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Lists of mountains in Ireland

Highest mountains in Ireland From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Lists of mountains in Ireland
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In these lists of mountains in Ireland, those within Northern Ireland, or on the Republic of Ireland – United Kingdom border, are marked with an asterisk, while the rest are within the Republic of Ireland. Where mountains are ranked by height, the definition of the topographical prominence used to classify the mountain (e.g. the change in elevation required between neighbouring mountains), is noted.[a] In British definitions, a height of 600 metres (1,969 ft) is required for a mountain, whereas in Ireland, a lower threshold of 500 metres (1,640 ft) is sometimes advocated.

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A topographic map of Ireland

The lowest minimum prominence threshold of any definition of an Irish mountain is 15 metres (49 ft) (e.g. the Vandeleur-Lynam), however most definitions, including the International Climbing and Mountaineering Federation (UIAA) criteria, do not consider prominences below 30 metres (98 ft) as being mountains (e.g. must at least be an Arderin or a Hewitt). Many British definitions consider a peak with a prominence below 150 metres (492 ft), as being a top, and not a mountain (e.g. must be a Marilyn). A widely used definition of an Irish mountain requires a minimum prominence of 100 metres (328 ft) (e.g. a HuMP), and is the basis for the 100 Highest Irish Mountains.

While Irish mountains are ranked according to Irish classifications, they are also ranked on classifications that cover Great Britain and Ireland (e.g. Simms and P600s).

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Definitions

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Main article: Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles

General concepts

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Mweelrea from Doo Lough in Connemara. Mweelrea is the provincial top of Connacht, the county top of Mayo, the 5th highest Irish P600 mountain, the 14th highest Irish Marilyn mountain, the 16th highest Irish MountainViews mountain, the 26th highest Irish Arderin/Hewitt mountain, and the 34th highest Irish Vandeleur-Lynam/Nuttall mountain. It is not a Furth (or Irish Munro), and therefore not a Real Munro.

There is no consensus on the definition of "mountain", but in Britain and Ireland it is often taken to be a summit over 2,000 ft, or more latterly, 600 m.[1][2][3][4] There is less consensus about the topographical prominence requirement (e.g. the change in elevation required between neighbouring mountains), which can vary between 30–150 m (98–492 ft).[2] Prominence is even strongly debated regarding UIAA classification of Himalayan mountains.[5][6] In the alps, the UIAA requires a prominence of over 30 m to be a "peak" and over 300 m to be a "mountain".[7]

The lowest threshold of prominence in Britain and Ireland is 15 metres (49 ft). The only definition in which prominence is not used, is where topographic isolation is used (e.g. the use of "sufficient separation" for Munros). Most Britain and Ireland definitions no longer categorise prominences below 30 metres (98 ft) (e.g. no new Nuttalls and Vandeleur-Lynams), and peaks with a prominence between 30–150 metres (98–492 ft) are now defined as tops rather than mountains (e.g. the 227 Munro Tops).

In Ireland, a prominence threshold of 100 metres (328 ft) is proposed for a mountain.[8][9]

Main classifications

  1. Furth. A Munro outside of Scotland with height over 3,000 feet (914 m);[b][10] Ireland has 13 Furths, or "Irish Munros";
  2. Real Munro. A Munro, or Furth, with prominence over 150 m (492 ft);[11][12] Ireland has 5 Real Munros;
  3. P600 (the "Majors"). British Isles peak of any height, with prominence over 600 m (1,969 ft); Ireland has 26 P600s;[c][14]
  4. Marilyn. British Isles peak of any height, with a prominence of over 150 m (492 ft); Ireland has 454 Marilyns;
  5. Hewitt. England, Wales or Ireland peak over 2,000 ft (610 m), with prominence of over 30 m (98 ft); Ireland has 209 Hewitts;
  6. Vandeleur-Lynam.[d] Irish peak over 600 m (1,969 ft), with prominence over 15 m (49 ft); Ireland has 274[15] Vandeleur-Lynams;[e][9]
  7. Arderin.[f] Irish peak over 500 m (1,640 ft), with a prominence of over 30 m (98 ft); Ireland has 409[17] Arderins;[g][9]
  8. MountainViews.[h][i] Irish peak over 500 m (1,640 ft), with prominence over 100 m (328 ft);[22] Ireland has 221 such mountains.[j]

Other classifications

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Elevation and prominence criteria used in mountain classification in Ireland (matching diagram for the whole British Isles is at Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles).

