The Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula are the generic name given to the mountains that lie on the Dingle Peninsula between the Brandon Group of mountains in the west, and the Slieve Mish Mountains at the eastern end of the peninsula.
Geology Like many of the mountain ranges in County Kerry, such as the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the mountains of the Central Dingle peninsula are composed predominantly of Devonian period Old Red Sandstone, with a band of Ordovician period metasediments.
The rocks date from the Upper Devonian period (310–450 million years ago) when Ireland was in a hot equatorial setting. During this 60 million year period, Ireland was the site of a major basin, known as the Munster basin, and Cork and Kerry were effectively a large alluvial floodplain. Chemical oxidation stained the material with a purple–reddish colour (and green in places from chlorination), still visible today. There are virtually no fossils in Old Red Sandstone.
The composition of Old Red Sandstone is variable and includes sandstones, mudstones, siltstones, and conglomerates (boulders containing quartz pebbles are visible throughout the range). The mountains were subject to significant glaciation with corries and U-shaped valleys, however the range does not have the sharp rocky arêtes and ridges of the MacGillycuddy Reeks range.
List of peaks
The following is a download from the MountainViews Online Database, who list 23 identifiable Central Dingle peaks with an elevation, or height, above 100 metres
Peaks of the Central Dingle Mountain range (MountainViews Online Database, July 2019)HeightRankProm.RankNameIrish Name (if different)TranslationHeight(m)Prom.(m)Height(ft)Prom.(ft)TopoMapOSI GridReference11Beenoskee Binn os Gaoith Mountain above the Wind/Estuary 826 491 2,710 1,611 70220Stradbally MountainCnoc an tSráidbhaileHill of Stradbally 798 40 2,618 131 7032Slievanea NE Top—— 671 265 2,200 869 70412An Cnapán Mór—The Big Lump 649 81 2,129 266 7056Cnoc na Bánóige—Hill of the Grassy Patch 642 176 2,105 577 70621SlievaneaSliabh Macha RéMountain of the Smooth Plain 629 22 2,063 73 70719CoombaneAn Com BánThe White Hollow 610 42 2,001 138 70823CroaghskeardaCruach SceirdeStack of the Exposed Place 608 13 1,995 43 70918KnockmulananeCnoc MhaoilionáinMulfinan's hill 593 48 1,946 157 701015Beenatoor Binn an Tuair Peak of the Bleaching Green 592 66 1,942 217 701122Knockmulanane West Top—— 563 15 1,847 49 70125Dromavally Mountain Cnoc Dhroim an BhaileHill of Dromavally 552 206 1,811 676 71139Sliabh na nGabhar—Mountain of the Goats 486 120 1,594 394 70147Cummeen Sliabh an ChoimínMountain of the Little Hollow 477 162 1,565 531 711517Gob an Iolair—Beak of the eagle 477 48 1,564 158 701614An Starraicín—The Steeple 458 71 1,504 233 701716Cnoc na Bánóige N Top— 448 52 1,469 170 701813Knocknakilton(unknown)(unknown) 423 79 1,388 259 71194BrickanyBreicneachSpeckled Place 374 219 1,227 719 71203KnocknanacreeCnoc na nAcraí hill of na hAcraí/Acres 286 260 938 853 70218Cnoc an Ghleanna—Hill of the Glen 252 136 827 446 702211CarrigadavCarraig an DaimhThe Rock of the Bull 240 96 787 315 712310FarrandalougeFearann DealúighThe Land of the Two Hollows 144 97 472 318 70
See also Brandon Group, a mountain range in Dingle Peninsula Slieve Mish Mountains, a mountain range in Dingle Peninsula Lists of mountains in Ireland List of mountains of the British Isles by height List of P600 mountains in the British Isles List of Marilyns in the British Isles List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland
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