The Mourne Mountains ( ; ), also called the Mournes or the Mountains of Mourne, are a predominantly granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. They include the highest mountain in all of Ulster, Slieve Donard at . The Mournes are designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and it has been proposed to make the area Northern Ireland's first national park. The area is partly owned by the National Trust and sees over 50,000 visitors every year. The Mourne Wall crosses fifteen of the summits and was built to enclose the catchment basin of the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs. The wall, and the area inside it, are owned by Northern Ireland Water.
Name The name 'Mourne' is derived from the name of a Gaelic clan or sept called the Múghdhorna. The older name of this mountainous territory was Bairrche, which is likely a collective noun derived from the Irish barr, meaning 'top, peak'. This survives in the Irish name for the mountains, Na Beanna Boirche, literally "the peaks of the peak district".Place Names NI: Mourne Mountains It was historically anglicized as 'Bennyborfy'. The name Bairche or Boirche was also personified as the mythical shepherd of the mountains.
Many of the mountains have names beginning "Slieve", from the Irish sliabh, meaning "mountain". While all Irish dialects and many Hiberno-English speakers pronounce this word with an sh sound, this is commonly dropped in English as spoken in the region and rarely reflected in anglicised spellings.
Mountains
On clear days, the Mourne Mountains can be seen from the Isle of Man and Dublin.
Highest summits (MountainViews Online Database)RankNameIrish nameElevationProminence1Slieve DonardSliabh Dónairt ("Domhanghart's mountain") 2Slieve CommedaghSliabh Coimhéideach ("guarding/watching mountain") 3Slieve BinnianSliabh Binneáin ("mountain of the little peaks") 4Slieve BearnaghSliabh Bearnach ("gapped mountain") 5Slieve LamaganSliabh Lámhagáin ("crawling/creeping mountain") 6Slieve MeelbegSliabh Míol Beag ("small mountain of the beasts") 7Slieve MeelmoreSliabh Míol Mór ("great mountain of the beasts") 8Slieve Bearnagh North Tor— 9Slieve Binnian North Top— 10Slieve MuckSliabh Muc ("pig mountain") 11Chimney Rock Mtn/Slieve NeirSliabh an Aoire ("shepherd mountain") 12Cove Mountain— 13Slieve CorraghSliabh Corrach ("rugged/pointed mountain") 14Eagle MountainSliabh an Iolair ("eagle mountain") 15ShanlieveSeanshliabh ("old mountain") 16Slieve LoughshannaghSliabh Loch Seannach ("fox lake mountain") 17Slieve BegSliabh Beag ("little mountain") 18DoanDún Maol Chobha ("Maol Cobha's fort") 19Slievenaglogh (Northern)Sliabh na gCloch ("mountain of the stones") 20Carn MountainSliabh an Chairn ("mountain of the cairn") 21FinlieveFinnshliabh ("white mountain")Place Names NI: Finlieve 22Slievemoughanmore— 23Crossone(lesser summit of Slieve Donard)Cros Eoghain ("Owen's cross")Place Names NI: Crossone 24Pigeon Rock Mtn/DrumleeDroim Lao ("ridge of the calf") 25Ott MountainUcht ("mountain-breast") 26Ben CromBinn Chrom ("stooped/curved peak/cliff") 27Rocky Mountain (Eastern)Sliabh na gCloch ("mountain of the stones") 28Spences Mountain(lesser summit of Slieve Neir)— Unknown29Cock Mountain/SlievahillySliabh an Choiligh ("cock mountain") 30Butter MountainSliabh an Ime ("butter mountain")
Lesser summits and hillsRankNameIrish nameTranslationHeight31SlievemartinSliabh Mártain Martin's mountain 32SpalthaUnknownUnknown 33Thomas MountainUnknownUnknown 34TievedockaraghTaobh Docrachdifficult hillside 35SpelgaSpeilgeachplace of pointed rocksUses an East Ulster dialect variation of std. Irish sceilgeach.
