Paps of Anu
Encyclopedia
The Paps of Anu are twin hills located near Killarney
, close to the border between County Cork
and County Kerry
.
These breast-shaped hills are said to have been named after the ancient goddess Anann
or Anu. On the top of each of these hills stands a tall cairn
. With a height of 4 m (13 ft), the cairn on the eastern peak is the highest.
Killarney
Killarney is a town in County Kerry, southwestern Ireland. The town is located north of the MacGillicuddy Reeks, on the northeastern shore of the Lough Lein/Leane which are part of Killarney National Park. The town and its surrounding region are home to St...
, close to the border between County Cork
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and 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...
.
These breast-shaped hills are said to have been named after the ancient goddess Anann
Anann
In Irish mythology, Anann was a goddess. 'Anann' is identified as the personal name of the Morrígan in many MSS of Lebor Gabála Érenn. With Badb and Macha, she is sometimes part of a triple goddess or a triad of war goddesses. As such, she may be a Celtic personification of death, and is depicted...
or Anu. On the top of each of these hills stands a tall cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
. With a height of 4 m (13 ft), the cairn on the eastern peak is the highest.