Ben Bulben

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Ben Bulben

Ben Bulben's northern side on a cloudy day.
Elevation 1,726 feet (526 m)
Location Sligo, Flag of Ireland Ireland
Range Dartry Mountains
Coordinates 54°22′N 8°28′W / 54.367, -8.467
Topo map OSi Discovery 16
OSI/OSNI grid reference G692463
Listing Marilyn

Ben Bulben (alternatively spelt Benbulben or Benbulbin) (Irish: Binn Ghulbain [GE]) is a large rock formation in Ireland. It is a Ben (the Irish name for a large, glacier-carved rock). It is in the part of Ireland known as Yeats Country, though it is officially in the Irish county of Sligo.[1][2]

Contents

[edit] Etymology

"Ben Bulben", "Benbulben", and "Benbulbin" are all anglicizations of the Irish name "Binn Ghulbain". "Binn" is the word most often used for "peak" or "mountain", while "Ghulbain" means either "Gulban(’s)" or "jaw-shaped". The two most common translations are "Gulban’s peak" and "jaw-shaped peak."

[edit] Geology

[edit] Formation

A snow-capped view of Ben Bulben, seen from Streedagh Strand, near Grange.
A snow-capped view of Ben Bulben, seen from Streedagh Strand, near Grange.

Ben Bulben was formed during the Ice age, when large parts of the Earth were under glaciers. It was originally merely a large ridge, however the moving glaciers cut into the earth, leaving a distinct formation, now called Ben Bulben.[2][3]

[edit] Rock composition

The steeper sides of Ben Bulben are composed of large amounts of Dartry limestone on top of smaller amounts of Glencar limestone. The smoother sides are composed of Ben Bulben shale. These rocks formed in the area approximately 320 million years ago.[2]

Ben Bulben, viewed from The Hill in Sligo Town
Ben Bulben, viewed from The Hill in Sligo Town

[edit] Climbing

If climbed by the north face, it is a dangerous climb. That side bears the brunt of the high winds and storms that come in from the Atlantic Ocean. However, if climbed by the south side, it is an easy climb, due to the fact that side slopes very gently. Upon reaching the summit, the climber is rewarded with a magnificent view of Yeats Country.[2]

[edit] Flora and fauna

Ben Bulben hosts a unique variety of plants, possessing some organisms found nowhere else in Ireland. Many are arctic-alpine plants, due to the mountain's height, which allows for cooler temperatures than is normal.[2] These plants were deposited when the glaciers that created Ben Bulben melted. Insects, wild hares,[2] and foxes[2] inhabit Ben Bulben.

[edit] In Irish history

Another view of Ben Bulben's northern side, this time from a farther distance.
Another view of Ben Bulben's northern side, this time from a farther distance.

[edit] Celtic legends

Ben Bulben is the setting of many Celtic legends. It is said to be the dwelling of the Fianna, a band of warriors who lived in the third century. One example is a story in which the warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Diarmund) is tricked by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) into fighting an enchanted boar, which later kills the warrior by piercing his heart with its tusk. The mountain is said to be Diarmuid and Grainne's resting places. Also, in the 6th century, St. Columba led 3,000 soldiers up Ben Bulben to fight for the right for the saint to copy from a Psalter he had borrowed from St. Finnian.[4]

[edit] Irish Civil War

In September 1922, during the Irish Civil War, an Irish Republican Army column, including an armoured car were cornered in Sligo. The car was destroyed by another armoured car belonging to the Irish Free State's National Army , and six of the IRA soldiers fled up the Ben Bulben's slopes. In the end, all were killed, allegedly after they had surrendered. They are known as the "Noble Six".

Ben Bulben's eastern side.

Another photograph of the eastern side.

As seen from the south.

Bun Bulben, with Sligo Bay in the foreground.

Another eastern view.

An interesting picture of the side of Ben Bulben.

The summit of Ben Bulben.

A snowy Ben Bulben, seen from Sligo Bay.

Ben Bulben as seen from a Sligo golf course.

Ben Bulben, viewed from south on National 4.

[edit] Under Ben Bulben

Main article: Under Ben Bulben

The famous poem, Under Ben Bulben, (written by W. B. Yeats, after whom Yeats Country is named), is basically a description of Yeats Country. It describes the sights that he saw in Yeats Country. The following is an excerpt from Under Ben Bulben:

“ Under bare Ben Bulben's head

In Drumcliff churchyard Yeats is laid.
An ancestor was rector there
Long years ago, a church stands near,
By the road an ancient cross.
No marble, no conventional phrase;
On limestone quarried near the spot
By his command these words are cut:

Cast a cold eye
On life, on death.
Horseman, pass by!

 ”

—Under Ben Bulben, W.B. Yeats

[edit] References

  1. ^ Mountain Views: Benbulbin in area Dartry Mountains. Retrieved on 2007-04-04.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g (1988) Reader's Digest Natural Wonders of the World. The Reader's Digest Association, Inc.. ISBN 0-8957-7087-3. 
  3. ^ RootsWeb: IRL-SLIGO-L Climbing Benbulben. Retrieved on 2007-04-10.
  4. ^ Bright, Michael (2005). 1001 Natural Wonders You Must See Before You Die. Quintet Publishing Limited. ISBN 0-7641-5817-1. 

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to:

[edit] External links

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