Mangerton Mountain

Mangerton or Mangerton Mountain (), at , is the 19th-highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and the 26th–highest mountain according to the Vandeleur-Lynam list. Mangerton is the tallest mountain in the Mangerton Mountain Group, also called the Mangerton Mountains or the Mountains of East Kerry, a range that includes five other major mountains that have a height above . Mangerton's western slopes lie within the Killarney National Park. On Mangerton's north-western face lies a deep corrie lake called the Devil's Punchbowl, which is a popular scenic destination for hill walkers; although the mountain is often overlooked by walkers due to the proximity of its more scenic and accessible neighbour, Torc Mountain. The far northern slopes of Mangerton was the site of an important 13th-century battle between the Mac Cárthaigh (Gaelic forces), and the FitzGeralds (Norman forces), known as the "Tooreencormick battle site".

Naming Irish academic Paul Tempan notes in the Irish Hill and Mountain Names database that Mangerton is most likely a translation of , meaning "the long-haired". Tempan discussed the possibility that an alternative interpretation of may be worth considering, as it could be the noun with the suffix ach. Tempan notes P. S. Dinneen's Foclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla—Irish-English Dictionary (1927), defines as "movement" or "shaking". Thus the adjective (not listed in any dictionary) could mean "moving", "shaking", or "quaking", which could refer to the physical movement of Mangerton bog prevalent on the southern slopes, or could be understood figuratively as meaning "vacillating" or "fickle".

Geography

Mangerton

Mangerton's flat boggy summit plateau includes the satellite summits of Mangerton North Top and Glencappul Top , and its "horseshoe-shaped" massif includes the summit of Stoompa . The Horses' Glen (or Glencappul), and the Devil's Punchbowl carve deep hollows, or corries on the north-west and north-east sides of Mangerton's massif, but the southern flanks form a huge plateau, one of the most extensive areas of mountain wilderness in Ireland, where herds of red deer and sika deer still roam.

There are three lochs that flow from Managerton's corries into the Horse's Glen (or Glencappul), namely the lowest, Lough Garagarry (Loch Garaigre), the middle, Lough Mannagh (Loch Meáin) and the Lough Erhogh, which is a hanging glacial lake set into a corrie on Mangerton's north-east face.

The Devil's Punchbowl (), at on Mangerton's north-west face is a deep oval-shaped corrie filled by a loch in its base that drains into the Owengarriff River from which Torc Waterfall is formed, before finally flowing into the Lakes of Killarney below. Mangerton's western slopes lie within the Killarney National Park.

Mangerton Mountain's height and topographic prominence, qualifies it to meet the British Isles Marilyn classification, as well as the Arderin, Simm and Hewitt classifications. Mangerton Mountain ranks as the 10th-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the prominence threshold is over 100 metres (e.g. higher mountains with sub-100-metre prominences are excluded).Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork,

Range

Surrounding Mangerton are 25 other peaks with an elevation above in a range known as the Mangerton Group (or Mangerton Mountains). The range is bounded by the "square" road system surrounding Mangerton, being the N71 to the north and the west side, the N22 to the east side, and the narrow R569 road from Kenmare to the N22 via Kilgarvan on the south side. Most notable are Dromderalough (), and its slightly higher Dromderalough North-East Top (), as well as Crohane (), and Knockbrack (). It also includes the tourist peak of Torc Mountain in the north-west corner.

Hill walking

Mangerton's flat boggy summit plateau means that it can get overlooked when guidebooks of Ireland's best walks are compiled, particularly given its proximity to the rocky ridges and summits of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks; sometimes even nearby Torc Mountain is recommended instead. However, Mangerton's scale, summit views and deep corries are well regarded, and its proximity to Killarney town and ease of access are recognised by climbers.