The term Dillon is used to describe any of the 212 Irish summits in Paddy Dillon's well–regarded Irish 2010 climbing guidebook: "The Mountains of Ireland". All of Dillon's summits are over 2,000 ft (610 m), and almost all have a prominence above 30 m (98 ft) (i.e. they are very similar to the list of 209 Irish Hewitts).[23]

The term Myrddyn Deweys are peaks in Ireland, between 500 metres to 2,000 feet (609.6 metres) in height, with a prominence above 30 metres (98 feet), which was published by Michael Dewey and Myrddyn Phillips in 2000.[24] Myrddyn Deweys are the Irish equivalent of Deweys, which extend the Hewitt classification down to 500 metres. There are 200 Myrddyn Deweys.[24]

MountainViews Online Database

MountainViews was created in 2002 by Simon Stewart as a non–profit online database for climbers in Ireland to document and catalogue their Irish climbs.[25] Its main data source are from the Ordnance Survey Ireland (OSI) maps, although it also conducts its own surveys, which the OSI has integrated into its own database, and it also integrates other important Irish mountain databases such as the Paul Tempan's work with the Placenames Database of Ireland (Loganim).[21] Collins Press published the MountainView Online Datase in 2013 in the book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins.[9]

Since 2012, MountainViews has been partnered with the Database of British and Irish Hills (DoBIH), which is the main live database for the categorisation of mountains and hills in Britain and Ireland.[26][27][28] However, MountainViews can differ slightly from DoBIH on the measurements for certain Irish mountains.[k]

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List of the 10 Highest MacGillycuddy's Reeks

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See also: MacGillycuddy's Reeks § List of peaks

The MacGillycuddy's Reeks range contains Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil 1,038.6 m (3,407 ft), and the Reeks is the highest range of peaks in Ireland.[29][9] However, many of its peaks do not meet all classification criteria for a "mountain" (e.g. particularly the 100–150 m (330–490 ft) in elevation change from neighbouring mountains), and many are not in the 100 Highest Irish Mountains.[8] Regardless, the range contains ten of the thirteen Scottish Furths in Ireland, and given its importance, and as an important example of complexity of mountain classification, the ten highest Reeks are listed below:

More information Rank, Irish name ...
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100 Highest Irish Mountains

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(any height, prominence over 100 m)

This is the MountainViews[i] 100 Highest Irish Mountains list,[8] which was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins.[9] It combines Paul Tempan's 2012 research into Irish mountains and Irish mountain names.[40] The list requires a prominence of over 100 m (328 ft), a compromise between the popular British Isles Marilyn criteria of 150 metres (see List of Marilyns in the British Isles for a ranking of Irish Marilyns by height and by prominence), and the Simms–Hewitt–Arderins criteria of 30 metres (see List of mountains of the British Isles by height for a ranking of Irish Simms by height and by prominence).[22] It is a widely used list,[41][42] and it contains 25 of the 26 Irish P600s (Slieve Snaght, a P600, did not make the 100 Highest).

  Real Munro: Height over 3,000 feet (914 m), prominence over 150 metres (492 ft).
  P600: Any height, prominence over 600 metres (1,969 ft).
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List of 409 Irish Arderins

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See also: List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

(height above 500 m, prominence over 30 m)

A noted definition of an Irish mountain over the lower height threshold of 500 m (1,640 ft), is the Arderins list, but which meets the minimum requirement for a "mountain" with a prominence above 30 m (98 ft), and is an Irish equivalent of the Hewitt (the 207 Arderins over 2,000 ft (610 m) are the 207–209 Irish Hewitts[k]), or the Simm (the 222 Arderins over 600 m (1,969 ft) are the 222–224 Irish Simms[k]). The 199 Arderins below 2,000 ft (610 m) are the Myrddyn Deweys (e.g. the total of the 207 Irish Hewitts and the 199 Myrddyn Deweys equal the 406 Irish Arderins).

MountainView's Online Database[i] of Arderins was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins, and updated in 2015.[9] In 2023, the MountainView Online Database listed 409 Irish mountains as meeting the Arderin definition. Several of the MountainViews.ie users have recorded completing the entire list of Arderins. One user having completed the Arderins within one single year (2014) along with the complete list of Vandeleur-Lynams, county highpoints and the highest 100 list.

