Lugnaquilla
Log na Coille
Looking into the Fraughan Rock Glen (river) and the summit of Lugnaquilla (back, centre)
Highest point
Elevation925 m (3,035 ft)[1][2][3]
Prominence905 m (2,969 ft)[1]
ListingCounty top (Wicklow), P600, Marilyn, Furth, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam
Coordinates52°58′02″N 6°27′53″W / 52.96714°N 6.464618°W / 52.96714; -6.464618[1]
Naming
English translationhollow of the wood
Language of nameIrish
Geography
Lugnaquilla is located in island of Ireland
Lugnaquilla
Lugnaquilla
Location in Ireland
LocationCounty Wicklow, Ireland
Parent rangeWicklow Mountains
OSI/OSNI gridT032917
Topo mapOSI Discovery 56
Geology
Mountain typeAphyric granodiorite, (Percys Table Granodiorite)[1]
Climbing
Easiest routeGlen of Imaal Route

Lugnaquilla[4] (Irish: Log na Coille, meaning 'hollow of the wood')[5] is the highest of the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland, rising to 925 metres (3,035 ft). It is also the highest Irish mountain outside of Kerry,[6] and the highest point in County Wicklow and the province of Leinster. Lugnaquilla overlooks the Glen of Imaal to the west and Glenmalure to the east.

Lugnaquilla is also the 11th-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list[7] and 13th-highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam list.[8]

Naming

Irish academic Paul Tempan wrote in his 2010 Irish Hill and Mountain Names, that the summit plateau is marked as Percy's Table, named after an 18th–century local landowner, Colonel Percy.[5][9] This is similar to Dawson's Table on the summit of Galtymore. Tempan also notes that P.W. Joyce gave the original form as Log na Coilleach, which translates as "hollow of the (grouse) cocks", however, Tempan says that "this seems doubtful".

Tempan clarifies the name has no connection with the deity Lug, despite the common use of the term Lug as shorthand for Lugnaquilla,[5] and that in some spellings of the name, several OS maps and guidebooks for example (e.g. Paddy Dillion's guidebooks[10]), an "i" is added to give "Lugnaquillia"; however Tempan settles on "Lugnaquilla" as the proper name for the mountain.[5]

Geology

The Geological Survey of Ireland ("GSI") describe Lugnaquilla as a "slate capped, granite rooted, relatively flat-topped mountain".[11] Crags of dark-grey schist protrude from the upper cliff walls of Lugnaquilla's corries which are Ordovician in age.[11] The protrusions of lighter grey rock are granite. The cap of schist overlying Lugnaquilla's granite core is the remnant roof of the magma chamber into which the Lugnaquilla granites were emplaced.[11] Cosmogenic dating on exposed bedrock showed that these schists were not covered by ice during the Last Glacial Maximum, and thus Lugnaquilla was a nunatak.[11]

Geography

Lugnaquilla is described as a "bulky mountain", with a large plateau-type grassy summit (known as Percy's Table), bounded on two sides by steep glacial corries called the "North Prison" (looking into the Glen of Imaal), and the "South Prison" (looking into the glen of the River Ow).[10] On Lugnaquilla's eastern side is the cliff-lined hanging valley of Fraughan Rock Glen, which falls into the glacial U-shaped valley of Glenmalure.[9] Lugnaquilla is the source of the River Slaney.[12]

Lugnaquilla does not have a rocky summit or summit ridges, and its large massif is described as a "sprawling mountain moorland".[13] Lug's massif includes several major summits and corrie lakes, often lying in a "horseshoe-shape" with Lug at the apex around deep valleys. Around the Fraughan Rock Glen and Arts Lough in the east are Benleagh, and Clohernagh; around the glen of the Carrawaystick River and Kelly's Lough in the south-east are Corrigasleggaun, and again Clohernagh; around the glen of the River Ow in the south are Corrigasleggaun and Slievemaan; and finally, around the larger Glen of Imaal in the west are Ballineddan Mountain, Slievemaan, Camenabologue, Table Mountain, Lobawn, and Sugarloaf.[10][6]

Lugnaquilla is the highest mountain of the Wicklow Mountains range, and the highest mountain in Ireland outside County Kerry.[6] Lugnaquila's large prominence qualifies it to meet the P600 classification (mountains known as the "Majors" in Britain and Ireland), and the Britain and Ireland Marilyn classification.[14] Lugnaquilla is the 4th-highest mountain in the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains.[15][6]

It is the 432nd–highest mountain, and 21st most prominent mountain, in Britain and Ireland, on the Simms classification.[14] Lugnaquilla is regarded by the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") as one of 34 Furths, which is a mountain above 3,000 ft (914 m) in elevation, and meets the other SMC criteria for a Munro (e.g. "sufficient separation"), but which is outside of (or furth) Scotland;[16] which is why Lugnaquilla is referred to as one of the 13 Irish Munros.[17][18]

Hill walking

Looking into the "north prison" of Lug from Camarahill in the Glen of Imaal.

