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Caherconree
Summit of Caherconree (in cloud), and pyramidal summit of the promontory fort (near), from south
Highest point
Elevation	835 m (2,740 ft)
Prominence	129 m (423 ft)
Listing	100 Highest Irish Mountains, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam
Coordinates	52°12′10.904″N 9°51′13.409″W / 52.20302889°N 9.85372472°W / 52.20302889; -9.85372472
Naming
Native name	Cathair Conraoi
English translation	stone fort of Cú Roí
Geography
CaherconreeLocation in Ireland
Location	Dingle Peninsula, County Kerry, Ireland
Parent range	Slieve Mish Mountains
OSI/OSNI grid	Q7331707260
Topo map	OSi Discovery 71
Geology
Mountain type	Aeolian sandstone
Climbing
Easiest route	Caherconree Fort Trail
National monument of Ireland
Official name	Caherconree Promontory Fort
Reference no.	184

Caherconree (Irish: Cathair Conraoi, meaning ''Cú Roí’s stone fort') at 835 metres (2,740 ft), is the 20th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 27th–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale. Caherconree is the 2nd-highest mountain in the Slieve Mish Mountains in the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland, and one of its southerly spurs is the site of an ancient stone promontory fort, which is a protected National Monument.

Naming

In Irish academic Paul Tempan's Irish Hills and Mountain Names, the name derives from Cú Roí mac Daire, the legendary king of Munster who features in many Irish folklore tales including those concerning Cú Chulainn and Bláthnat.

Geography

Caherconree is the 2nd-highest mountain of the Slieve Mish range, which is situated at the eastern-end of the Dingle Peninsula, in County Kerry. Caherconree is part of a "horseshoe" of the largest peaks in the Slieve Mish range that bound the deep glaciated valley of the Derrymore Glen, that include the mountains of Gerahane 792 metres (2,598 ft) (Irish: An Géarán, meaning 'the fang'), and Baurtregaum 851 metres (2,792 ft), the highest peak in the range.

Caherconree's prominence of 129 metres (423 ft) does not qualify it as a Marilyn, however, it ranks it as the 11th-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the minimum prominence threshold is 100 metres.

Hill walking

The easiest route is the 4-kilometre 2-hour return trip from the Bóthar na gCloch road (a north-south road between the N86 and the R561 roads); from where an easterly Caherconree Fort Trail goes from the car-park to the ancient promontory fort, from which the summit of Caherconree can be easily accessed.

A popular method of climbing Caherconree is via is the Derrymore Glen Horseshoe, a 11-kilometre 5-hour loop that starts from the base of the Derrymore Glen and ascends to the first summit of Gearhane, and then around the "horseshoe" to Caherconree and the summit of Baurtregaum. Options for the descent use either the Baurtregaum NW Top spur or the Baurtregaum NE Top Spur (and the Scragg) to get back to the base of the Glen. The route is recommended for its views of the Glen as well as incorporating most of the main peaks of the Slieve Mish range, and is also called The Slieve Mish Circuit in some guidebooks.

Caherconree Promontory Fort

Caherconree is named after an Iron Age stone promontory fort, Caherconree Promontory Fort at 683 metres (2,241 ft), that sits two-thirds of the way up its southwestern shoulder, overlooking the north-south running mountain road called Bóthar na gCloch ("road of the stones"). The fort is surrounded on three sides by steep cliffs. In Irish mythology this is the fort of Cú Roí mac Dáire, who was able to make it spin around at night to stop attackers finding the entrance.

In the story of Aided Con Roí, a king's daughter called Bláthnat is taken against her will to the fort by Cú Roí. She is rescued by her lover, Cú Chulainn, to whom she signals that the time will be right to attack when she pours milk into a nearby stream; Bláthnat created the opportunity by taunting Cú Roí that his fort was too small for such a magnificent chieftain thus compelling him to take down the walls to build a bigger fort. This stream is now called the Finglas (from an Fhionnghlaise meaning "the white stream") and its source is close to the remains of the ringfort.

Between the summits of Caherconree and Gearhane, is a rock feature called Fin MacCool's Chair, named after the mythical figure Fionn mac Cumhaill.

Gallery

• Peak of the hill fort
• Hill fort ruins
• View south from summit
• Hill fort from summit

See also

• List of mountains in Ireland
• Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
• List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

References

1. ^ "Caherconree". MountainViews Online Database. Retrieved 8 February 2019.
2. ^ Paul Tempan (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). MountainViews.ie.
3. Simon Stewart (October 2018). "Arderins: Irish mountains of 500+m with a prominence of 30m". MountainViews Online Database.
4. Simon Stewart (October 2018). "Vandeleur-Lynams: Irish mountains of 600+m with a prominence of 15m". MountainViews Online Database.
5. ^ Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, ISBN 978-1-84889-164-7
6. ^ Dillion, Paddy (1993). The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits. Cicerone. ISBN 978-1852841102. Walk 44 Caherconree, Baurtregaum
7. ^ Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892118. Route 41: Slieve Mish Circuit
8. "Irish Highest 100: The highest 100 Irish mountains with a prominence of +100m". MountainViews Online Database. September 2018.
9. ^ Doherty, Tony (5 November 2011). "High life on Dingle Peninsula". Irish Times. Retrieved 20 July 2019.

