Mount Brandon
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| Mount Brandon – Sliabh Bhreandáin | |
|---|---|
| Elevation | 953 m (3127 ft) |
| Location | Dingle Peninsula, Kerry, Ireland |
| Range | Sliabh Mish |
| Prominence | 930 m |
| Topo map | OSi Discovery ?? |
| OSI/OSNI grid reference | Q460116 |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hewitt |
| Translation | The mountain of Brendan (Irish) |
Mount Brandon or the Brandon Mountain (Irish: Sliabh Bhreandáin) is a mountain on the Dingle Peninsula, in Co. Kerry, in the west of Ireland. The hill takes its name from Saint Brendan "The Navigator", who legend suggests climbed to the summit around AD 530 to see The Americas, before setting sail. The small village of Brandon lies at the foot of the mountain.
It is part of the Sliabh Mish range of mountains, which were formed 300 million years ago, and forming an impressive high ridge which extends for 10 km (6 miles) across the peninsula and taking in the other peaks of An Géarán (Brandon Peak) - 803 m - Piaras Mór - 748 m - and Más an Tiompán - 763 m.
Mount Brandon owes its craggy shape thanks to the work of local glaciers during the Ice age, which gouged out a series of corries (cooms) on the eastern flank of the mountain. Running in a line almost all the way to the summit are the Pater Noster Lakes, a series of rock steps each of which are occupied by a lake, the largest being Loch Cruite. The summit of Mount Brandon itself is rounded and smooth due to the fact that it was never covered by ice, and presents a stark contrast to the conical top of Brandon Peak, which is almost Alpine in appearance.
The Western slope of Mount Brandon presents a huge contrast from its eastern side, facing into the sun, it largely escaped the gouging effect of the glaciers, with the result that it presents an almost unbroken grassy slope.
See also: List of mountains in Ireland