The shortest route to the summit of Lugnaquilla is the 13-kilometre 4–5 hour Glen of Imaal Route (the "Tourist Route"), that starts at Fenton's Pub in the Glen of Imaal, and goes along the military access road via a grassy hill to Camarahill (S998924) 480 metres (1,570 ft), and then up to the summit of Lugnaquilla.[9] The route crosses into the military artillery range, so walkers should check the range operating times in advance.[19][10]

Arts Lough below the summit of Lug, looking across the Fraughan Rock Glen

The 15–kilometre 5–6 hour Glenmalure Loop is described as "the most scenic circuit to Lugnaquilla".[9][20] It starts in the Baravore car park (T066942) at the head of Glenmalure and summits Lugnaquilla via the cliff–fringed hanging valley, Fraughan Rock Glen (the Glen is entered via the path at the Glenmalure Hostel); but returning via Cloghernagh 800 metres (2,600 ft), and down to the scenic Arts Lough 511 metres (1,677 ft), described as "one of the region's most beautiful sights", before descending back to the start of the Fraughan Rock Glen (or descending via Kelly's Lough and the glen of the Carrawaystick River).[9][20]

Summit of Lugnaquilla from the Fraughan Rock Glen path

The third, and least frequented route is the 16–kilometre 6-hour Aghavannagh Route, which starts at the Aghavannagh Bridge (T056861) and walks the long forest tracks along the River Ow to the dramatic "South Prison" of Lugnaquilla, which is exited via the grassy–ramp of Green Street; return via same route. The 12–kilometres of forest trails (getting to the south prison, and then on the return to the bridge) can be cycled instead.[9]

Bibliography

  • Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892019.
  • Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892118.
  • MountainViews Online Database (Simon Stewart) (2013). A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins. Collins Books. ISBN 978-1-84889-164-7.
  • Dillion, Paddy (2005). Irish Coast to Coast : Dublin to Bray Head. Cicerone Press. ISBN 978-1852844332.
  • Dillion, Paddy (1993). The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits. Cicerone Press. ISBN 978-1852841102.

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Lugnaquilla.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "MountainViews: Lugnaquilla". Archived from the original on 24 August 2021. Retrieved 24 December 2018.
  2. ↑ "Peakbagger". Archived from the original on 10 June 2011. Retrieved 1 August 2010.
  3. ↑ Ordnance Survey Ireland :: Mapping :: Aerial photography Archived 2007-09-28 at the Wayback Machine
  4. ↑ Lugnaquilla Archived 27 May 2012 at the Wayback Machine. Placenames Database of Ireland.
  5. 1 2 3 4 Paul Tempan (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). MountainViews.ie. Archived (PDF) from the original on 31 October 2020. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  6. 1 2 3 4 Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, ISBN 978-1-84889-164-7
  7. ↑ Simon Stewart (October 2018). "Arderins: Irish mountains of 500+m with a prominence of 30m". MountainViews Online Database. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  8. ↑ Simon Stewart (October 2018). "Vandeleur-Lynams: Irish mountains of 600+m with a prominence of 15m". MountainViews Online Database. Archived from the original on 3 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  9. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892019.
  10. 1 2 3 4 Dillon, Paddy (2001) [1993]. The Mountains of Ireland. Milnthorpe: Cicerone Press. pp. 47–48. ISBN 1-85284-110-9. Archived from the original on 4 July 2014. Retrieved 16 October 2016.
  11. 1 2 3 4 "Lugnaquilla" (PDF). Geological Survey of Ireland. 1 January 2014. Archived (PDF) from the original on 29 November 2017. Retrieved 28 October 2018.
  12. ↑ Derek Evans (11 December 2006). "Bridging the Slaney from source to sea". Irish Times. Archived from the original on 27 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. The Slaney begins at Lugnaquilla in Co Wicklow and 13 bridges later flows through Co Carlow from where it commences a leisurely journey through the rich farmlands of Co Wexford.
  13. ↑ Dillion, Paddy (2005). Irish Coast to Coast : Dublin to Bray Head. Cicerone Press. ISBN 978-1852844332.
  14. 1 2 Chris Cocker; Graham Jackson (2018). "The Database of British and Irish Hills". Database of British and Irish Hills. Archived from the original on 5 August 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  15. ↑ "Irish Highest 100: The highest 100 Irish mountains with a prominence of +100m". MountainViews Online Database. September 2018. Archived from the original on 2 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  16. ↑ Mountains – Key Facts. The Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds & Furths Archived 2012-08-22 at the Wayback Machine at www.smc.org.uk. Accessed on 5 Feb 2013.
  17. ↑ "Hill Lists: Furths". Scottish Mountaineering Club. Archived from the original on 5 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. The list of peaks of 3000ft or more within the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland outside (furth) of Scotland. There are currently 34 Furths.
  18. ↑ "Ireland's Munros". Ireland's Own. 26 June 2018. Archived from the original on 10 October 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018.
  19. ↑ "Hiking Lugnaquilla: Everything You Need to Know". Outside.ie. 2018. Archived from the original on 3 June 2018. Retrieved 27 October 2018. Another quite popular and slightly easier approach to the mountain is from the Glen of Imaal, starting near Fenton's Pub (Approx 11/12km return). This is the shortest route. You walk up along the military access road via a grassy hill to Camara Hill, but again be careful of the artillery range as this route goes straight through it.
  20. 1 2 Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892118. Route 65: Lugnaquilla
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