Muckross Head
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Muckross Head is a small peninsula about 10km west of Killybegs, Co. Donegal, in north-western Ireland. It contains a popular rock-climbing area, noted for its unusual horizontally-layered structure.
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[edit] Overview
It has two beaches. One is popular with surfers. That beach (thraw lower ie tra na nglor in gaelic or beach of the noise) has a rip tide, coming in at both sides and sucking out in the middle but is not particularly dangerous. The other beach (thraw bawn or tra ban meaning white beach in gaelic) some hundreds of yards away is a popular family beach which is safe for swimming but has had a potentially dangerous rock fall a year ago which could be repeated some time. That beach also has a public car park and toilets in summer.
The area is referred to in the survey done in 1732 of the Murray-Hamilton estate of which it was a small part ( see public records office Belfast). The survey referred to a house "on the point" occupied by a Mr Murray (probably the principal tenant who would have had many peasent subtenants not referred to in the survey) but there are no traces today of the house.
The Head has a public monument on its extreme tip. The plaque warning against interference has rusted away leaving an ugly concrete base. The monument consists of a neolithic wall which ran across the headland and was possibly defensive in character but little of it is left as its stones were useful in building farmhouses and outhouses on the headland. The monument is known locally as The Market Place. The origin of the name is not known.
The headland has a rich fauna and also a small area of exposed limestone - karst. In some places along the headland there are deposits of fossils mainly of seaweeds and shell fish. There is a small poorly surfaced carpark at the extreme point of the headland where cars can turn. There is a Bed and Breakfast guest house (Ocean Spray) on the headland. Locally hand knit woolen sweaters can be purchased from Cathleen Meehan, close to the family beach.
The headland is at the base of a 800ft ( c) hill known locally as Cro Muckross or Muckross hill. It is a relatively easy climb for a fit adult - if very fit allow 20 minutes from base to summit as your target. If not competitive and fit, allow a lot more. One of the best views of Slieve League (highest sea cliff in Europe, over 1,800 ft (550 m) high) can be obtained from the head which faces across the sea from the mountain.
In Gaelic , Muckross translates as Mucros. The nearest village is Kilcar, which is approx 3 km to the west.
The island of Inisduff (Gaelic - Black Island)is situated about 3 miles (4.8 km) south east of Muckross Head, in donegal bay. It is a small uninhabitated island and featureless but a prominents sight from the coast road between Killybegs and Kilcar.
[edit] Climbing
The Muckross crag is small and remote from major population centres, but it is quite popular because of the unusual climbing encountered there. It is a sea-cliff, situated above a partly-tidal rock platform, and access is quite convenient.
The rock consists of horizontally-layered sandstone with intervening thin layers of mudstone which have been eroded away to produce horizontal breaks and overhangs. The climbs are all single-pitch, between 10 m and 20 m in height. The overhanging nature of much of the rock makes climbing there quite strenuous, and yields some spectacular roof-climbing.
The current guidebook, published in 2002, lists about 50 climbs at Muckross, ranging in grade up to E6/6b. Climbing of all grades is available, but the higher grades predominate. In accordance with Irish climbing ethics, only traditional protection ("clean climbing") is used, medium-to-big cams being very useful.
[edit] References
- Alan Tees (editor), Rock Climbs in Donegal (Mountaineering Council of Ireland, 2002) ISBN 0-902940-17-1 [1]
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- Irish Climbing On-line - Muckross Head section
- Muckross Head Guidebook
- Google Maps - satellite photo of Muckross Head