https://www.teanglann.ie/en/fgb/Speilg 36SlievemeenSliabh Mínsmooth mountain 37Pierces CastleUnknownUnknown 38CrenvilleUnknownUnknown 39Millstone MountainUnknownUnknown 40Wee BinnianBroinn Bhinneáinbreast of (Slieve) Binnian 41SlievenagarraghUnknownUnknown 42SlievenamaddySliabh na Madaidhdog mountainPlace Names NI: Slievenamaddy 43Altaggart MountainAlt an tSagairtHill of the Priest 44Slievenaglogh (Southern)Sliabh na gClochmountain of the stones 45SlievenamiskanSliabh Meascáinbutter lump mountain 46SlievenabrockSliabh na mBrocbadger mountainPlace Names NI: Slievenabrock 47Hares GapUnknownUnknown 48Hares CastleUnknownUnknown 49Wee SlievemoughanUnknownUnknown 50SlievedermotSliabh DiarmuidDermot's mountainPlace Names NI: Slievedermot 51SlievemeelSliabh Maolbald mountain 52LeganabruchanUnknownUnknown 53CraigdooCreag Dubhblack rockPlace Names NI: Craigdoo 54Rocky Mountain (Western)UnknownUnknown 55Slieve BanSliabh Bánwhite mountainPlace Names NI: Slieve Ban 56Windy GapUnknownUnknown 57Lukes MountainUnknownUnknown 58SlievebaneUnknownUnknown 59TornamrockTorr na mBrocTorr of the Badgers 60SlievenamuckSliabh na MucMountain of the Pigs 61GruggandooGrugán DubhBlack Ridge 62Black StairsUnknownUnknown 63Deers MeadowUnknownUnknown 64CarnadrannaUnknownUnknown 65Slieve RoeSliabh Ruadhred mountainPlace Names NI: Slieve Roe 66Slieve RoosleyUnknownUnknown 67Hen Mountain/SlievenakirkSliabh na CircePlace Names NI: Hen Mountainhen mountain 68Trainors RocksUnknownUnknown 69LugagourUnknownUnknown 70Leckan MoreLeacán MórBig slab 71Percy ByssheUnknownUnknown 72CrannogeUnknownUnknown 73The FallowUnknownUnknown 74CrotlieveCrotshliabhhump-mountain 75KnocksheeCnoc Sidhefairy hillPlace Names NI: Knockshee 76Long SeefinSuidhe FinnFinn's seatPlace Names NI: Long Seefin 77Glen FofannyUnknownUnknown 78SlievenagoreUnknownUnknown 79MoolieveUnknownUnknown 80MullagharveMullach GarbhRough Hilltop 81SlievenamanSliabh na mBanMountain of the Women 82ArdglashUnknownUnknown 83Wee RoosleyUnknownUnknown 84SlievemageoghUnknownUnknown 85SlievemiskanSliabh MeascáinLump Mountain 86CarmeenUnknownUnknown 87GrugganskeaghGrugán SceicheBramble Ridge 88KnockchreeUnknownUnknown
Other features The below sub-headings detail other features and visitor attractions found in the Mourne Mountains.
The Mourne Wall
The Mourne Wall is a dry stone wall measuring in length that crosses fifteen summits and was constructed to define and protect the catchment area purchased by Belfast Water Commissioners in the late 19th century. This followed a number of Acts of Parliament allowing the sale, and the establishment of a water supply from the Mournes to the growing industrial city of Belfast. Construction of the Mourne Wall was started in 1904 and was completed in 1922.
The Mourne Wall has been a listed building since 1996, and 600 repairs were completed in 2018 by Geda Construction.
Forests
Tollymore Forest Park is at Bryansford, near the town of Newcastle in the Mourne and Slieve Croob Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It covers an area of at the foot of the Mourne Mountains and has views of the surrounding mountains and the sea at nearby Newcastle. The Shimna River flows through the park where it is crossed by 16 bridges, the earliest dating to 1726. The river is a spawning ground for salmon and trout and is an Area of Special Scientific Interest for its geology, flora and fauna. The forest has four walking trails signposted by different coloured arrows, the longest being the "long haul trail". The Forest Park has been managed by the Forest Service since they purchased it from the Roden Estate in 1941.
