  They reach their highest point on Mount Leinster (795m).  This has a prominence of c.715 metres. They are mainly composed of granite.

• The Comeragh and Monavullagh Mountains, in Counties Tipperary and Waterford, reach their highest point on Fascoum (792m), which has a prominence of c.625 metres.  They are impressive heavily glaciated hills composed of sedimentary rocks (sandstone).

• The Knockmealdown Mountains (Gaelic Sléibhte Chnoc Mhaoldomhnaigh), in Counties Tipperary and Waterford are a range of hills composed of sandstone, reaching their highest point on Knockmealdown (794m).  This hill has a prominence of c.676 metres.

• The Galtee Mountains (Gaelic Na Gaibhlte or Sléibhte na gCoillte), in Counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork, are situated to the north-west of the Knockmealdown Mountains and further inland.  They reach their highest point on Galtymore (917m), with a prominence of c.825 metres.  They too are mainly composed of sandstone.

• The Boggeragh Mountains (Gaelic An Bhograch) in County Cork reach their highest point on Musheramore (644m), which has a prominence of c.438 metres.  They are mainly composed, again, of sandstone.

• The Derrynasaggart Mountains (Gaelic Cnoc Dhoire na Sagart), in County Cork, reach their highest point on Mullaghanish (649m), with a prominence of c.264 metres.  They are mainly composed of sandstone.

• The East Kerry Mountains, in County Kerry, reach their highest point on Mangerton Mountain (843m).  This has a prominence of c.586 metres.  Again these are hills composed mainly of sandstone.

There are also a few smaller ranges further inland:

• The Silvermines Mountains, in County Tipperary, south of Nenagh, reach their highest point on Slievekimalta (694m).  This hill has a prominence of c.610 metres.   They are composed of sedimentary rocks (mudstones and greywacke sandstones).

• The Slieve Bloom Mountains (Gaelic Sliabh Bladhma), in Counties Laois and Offaly, west of Portlaoise, reach their highest point on Arderin (527m).  This has a prominence of c.420 metres.  They are mainly composed of sedimentary rocks (sandstone).

There is only one hill in the country with at least 1000m of height and 100m of prominence - Carrauntoohil, in Macgillycuddy’s Reeks.   There are twenty-five with at least 600m of prominence.

 Hill lists for Ireland

Historically, there have been in the past fewer Irish hill lists than there have been for Britain, but this is not the case now.  A wide variety of lists are now available.  These can be accessed online via http://www.simonstewart.ie/list/index.htm. 

A list of Irish Hewitts, in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, (hills of at least 2000 ft height and 30m of drop) has been published in booklet form by TAcit Press in their TACit Tables series (ISBN 0 9522680).  The compiler was the Late E D 'Clem' Clements.  An abbreviated list of the Hewitts in the Irish Republic can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Hewitts_in_Ireland.

Also in the booklet is a list of the Irish Marilyns, in both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland,  (hills of whatever height with at least 150m of drop).  An online version of the Marilyns in the Irish Republic can be found at  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Marilyns_in_Ireland#45A .

For online information on all Irish hills, covering both the Irish Republic and Northern Ireland, Simon Stewart's websites (http://www.mountainviews.ie/ and http://www.simonstewart.ie/ ) are to be particularly recommended. Mountainviews is a website intended to promote discovery and hill-bagging in the hills and mountains of Ireland. Through an active discovery process most summits on its list of over a thousand hills have been described with short articles, photos, GPS readings, ratings for quality, walks, name information etc. 

Mountainviews promotes eight lists for Irish hillwalkers - including the Arderins (500m/P30m), Vandeleur-Lynam (600m/P15m), Binnions (< 400m/P150m), the Local 100, Best 100, Highest 100 (100m of prominence), County Highpoints etc.  For hill-baggers it provides member logging of summits climbed, together with a Hall of Fame.  The Mountainviewscommittee provides a monthly newsletter, public meetings and awards.

The 25 Irish hills of over 600 metres of prominence are included in the leaflet ' The Major Mountains of Britain & Ireland' which can be downloaded below

A metric alternative list to the Hewitts in the Irish Republic, using a 500m height criterion, can be downloaded from the link below.

Lists uploaded below: 

• High Hills of the Irish Republic - print-booklet version

• High Hills of the Irish Republic - e-booklet version

• The 119 Hills of Ireland and Britain of significant prominence (The Irish and British Majors - P600m Peaks) - print-leaflet