Caherconree
Encyclopedia
Caherconree is a mountain peak
on the Dingle Peninsula
in County Kerry
, Republic of Ireland
. At 835 m (2,740 ft), it is the second-highest peak of the Slieve Mish Mountains
and the 26th highest in Ireland
.
(851 m), to the east, by a narrow ridge. There are two deep glen
s either side of this. North of Caherconree's summit is the long narrow mountain called Gearhane (an Géarán).
that sits two-thirds of the way up its southwestern shoulder, overlooking the mountain road called Bóthar na gCloch ("road of the stones"). The ringfort is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. In Irish mythology
this is the fort of Cú Roí mac Dáire
, who was able to make it spin around at night to stop any attackers from finding the entrance. In the story of Aided Con Roí, a king's daughter called Bláthnat
is kidnapped and taken to the fort by Cú Roí. She is rescued by her lover, Cú Chulainn
. Bláthnat signals to Cú Chulainn that the time is right to attack by pouring milk in a stream. This stream is now called the Finglas (from an Fhionnghlaise meaning "the white stream") and its source is close to the remains of the ringfort.
There is a rock feature on the mountain called Fin MacCool's Chair, which is named after the mythical figure Fionn mac Cumhaill
.
Mountain peak
A mountain peak is the highest part of a mountain; a mountaintop; the summit.Mountain Peak may also refer to:* Blue Mountain Peak, Jamaica* Hole in the Mountain Peak, Nevada, USA...
on the Dingle Peninsula
Dingle Peninsula
The Dingle Peninsula is the northernmost of the major peninsulae in County Kerry. Its ends beyond the town of Dingle at Dunmore Head, the westernmost point of Ireland.-Name:...
in County Kerry
County Kerry
Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...
, Republic of Ireland
Republic of Ireland
Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...
. At 835 m (2,740 ft), it is the second-highest peak of the Slieve Mish Mountains
Slieve Mish Mountains
The Slieve Mish Mountains are a mountain range found in County Kerry in the Ireland. Overlooking Tralee Bay on the northern side and Dingle Bay on the south, they extend for approximately 19 km from east to west...
and the 26th highest in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
.
Geography
Caherconree is linked to BaurtregaumBaurtregaum
Baurtregaum or Bartregaum is a 851 m mountain peak in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. It is the highest of the Slieve Mish Mountains and the 17th highest peak in Ireland....
(851 m), to the east, by a narrow ridge. There are two deep glen
Glen
A glen is a valley, typically one that is long, deep, and often glacially U-shaped; or one with a watercourse running through such a valley. Whittow defines it as a "Scottish term for a deep valley in the Highlands" that is "narrower than a strath."...
s either side of this. North of Caherconree's summit is the long narrow mountain called Gearhane (an Géarán).
Caherconree in myth
Caherconree is named after a stone ringfortRingfort
Ringforts are circular fortified settlements that were mostly built during the Iron Age , although some were built as late as the Early Middle Ages . They are found in Northern Europe, especially in Ireland...
that sits two-thirds of the way up its southwestern shoulder, overlooking the mountain road called Bóthar na gCloch ("road of the stones"). The ringfort is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. In Irish mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
this is the fort of Cú Roí mac Dáire
Cú Roí
Cú Roí mac Dáire is a king of Munster in the Ulster Cycle of Irish mythology. He is usually portrayed as a warrior with superhuman abilities and a master of disguise possessed of magical powers. His name probably means "hound of the plain/field", or more specifically, "hound of the battlefield"...
, who was able to make it spin around at night to stop any attackers from finding the entrance. In the story of Aided Con Roí, a king's daughter called Bláthnat
Blathnát
Bláthnat , sometimes Bláthíne, is a character in early Irish literature, a king's daughter, wife of the warrior Cú Roí and the lover of his rival Cú Chulainn.-Love triangle:...
is kidnapped and taken to the fort by Cú Roí. She is rescued by her lover, Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn
Cú Chulainn or Cúchulainn , and sometimes known in English as Cuhullin , is an Irish mythological hero who appears in the stories of the Ulster Cycle, as well as in Scottish and Manx folklore...
. Bláthnat signals to Cú Chulainn that the time is right to attack by pouring milk in a stream. This stream is now called the Finglas (from an Fhionnghlaise meaning "the white stream") and its source is close to the remains of the ringfort.
There is a rock feature on the mountain called Fin MacCool's Chair, which is named after the mythical figure Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill
Fionn mac Cumhaill , known in English as Finn McCool, was a mythical hunter-warrior of Irish mythology, occurring also in the mythologies of Scotland and the Isle of Man...
.
External links
- Listing at mountainviews.ie
- Non-free photos of Caherconree mountain.
- a photo of the iron age promontory fort at the top of Caherconree.
- Kerry County Council web page with history and mythology. Link broken July 2010. Wayback machine link archive.org link
- CAMP Historical & other Information, An Cam. Oidhreacht agus Gnéithe Eile Suimiúla an Cheantair
- Caherconree in a virtual-reality environment