Shehy Mountains
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The Shehy Mountains (Cnoic na Síofra in Irish, meaning Hills of the animal hides) are a range of low mountains situated on the border between County Cork and County Kerry, in the Republic of Ireland.
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[edit] Geography and Geology
The highest peak (also the highest mountain in County Cork), Knockboy (Cnoc Buí, "yellow hill"), lies 706 metres above sea level, although most of the other peaks in the range are between 500 and 600 metres high. The River Lee rises in Coomroe, a small valley at the eastern end of the range, before flowing eastwards towards Cork Harbour, where it enters the sea. The peaks mostly consist of Old Red Sandstone laid down in the Devonian era. During the Ice Age, the Shehies took their present form, as glaciers carved out the many deep valleys in the area and also eroded the mountains down to their present height. When the icecaps retreated, they left behind hundreds of lakes in the valleys and on the mountain tops.
[edit] Flora
The Shehy Mountains are mostly covered with peat bogs and coarse grassland, but there are also some small conifer plantations scattered around the area. Plants typically found here include butterworts, sundews, heather, and bilberry, among many others.
[edit] Fauna
The animal species found in the Shehies are mostly the same as those found throughout the lowlands, but some are more often seen in the mountains than elsewhere, including:
- Mammals
- Birds
[edit] History
The area has a very long history of human habitation, going back at least 5000 years. Numerous Neolithic megalithic monuments are found in the foothills and valleys, as well as ringforts, fulachta fia and later antiquities. One of the most historic sites in the Shehy mountains is Gougane Barra in the Coomroe valley, where Saint Finbarr established a hermitage in the 6th century. During the Irish War of Independence, the mountains were an IRA stronghold, and continued to be so for the anti-treaty forces during the Irish Civil War.