Donard Forest is near Newcastle, County Down. It borders Donard Park at the foot of the Mourne Mountains. The Glen River flows through the forest, crossed by three stone bridges.
Rostrevor Forest is near the village of Rostrevor, County Down, between the Mourne Mountains and Carlingford Lough, in the Mourne Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. The first trees, primarily sitka spruce, douglas fir and pine, were planted in 1931.
Reservoirs
All water reservoirs are owned and maintained by Northern Ireland Water (NIW).
Silent Valley Reservoir is a reservoir in the Mourne Mountains near Kilkeel, County Down. It supplies most of the water for County Down, surrounding counties and most of Belfast via the Aquarius pipeline. The reservoir was built between 1923 and 1933 by a workforce of over one thousand men, nine of whom died during construction. The catchment area is 9,000-acres (3,600 ha / 36 km2).
Ben Crom Reservoir is upstream of Silent Valley in the Kilkeel River valley, and supplies the same areas. It was constructed between 1953 and 1957.
Spelga Reservoir is in the townland of Spelga (Irish: Speilgeach), close to Hilltown, in the North West of the Mourne Mountains. It was formed by construction of Spelga Dam and sits at over 1,200 ft (370 m) above sea level. The dam was constructed between 1953 and 1957, and has a volume of 2,700,000 cubic metres and a catchment area of 1,340-acres (542 ha / 5.423 km2).
Fofanny Dam Reservoir is approximately 2 km north-east of Spelga Dam and is much smaller.
Flora and fauna Aside from grasses, the most common plants found in the Mournes are heathers and gorse. Of the former, three species are found: cross-leaved heath, bell heather, and common heather. Of the latter, two species are found: common gorse and western gorse. Other plants which grow in the area are: common cottongrass, roseroot, harebell, marsh St John's-wort, wild thyme, wood sorrel and heath spotted orchid.
Sheep graze high into the mountains, and the range is also home to birds, including the raven, peregrine falcon, wren, buzzard, meadow pipit, grey wagtail, stonechat and snipe. The golden eagle, a former inhabitant, has not been seen in the Mournes since 1836.
Recreation
"Discover Northern Ireland", a website operated by Tourism NI, promotes the Mourne Mountains as a popular destination for hiking and taking in views of the surrounding landscape, including local forests and the coastline. The Mournes offer a range of activities for visitors, including hiking, forest and beach walks, cycling and rock climbing, with nearly three-quarters of visitors choosing the Mournes as a place to go walking and hiking.
The Mournes are a popular destination for Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions. However, there are also a number of walking challenges which take place in the Mournes. The Mourne Wall challenge, which is also referred to as the 7-peak challenge because it takes into account 7 of the 10 highest Mourne mountains, is advertised by WalkNI. The Mourne six peak challenge is advertised by DiscoverNI and takes hikers up Slieve Donard, Commedagh, Bearnagh, Slieve Binnian, Slieve Meelmore and Slieve Meelbeg across three days of hiking.
Information and statistics on tourism to the Mournes were gathered by TourismNI in 2014. In a survey of leisure visitors, 79% were found to come from Northern Ireland, 15% from elsewhere in the British Isles or Republic of Ireland, and 5–6% were international visitors. Two-thirds of all visitors made a single-day trip rather staying overnight, and party sizes averaged between 3 and 4 people.
There are many granite cliffs, in the form of outcrops and tors, scattered throughout the range, making the Mournes one of Northern Ireland's major rock-climbing areas since the first recorded ascents in the 1930s. The rockforms are generally quite rounded, thus often requiring cams for protection, but with good friction. The 1998 guidebook lists 26 separate crags, with a total of about 900 routes of all grades.
Conservation Following a fundraising drive in 1993, the National Trust purchased nearly of land in the Mournes, which included a part of Slieve Donard (at ) and nearby Slieve Commedagh (at ), the second-highest mountain in the area.
It has been proposed that the Mourne Mountains be made Northern Ireland's first national park. The plan has been subject to controversy because of the area's status as private property, with over 1,000 farmers based in the proposed park, and also because of fears over the impact on local communities, bureaucracy and house prices.
Gorse burning