Carrauntoohil
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| Carrauntoohil Corrán Tuathail |
|
|---|---|
 Carrauntoohil (centre) looking south along the Hag's Glen |
|
| Elevation | 1,038 m (3,406 ft) |
| Location | Kerry,  Republic of Ireland |
| Range | Macgillycuddy's Reeks |
| Prominence | 1,038 m Ranked 3rd in British Isles |
| Parent peak | none - HP Ireland |
| Coordinates | |
| Topo map | OSi Discovery 78 |
| OSI/OSNI grid reference | V803844 |
| Listing | Marilyn, Hewitt |
| Translation | Tuathal's sickle (Irish) |
Carrauntoohil (pronounced /ˌkærənˈtuːl/; Irish: Corrán Tuathail, meaning Tuathal's sickle), also spelt Carrantuohill and in various other ways, is a mountain located in County Kerry, Ireland, and is the highest peak in Ireland. It is 1,038 m[1] (3,406 feet) tall and is the central peak of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks range. There are two other peaks in this range above 1,000 m (Beenkeragh, 1,010 m; and Caher, 1,001 m) and four others on the island over 3,000 feet, in the Dingle Peninsula (Mount Brandon), south Tipperary (Galtymore) and County Wicklow (Lugnaquilla). A large metal cross 5 metres (16 ft) tall tops the peak.
The name "Carrauntoohil" derives from the Irish language Corrán Tuathail, meaning "Tuathal's sickle".[2]
The mountain is most often climbed from the north-east, along the Hag's Glen and up the steep Devil's Ladder to the col between Carrauntoohil and Cnoc na Péiste, and then north-west to the summit. The route has become more dangerous in recent years due to loose stones and crowding.[3] No special equipment is needed to climb the mountain, but caution is advised. Alternatively, one can walk the two other 1,000 m peaks in a horseshoe trip, starting from the west. The traverse from highest point to the second highest involves a light scramble. The weather conditions on the mountain are very changeable, and there have been a number of deaths due to many inappropriately dressed tourists attempting the peak each summer.
Although the peak is now only 3406ft, according to Irish legend is was originally higher, but the leprachauns removed one and a half inches from the top, to let the moon go by.
[edit] References
- ^ Highest Mountains in Ireland. Ordnance Survey Ireland. Retrieved on 2007-08-20.
- ^ Carrauntoohil. Mountain Views. Retrieved on 2006-11-03.
- ^ Devil's Ladder Route. Kerry mountain rescue. Retrieved on 2007-01-10.