The most direct route to the summit of Mangerton is via the 4–5 hour Devil's Punchbowl Route. It starts from the concrete slab bridge (at ), and follows a worn track southwards up to the Devil's Punchbowl at , before reaching the Mangerton summit plateau via the west ridge of the Punchbowl, and then walking circa 300 metres across the plateau to the true summit of Mangerton itself, before returning via the same route (or taking the steeper eastern arete of the Punchbowl). The summit plateau of Mangerton can be difficult to navigate in poor or misty weather as there are few features.

A variation of the Devil's Punchbowl Route is the inclusion of Stoompa, in a 5–6 hour route, that can either be done as an extension of the Devil's Punchbowl route (e.g. over and back from Mangerton's summit to Stoopma), or as a "horseshoe" or "loop-route" that starts up the Devil's Punchbowl on the westside but finishes by descending down the northern slopes of Stoompa on the eastside.

Tooreencormick battle site

The far northern slope of Mangerton was the site of a battle in 1262 between the Mac Cárthaigh (Gaelic forces, being the Kingdom of Desmond) and the FitzGeralds (Anglo-Norman forces, being the Geraldines), following the rout at the Battle of Callann Glen near Kilgarvan the previous year. The battle site is marked on the ordnance maps and also by a commemorative stone monument, and is known as Tooreencormick () after Cormac MacCarthy Reagh, who was killed during the clash (his brother Fínghin Mac Carthaigh had been killed at the Battle of Callann). Other notable knights including Gerald Roche, "the third best baron in Erin", were slain at Tooreencormick. Despite the losses, the battle is considered a MacCarthy success as the Anglo-Normans were kept out of South Kerry and West Cork (i.e. the Kingdom of Desmond), for the next three centuries.

List of peaks

The MountainViews Online Database lists 26 Mangerton Mountain Group peaks more than in height.

+ Peaks of the Mangerton Mountain Group (MountainViews Online Database, December 2018)HeightrankProm.rankNameIrish name (if different)TranslationHeight(m)Prom.(m)Height(ft)Prom.(ft)Topo.mapOSI GridReference11 MangertonAn MhangaraThe long-haired 838 583 2,750 1,913 78212 Mangerton North Top—— 782 67 2,566 220 78311StoompaStumpaStump 705 90 2,313 295 79425Glencappul Top—Horse's Glen 700 12 2,297 39 78520Dromderalough North-East Top—— 654 29 2,146 95 7862CrohaneAn CruachánLittle stack 650 385 2,133 1,263 79715DromderaloughDrom idir Dhá LochRidge between two lakes 650 45 2,133 148 78826Dromderalough North-West Top—— 625 12 2,051 39 78916KnockbrackCnoc Breac Speckled hill 610 45 2,001 148 781022Stoompa East Top—— 608 23 1,995 75 79114Peakeen MountainPéicínBoundary marker 555 280 1,820 919 781213KnockrowerCnoc RamharFat hill 554 59 1,818 194 781310Peakeen Mountain West Top—— 539 93 1,767 305 78143Torc Mountain Sliabh TorcMountain of wild boar 535 300 1,755 984 781523Peakeen Mountain Far North-West Top—— 526 22 1,724 73 781624Peakeen Mountain North-West Top—— 523 17 1,715 56 78176KnockanaguishCnoc an UaignisHill of the solitude 509 178 1,670 584 78188DerrygarriffDoire GharbhRough (oak) grove 492 128 1,614 420 781918Crohane SW Top—— 477 32 1,565 105 792019Torc Mountain West Top—— 470 32 1,542 105 78217BennaunmoreAn Beannán MórThe big (little) peak 454 149 1,490 489 792214CarrigawaddraCarraig an MhadraThe dog's rock 425 50 1,394 164 792317FoardalAn Fordalpass gap; wandering 410 36 1,344 118 78245EsknabrockEisc na mBrocRavine of badgers 406 251 1,332 823 792521Shaking Rock—— 402 27 1,319 89 78269InchimoreAn Inse MhórBig river-meadow 256 100 840 328 78

Mangerton Mountain

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