Benbulbin

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

Benbulbin,^[1][2] sometimes spelled Ben Bulben or Benbulben (from the Irish: Binn Ghulbain), is a large rock formation in County Sligo, Ireland. It is part of the Dartry Mountains, in an area sometimes called "Yeats Country".^[3][4][5]

Benbulbin is a protected site, designated as a County Geological Site by Sligo County Council.^[6][7]

Etymology

"Ben Bulben", "Benbulben", and "Benbulbin" are all anglicisations of the Irish name "Binn Ghulbain". "Binn" means "peak" or "mountain", while "Ghulbain" refers to Conall Gulban, a son of Niall of the Nine Hostages: "Gulban's Peak".^[8][3] Another translation is "jaw-shaped peak".^[3]

Geology

Formation

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

Benbulbin was formed during the ice age, when Ireland was under glaciers. Originally it was a large ridge. The moving glaciers shaped it into its present distinct formation. ^[4][9]

Rock composition

Benbulbin, and the Dartry Range, is composed of limestones on top of mudstones. These rocks formed in the area approximately 320 million years ago. Uppermost in the limestone layer is a thicker, harder limestone called the Dartry Limestone Formation. Below this is a thinner transitional limestone formation – the Glencar Limestone Formation. Further down, the lower slopes consist of shaly mudstone known as the Benbulben Shale Formation. Scree deposits are found near the base.^[6][4]

Fossils exist throughout the layers of the mountains. All layers have many fossilised sea shells. The shale layer also holds some corals.^[6]

Barytes was mined at Glencarbury near Benbulbin in the Dartry range between 1894 and 1979.^[6]

Benbulbin, viewed from The Hill in Sligo Town

Climbing

Benbulbin is an established climbing destination.^[10][11][12] 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, since that side slopes very gently. Upon reaching the summit, the climber is rewarded with a magnificent view of Yeats Country.^[4] The land adjacent to the impressive western edge of the ridge is privately owned farmland and not accessible to the general public. However, there is a paved path up the south face to the east near Glencar Waterfall just over the County Leitrim border.

Flora and fauna

Benbulbin hosts a unique variety of plants, including 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. These plants were deposited when the glaciers that created Benbulbin melted. Wild hares and foxes inhabit Benbulbin.^[4]

In 2012, research revealed that the Fringed Sandwort had survived the Ice Age and is perhaps 100,000 years old. In Ireland the plant is unique to Benbulbin. The discovery calls into question the prior consensus that Ireland's flora and fauna date from or after the end of the Ice Age.^[13]

In Irish history

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

Celtic legends

Benbulbin 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 3rd century. One example is a story in which the warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Diarmuid) 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 Gráinne's resting place. Also, in the 6th century, St. Columba led 3,000 soldiers up Benbulbin to fight for the right for the saint to copy from a Psalter he had borrowed from St. Finnian.^[14]

Irish Civil War

On 20 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 Benbulbin's slopes. In the end, all were killed, allegedly after they had surrendered. They are known as the "Noble Six".^{[citation needed]}

Brigadier Seamus Devins TD, Div. Adj. Brian MacNeill, Capt. Harry Benson, Lieut. Paddy Carroll, Vols. Tommy Langan and Joe Banks were those killed on the mountain.^[15] The six anti-treaty fighters were hunted down on the slopes of Benbulbin and put to death by Free State forces which were out to avenge the killing of Brigadier Joseph Ring eight days earlier. Two of those killed and Ring were ancestors of current and recent politicians: Ring is the grand uncle of Michael Ring, McNeill is the uncle of former Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform Michael McDowell and Devins is the grandfather of Jimmy Devins.^[16] Mary O'Rourke once narrated a radio documentary telling how her grandmother's home was used as a safehouse.^[16]

• 

  Benbulbin's northern side.

• 

  Another photograph of the northern side.

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  As seen from the south.

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  Benbulbin, with Sligo Bay in the foreground.

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  An eastern view.

• 

  A section of the north face of Benbulbin.

• 

  The summit of Benbulbin.

• 

  A snowy Benbulbin, seen from Streedagh Strand.

• 

  Taken on the N15, north of Sligo town, near the townland of Shannoneighter.

Plane crashes

During World War II there were two plane crashes in the Dartry mountains close to Benbulbin.

On 9 December 1943, a USAAF Boeing B-17G Flying Fortress plane (en route from Goose Bay, Labrador to Prestwick, Scotland) crashed on Truskmore just east of Benbulbin. 10 airmen were aboard, of whom three died, two at the scene and one from injuries sustained in the crash.^[17] Local residents undertook a rescue mission, taking the injured off the mountain where they were then transferred to Sligo County Hospital. Substantial wreckage of the plane stayed on the mountain for many years following the crash and today limited amounts of aircraft fragments still remain at the site.^[18]

Near the location of the Flying Fortress crash, there was an earlier crash also involving a military aircraft. On 21 March 1941, an RAF Catalina flying boat (AM265) using the Donegal Corridor crashed into the mountain at Glenade, Co. Leitrim on the east side of Truskmore. All nine airmen aboard died in the crash.^[19][18]

Recent history

In the 1970s and 1980s, Sinn Féin had engaged in a slogan campaign around the theme 'Brits out of Ireland'. Roads and walls throughout Ireland had been marked with these slogans as was Benbulbin in 1977. It was marked first with 'Brits Out' (180 ft wide and 25 ft high) and then later with the slogan 'H-Block'.^{[citation needed]}

Benbulbin overlooks the village of Mullaghmore, the site of the assassination of Lord Mountbatten in 1979.^[20][21]

Notable people

The athlete Mary Cullen is from nearby Drumcliffe.^[22] Andy "The Bull" McSharry, involved in a famous 17-year-long dispute over his land, lives near Benbulbin.^[23]

In literature

Benbulbin features prominently in the poetry of W. B. Yeats, after whom Yeats Country is named. County Sligo is considered integral to the poet's work.^[24] The mountain is one of the destinations on the Passport Trail of the poet's life.^[24]

Yeats wrote the following in The Celtic Twilight:

Yeats's famous poem, Under Ben Bulben, 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:

This was Yeats's final poem, published in The Irish Times.^[26] He is now buried in nearby Drumcliffe Churchyard.^[26][27]

See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Benbulbin.

• List of mountains in Ireland
• Wiktionary definition of a ben

References

External links

• Benbulbin statistics
• Tourist information
• Climbing Benbulben
• An image of Benbulbin with a small caption
• Information, pictures and a panorama of Benbulbin
• Hiking the Benbulben and the old coal mine
• Sinn Féin Anti British Slogans 1977

Yeats

• An essay on the Benbulbin in Yeats' poetry
• A second site detailing Benbulbin in Yeats' poetry
• Reading of "Under Ben Bulben" by Jim Norton on RTÉ Radio 1

v t e Mountains and hills of Connacht List of mountains in Ireland Achill Island Croaghaun Slievemore Dartry Mountains Benbulbin Truskmore Maumturks Letterbreckaun Barrslievenaroy Binn Chaonaigh Binn Mhór Corcogemore Lackavrea Nephin Range Nephin Nephin Beg Slieve Carr Birreencorragh Ox Mountains Knockalongy Partry Mountains Devilsmother Maumtrasna Sheeffry Range Barrclashcame Twelve Bens Benbaun Bencorr Errisbeg Others Ben Gorm Croagh Patrick Knockmore Knocknarea Mweelrea Seltannasaggart