MountainViews uses the term Arderin Begs for the additional class of peaks over 500 m (1,640 ft) in height, and with a prominence between 15–30 m (49–98 ft). In 2018, Ireland had 124 Arderin Begs.[43]

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List of 274 Irish Vandeleur-Lynams

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See also: List of Nuttall mountains in England and List of Nuttall mountains in Wales

(height above 600 m, prominence over 15 m)

The broadest noted definition of an Irish mountain over 600 m (1,969 ft) is the Vandeleur-Lynam list, as it only requires a prominence of 15 m (49 ft), and is the Irish fully metric equivalent of the England & Wales Nuttall.[p] The 100 Highest Irish Mountains from above, is a subset of this list (e.g. they are all Vandeleur-Lynams). For example, Mweelrea, the highest mountain in Connacht, is 16th on the 100 Highest Irish Mountains list, but 34th on the Vandeleur-Lynam list. MountainView's Online Database[i] of Vandeleur-Lynams was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins, and updated in 2015.[9][44] In 2023, the MountainView Online Database listed 275 Irish mountains as meeting the Vandeleur-Lynam definition.[q]

On 3 October 2018, English Lake District climber, James Forrest, completed all 273 Irish Vandeleur-Lynams in 8 weeks.[45] In 2023, Irish photographer and adventurer Ellie Berry completed the Vandeleur-Lynams, then at 275 peaks, in 50 days and 5 hours beating the previous record by 6 days.[46] This record was in turn broken in 2024 by Kerryman Sean Clifford who scaled all 275 peaks in 21 days, 2 hours, and 46 minutes.[47]

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Lists of Irish hills

Carns

MountainViews and Database of British and Irish Hills recognise a list of 337 summits as Carns, having height above 100 m (328 ft) and below 400 m (1,312 ft).[48][49]

Binnions

MountainViews and Database of British and Irish Hills recognise a list of 484 summits as Binnions, having prominence at least 100 m (328 ft) and height below 400 m (1,312 ft).[50][49]

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List of Irish County and Provincial Tops

Provincial Tops

There are 4 Irish Provincial Tops, namely: Carrauntoohil, in Munster, Lugnaquilla in Leinster, Slieve Donard, in Ulster, and Mweelrea in Connacht.

County Tops

In addition, there are 27 Irish County Tops, as 10 counties share the same county top, namely: Galtymore for Limerick/Tipperary, Mount Leinster for Carlow/Wexford, Sawel for Londonderry/Tyrone, Cuilcagh for Cavan/Fermanagh, Arderin for Laois/Offaly.

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Ranking of Irish mountains in Ireland and Britain

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Whereas the MountainViews, Vandeleur-Lynam, and Arderin classifications are unique to Ireland, Irish mountains appear in other similar classifications that have been used in across Britain and Ireland.

Simms

The Britain and Ireland Simms classification (height over 600 m, and prominence above 30 m), is very similar to the Irish Arderin classification (height over 500 m, and prominence over 30 m). As of October 2018, the 2,754 Simms in Britain and Ireland, which include 224[k] Irish Simms (i.e. the Irish Arderins over 600 m), are ranked by height, and by prominence, on this table:

Hewitts

Irish Hewitts, which have largely been replaced by the metric Simms classification, are ranked against English and Welsh Hewitts on these tables:

Marilyns

The popular Britain and Ireland Marilyn classification (any height, and prominence above 150 m), is a more severe prominence threshold than the Irish Mountainviews classification (height over 500 m, and prominence over 100 m). As of October 2018, the 2,011 Marilyns in Britain and Ireland, which include 454 Irish Marilyns (e.g. the amount is larger because Marilyns will take any height, as long as the peak meets the prominence threshold), are ranked by prominence, and by height, here (note that this list is commonly used to rank by prominence, as it includes any peak with prominence above 150 m):

P600s

The Britain and Ireland P600 classification require a prominence above 600 m (e.g. and by definition, the height must, therefore, be above 600 m), and are thus called the "Majors". As of October 2018, the 120 P600s in Britain and Ireland, which include 26 Irish P600s, are ranked by height here:

Furths

Finally, the Scottish Furth classification is for mountains that the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") identify as meeting the classification for a Scottish Munro, however, they are outside (e.g. they are "furth") of Scotland. As of October 2018, the 34 Furths in Britain and Ireland, which includes 13 Irish Furths, are ranked by height here:

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List by province by range

Provinces of Ireland

Munster

Leinster

Ulster

Connacht

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Mountains of Ireland.

