Kilmashogue
Encyclopedia
Kilmashogue is a mountain in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown is a county in Ireland. It is one of three smaller counties into which County Dublin was divided in 1994. Located to the south-east of Dublin city, its county seat is the town of Dún Laoghaire. It is one of the four constituent parts of the Dublin Region...

 County in 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,...

. It is 408 metres (1,338.6 ft) high and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock
Two Rock
Two Rock is a mountain in Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown, Ireland. It is high and is the 382nd highest mountain in Ireland. It is the highest point of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The mountain takes its name from the...

, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden
Tibradden Mountain
Tibradden Mountain is a mountain in County Dublin in Ireland. Other names for the mountain include "Garrycastle" and "Kilmainham Begg" . It is high and is the 561st highest mountain in Ireland...

 Mountains. The forest plantation on its northern slope, which is composed mainly of Sitka spruce
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...

, Scots pine
Scots Pine
Pinus sylvestris, commonly known as the Scots Pine, is a species of pine native to Europe and Asia, ranging from Scotland, Ireland and Portugal in the west, east to eastern Siberia, south to the Caucasus Mountains, and as far north as well inside the Arctic Circle in Scandinavia...

 and beech
Beech
Beech is a genus of ten species of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia and North America.-Habit:...

, is a habitat for Sika deer
Sika Deer
The Sika Deer, Cervus nippon, also known as the Spotted Deer or the Japanese Deer, is a species of deer native to much of East Asia and introduced to various other parts of the world...

, hare
Hare
Hares and jackrabbits are leporids belonging to the genus Lepus. Hares less than one year old are called leverets. Four species commonly known as types of hare are classified outside of Lepus: the hispid hare , and three species known as red rock hares .Hares are very fast-moving...

s, rabbit
Rabbit
Rabbits are small mammals in the family Leporidae of the order Lagomorpha, found in several parts of the world...

s and fox
Fox
Fox is a common name for many species of omnivorous mammals belonging to the Canidae family. Foxes are small to medium-sized canids , characterized by possessing a long narrow snout, and a bushy tail .Members of about 37 species are referred to as foxes, of which only 12 species actually belong to...

es. A number of prehistoric monuments can be found on the slopes of the mountain.

The Placenames Branch of the Department of Community, Equality and Gaeltacht Affairs gives the origin of the name Kilmashogue as meaning “Church of Saint Mochióg”. In the nineteenth century, the antiquarian
Antiquarian
An antiquarian or antiquary is an aficionado or student of antiquities or things of the past. More specifically, the term is used for those who study history with particular attention to ancient objects of art or science, archaeological and historic sites, or historic archives and manuscripts...

 Patrick Weston Joyce
Patrick Weston Joyce
Patrick Weston Joyce was an Irish historian, writer and music collector, known particularly for his research in local place names of Ireland.-Biography:...

 reported that he had found the remains of a small church, consisting of just a few walls, on the northern side of the mountain. Subsequent attempts to locate this site have been unsuccessful. In the chapel of nearby St Columba's college is an early Christian cross which was found on the mountain and is believed to have come from the church reported by Joyce. However, Coillte, the state-owned enterprise that manages the forestry on the mountain's slopes, suggest that the name Kilmashogue is a corruption of , which means “wood of the ash”, or , which means “wood of the lark”.

History

It was once believed that Kilmashogue was the site of a battle between the Irish and the Vikings, described in the Annals of the Four Masters
Annals of the Four Masters
The Annals of the Kingdom of Ireland or the Annals of the Four Masters are a chronicle of medieval Irish history...

, that took place in AD 917. Subsequent research has shown that this event took place near the River Liffey
River Liffey
The Liffey is a river in Ireland, which flows through the centre of Dublin. Its major tributaries include the River Dodder, the River Poddle and the River Camac. The river supplies much of Dublin's water, and a range of recreational opportunities.-Name:The river was previously named An Ruirthech,...

.

Kilmashogue wedge tomb

On the northern slopes, close to the forest recreation area car park, is the remains of a wedge tomb. It was excavated in 1953 by H. E. Kilbride-Jones, aided by Rúaidhrí de Valera
Rúaidhri De Valera
Rúaidhrí de Valera was an Irish archaeologist most known for his work on the megalithic tombs of his country.-Early studies:...

 and Seán Ó Nualláin, of the Royal Irish Academy
Royal Irish Academy
The Royal Irish Academy , based in Dublin, is an all-Ireland, independent, academic body that promotes study and excellence in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is one of Ireland's premier learned societies and cultural institutions and currently has around 420 Members, elected in...

. The tomb consists of two chambers which were originally covered by a cairn of stones. Some of this material can be seen scattered around the tomb area. However, many of the stones were used as material for the stone walls built nearby. The main chamber is 4 metres (13.1 ft) long and 1.5 metres (4.9 ft) wide and is formed by a triple-walled gallery. This triple-walling is an unusual feature; most wedge tombs are double-walled. It faces towards the summit of Montpelier Hill where there once stood a passage tomb. At some point during the Bronze Age
Bronze Age
The Bronze Age is a period characterized by the use of copper and its alloy bronze as the chief hard materials in the manufacture of some implements and weapons. Chronologically, it stands between the Stone Age and Iron Age...

, parts of the chamber were dismantled and used for the construction of three stone-lined cist
Cist
A cist from ) is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East....

s which were inserted into the cairn material. One cist has had its capstone moved aside so that its chamber is visible. Two middle Bronze Age food vessels and a late Bronze Age cinerary urn were found in the cists during the excavation.

