Slemish

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Slemish - Sliabh Mis
Elevation	437 m
Location	Antrim, Northern Ireland
Range	Antrim Mountains
Prominence	150 m
Type	Volcanic plug
OSI/OSNI grid reference	D221054
Listing	Marilyn

Slemish (Irish, Sliabh Mis) is the remains of the plug of an extinct volcano near Ballymena, County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Its distinctive appearance—its upper reaches are very steep and rugged, in contrast to the tidy fields on its lower westward-facing slopes and the relatively flat bogland to the east—causes it to dominate the landscape for miles in all directions.

[edit] History

Tradition holds that Saint Patrick, enslaved as a youth, was brought to this area and tended herds on Slemish, and that during this time he found God. (However, another theory contends that he spent this period in the west of Ireland.)

Slemish is within an Environmentally Sensitive Area (ESA) and, therefore, helps to protect and manage the fragile animal and plant communities that inhabit its slopes. An ideal location for bird spotters, large black ravens, buzzards, wheatears and meadow pipits can be seen on quite a regular basis.

As a volcanic plug, the mountain has a strong geological interest.

In later times, it was the site of a United Irish camp during the 1798 rebellion in County Antrim.

[edit] External links

• Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.