Notes

  1. Some definitions use feet as their principal metric (e.g. Munros), others use metres (e.g. P600s, and Vandeleur-Lynams, and Arderins), and some use a mix of both (e.g. Hewitts and Real Munros).
  2. While there is no explicit prominence requirement, the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") reviews aspects like prominence, and isolation, when deciding on the official list of Munros. All of the SMC list of 34 Furths have a prominence over 30 m (98 ft), except for Caher West Top, which is 24 m (79 ft).
  3. P600 an international classification of major peaks (along with the P1500, or Ultra-prominent peak), which was first applied by Alan Dawson (who called them "Majors"), and has become popular in the British Islands.[13]
  4. The definition of an Irish Vandeleur-Lynam is similar to a "Nuttall" in England and Wales, except that the Vandeleur-Lynam is fully metric.
  5. A Vandeleur-Lynam is a hill in Ireland at least 600 metres high with a drop of at least 15 metres on all sides. In 1952 Joss Lynam produced a list of 2000ft summits with 50ft drop with assistance from Rev CRP Vandeleur. Joss Lynam updated a version of this list and published it in a reprint of "Mountaineering in Ireland" by Claude Wall printed in 1976. The metricised equivalent was published in 1997. Lynam was actively involved with the list until 2002, thereafter assisting MountainViews with subsequent revisions until his death in 2011.[16]
  6. The Arderin an Irish–equivalent of a "Hewitt", having the same metric prominence requirement of 30 m (98 ft), but the Arderin height requirement is lower, and metric, at 500 m (1,640 ft).
  7. An Arderin is a hill in Ireland of 500m or over with a drop of at least 30m on all sides. This list was drawn up in 2002 by the MountainViews publisher [Simon Stewart] from an early listing of the Myrddyn Deweys with those hills from the Vandeleur-Lynams which meet the higher drop criterion. The actual list name, created in 2009, comes from the 527 m hill, Arderin, which is the County Top for both Laois and Offaly and means, from the Irish, "Height of Ireland".[18]
  8. MountainView's classification is a popular modern standard for categorising mountains in the UK.[19]
  9. MountainViews was created in 2002 by Simon Stewart as a non–profit online database for climbers in Ireland to document and catalogue their Irish climbs.[20] Its main data feed is taken from the Ordnance Survey Ireland ("OSI"), however, it also integrates other established Irish mountain databases such as the Paul Tempan Loganim Irish Placenames Database.[21] Collins Press published its Online Datase in 2013 in the book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins.[9] MountainViews is also partnered with the important Database of British and Irish Hills ("DoBIH"), which is the main live database for the categorisation of mountains and hills in the British Isles.
  10. MountainViews defines Irish peaks that meet this criterion as being "Irish mountains".
  11. As of October 2018, the Irish MountainViews Online Database lists the prominence of Knockbrinnea (W) as 29m, and Carrignabinnia as 27 m, and thus they do not qualify as Irish Arderins, which means that MountainViews does not classify these two peaks as Hewitts or Simms; the total number of Irish Arderins over 2,000 ft is thus 207. The DoBIH however uses the Harvey Tables which list the prominence for both at 30 m, and thus the DoBIH class them as Irish Hewitts and Simms, giving 209 Irish Hewitts and 224 Irish Simms on the DoBIH tables.
  12. Caher's official OSI prominence is 99.7 m, so it is not in the list of 100 Highest Irish Mountains
  13. In all cases this is the "Name Origin and Meaning" column from Paul Tempan's Irish Hill and Mountain Names (2010).[40]
  14. The ratings are from the Mountainview Online Database of Irish climbs as at October 2018, as voted by members.[8]
  15. This is not topographic isolation, but is the distance to the nearest mountain of any height, but with a minimum prominence of 15 metres (49 ft), as per the Irish MountainViews Online Database
  16. Nuttalls are only listed for England and Wales
  17. The 2013 Collins book listed 269 Vandeleur-Lynams, however, based on various OSI data updates, MountainView have updated their database since, and the Mountain 2023 database lists 275 Vandeleur-Lynams
  18. This is not topographic isolation, but is the distance to the nearest mountain of any height, but with a minimum prominence of 15 metres (49 ft), as per the Irish MountainViews Online Database

References

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