Calbeck's Castle

Between Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains lies Kelly's Glen. A spa
Spa
The term spa is associated with water treatment which is also known as balneotherapy. Spa towns or spa resorts typically offer various health treatments. The belief in the curative powers of mineral waters goes back to prehistoric times. Such practices have been popular worldwide, but are...

 was discovered here around 1748 but its distance from the city and the difficulty in getting to it meant it never became popular. On the south-eastern slopes of Kilmashogue, in the saddle between Two Rock Mountain, is a ruin known as Calbeck's Castle. Despite its name, it is a small dwelling house built to accommodate visitors to the spa. Built around 1800, it had fallen into ruin as early as 1821. The lands around this area were owned by a Councillor Charles Calbeck, a landowner who made considerable investments in his lands, planting trees, building roads and bridges and improving drainage. The two bridges built by Calbeck have inscriptions dedicated to his sister Sophannie.

Larch Hill

Also in Kelly's Glen is the estate of Larch Hill
Larch Hill
Larch Hill is the national campsite, and administrative and training headquarters of Scouting Ireland. It was previously owned by Scouting Ireland .-Overview:...

. This was built at the end of the eighteenth century by Councillor Calbeck. It is reputed to be the first place in Ireland that the British larch
Larch
Larches are conifers in the genus Larix, in the family Pinaceae. Growing from 15 to 50m tall, they are native to much of the cooler temperate northern hemisphere, on lowlands in the north and high on mountains further south...

 tree was planted. It was taken over in 1939 by the Catholic Boy Scouts of Ireland
Scouting Ireland (CSI)
Scouting Ireland was a WOSM affiliated National Scout Organisation in both the Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland from 1927 to December 31, 2003. It has since merged with Scouting Ireland S.A.I. to form Scouting Ireland...

 and has since been used by them as a camp and training centre. In one of the fields is a portal tomb. The supporting stones on one side have fallen inwards causing the monument to collapse. Only one portal stone, 3.5 metres (11.5 ft) tall, remains standing. Around the monument, almost completely buried, is a series of large boulders that probably formed a ring of standing stones.

Standing stones

On the northwestern slopes, in a field near the village of Rockbrook, are two standing stone
Standing stone
Standing stones, orthostats, liths, or more commonly megaliths are solitary stones set vertically in the ground and come in many different varieties....

s, square in section and approximately 1.8 metres (5.9 ft) tall. Another standing stone, 1.4 metres (4.6 ft) tall, lies nearby.

The Brehon's Chair

Further down the northern slopes, lying in a housing estate near Marlay Park
Marlay Park
Marlay Park is a suburban public park located in Rathfarnham in the administrative area of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in Co. Dublin, Ireland. Lying about nine kilometres from Dublin city centre. The parkland comprises woodlands, ponds and walks...

, is another portal tomb, known as the “Brehon's Chair”. All that remains are three large stones, originally the door stone and portal stones of the monument, one of which is 3 metres (9.8 ft) tall. The name Brehon's Chair was given to the monument in the late eighteenth or early nineteenth century when all such monuments were being ascribed to the Druid
Druid
A druid was a member of the priestly class in Britain, Ireland, and Gaul, and possibly other parts of Celtic western Europe, during the Iron Age....

s. Excavations carried out in the area during the construction of the M50
M50 motorway (Ireland)
The M50 motorway is a motorway in Ireland running in a C-shaped ring around the north-eastern, northern, western and southern sides of the capital city, Dublin. The northern end of the route is located at the entrance to the Dublin Port Tunnel. Anti-clockwise it heads northwest through the tunnel...

 motorway revealed cooking areas and hut sites as well as a food vessel inserted as a secondary burial. Located nearby was a similar monument which was destroyed in 1876.

St Columba's College

On Kilmashogue Lane is St Columba's College, a Protestant boarding school
Boarding school
A boarding school is a school where some or all pupils study and live during the school year with their fellow students and possibly teachers and/or administrators. The word 'boarding' is used in the sense of "bed and board," i.e., lodging and meals...

 for boys. It was originally known as Hollypark and was built near the end of the eighteenth century by Gerald Foot, a wealthy snuff
Snuff
Snuff is a product made from ground or pulverised tobacco leaves. It is an example of smokeless tobacco. It originated in the Americas and was in common use in Europe by the 17th century...

 merchant. The school, which was originally founded in 1843 at Stackallen House, County Meath
County Meath
County Meath is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the ancient Kingdom of Mide . Meath County Council is the local authority for the county...

, moved there in 1849. In the chapel is an early Christian cross found on the mountain near the college. In his A History of the County of Dublin (1905), Francis Erlington Ball states that the barrier of The Pale
The Pale
The Pale or the English Pale , was the part of Ireland that was directly under the control of the English government in the late Middle Ages. It had reduced by the late 15th century to an area along the east coast stretching from Dalkey, south of Dublin, to the garrison town of Dundalk...

 ran along the northern slopes of Kilmashogue near the college and that the remains of a castle, held by the Harold clan who owned the lands for many years, could be found nearby. Opposite the college is the ruins of a woollen mill which was operated by Thomas Thorncliff until 1880.

Access and recreation

The summit is on privately-owned land. There is a Coillte-owned forest recreation area on the northern slopes, along Kilmashogue Lane, which is managed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership. The Wicklow Way
Wicklow Way
The Wicklow Way is a long-distance trail that crosses the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland. It runs from Marlay Park in the southern suburbs of Dublin through County Wicklow and ends in the village of Clonegal in County Carlow. It is designated as a National Waymarked Trail by the Irish Sports...

 passes through this recreation area. It is also possible to access Three Rock and Tibradden Mountains from the recreation area. The wedge tomb can be reached via a trail leading uphill from the recreation area car park. The portal tomb at Larch Hill and the Brehon's Chair are on privately-owned land.

Images

External links

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