External links

• MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website, Caherconree
• MountainViews: Irish Online Mountain Database
• The Database of British and Irish Hills , the largest database of British Isles mountains ("DoBIH")
• Hill Bagging UK & Ireland, the searchable interface for the DoBIH

v t e Mountains and hills of Great Britain and Ireland
British Isles	P600s Marilyns Fell Mountains by height by prominence (Simms classification)
Scotland	Mountains and hills Munros Murdos Corbetts Grahams Donalds
Outside Scotland	Furths Hewitts Nuttalls England Wales
England	Birketts Ethels Wainwrights
Ireland	Mountains in Ireland Vandeleur-Lynams Arderins MountainViews
County tops	England and Wales (1964) England (ceremonial) Wales (local government areas) Scotland counties council areas Northern Ireland counties districts Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland county and provincial tops

v t e Mountains and hills of Munster
Lists of mountains in Ireland
Ballyhoura Mountains	Carron Mountain Seefin
Boggeragh Mountains	Musheramore Mount Hillary
Caha Mountains	Hungry Hill Sugarloaf (Slieve Gowl)
Comeragh Mountains	Croughaun Fauscoum Knockanaffrin
Derrynasaggart Mountains	Caherbarnagh Mullaghanish Paps of Anu
Dingle Peninsula	Brandon Group Mount Brandon Central Dingle Beenoskee Slieve Mish Mountains Baurtregaum Caherconree Western Dingle Mount Eagle
Galty Mountains	Galtymore Lyracappul Temple Hill
Iveragh Peninsula	Bentee Broaghnabinnia Drung Hill Knocknadobar Stumpa Dúloigh Mullaghanattin
Knockmealdown Mountains	Knockmealdown Knocknafallia Sugarloaf Hill (Knockmealdowns)
MacGillycuddy's Reeks	Beenkeragh Brassel Mountain Caher Caher West Top Carrauntoohil Cnoc an Chuillinn Cnoc na Péiste Cnoc na Toinne Cruach Mhór Hag's Tooth Maolán Buí The Big Gun The Bones
Mangerton Mountains	Mangerton Torc Mountain
Shehy Mountains	Knockboy
Slieve Felim Mountains	Silvermine Mountains Slievekimalta
Slieve Miskish Mountains	Knockoura
Sliabh Luachra	Mullaghareirk Mountains Stack's Mountains
Others	An Triúr Deirfiúr Arra Hills Caher Mountain (Cork) Carhoo Hill Devil's Bit Geokaun Knockanore Mountain Mount Gabriel Moylussa Mullaghmore Nowen Hill Purple Mountain Slieve Aughty Slievecallan Slievenamon

v t e Lists of long-distance trails in Ireland
Long-Distance	Waymarked Ballyhoura Way Barrow Way Bealach na Gaeltachta Beara Way Blackwater Way Bluestack Way Burren Way Cavan Way Croagh Patrick Heritage Trail Dingle Way Dublin Mountains Way East Clare Way East Munster Way Grand Canal Way Hymany Way Leitrim Way Lough Derg Way Kerry Way Mid Clare Way Miners Way and Historical Trail Monaghan Way Multeen Way Nore Valley Way North Kerry Way Offaly Way Royal Canal Way Sheep's Head Way Slieve Bloom Way Slieve Felim Way Sligo Way South Leinster Way Suck Valley Way Táin Way Tipperary Heritage Way Western Way Westmeath Way Wicklow Way Non-Waymarked Bangor Trail Beara-Breifne Way (partial) Malin to Mizen
Pilgrim path	Cnoc na dTobar Cosán na Naomh Lough Derg Saint Kevin's Way Tochar Phádraig
Cycle greenway	Boyne Greenway Boyne Valley to Lakelands Greenway Cork Greenway (Harbour Greenway, Midleton–Youghal) Dublin–Galway Greenway Great Southern Trail Great Western Greenway Royal Canal Greenway Tralee–Fenit Greenway Waterford Greenway Kingdom of Kerry Greenways (North Kerry Greenway, South Kerry Greenway) (proposed)
Boarded mountain	Cuilcagh "Stairway to Heaven" (Cavan/Fermanagh) Diamond Hill (Connemara) Djouce (Wicklow) Glendalough "Spinc/White Trail" (Wicklow) Torc Mountain (Kerry)
Fell running	Denis Rankin Round Wicklow Round
Schemes	Walks Scheme
Lists of mountains in Ireland

• Hewitts of Ireland
• Mountains and hills of County Kerry
• Forts in the Republic of Ireland
• Mountains under 1000 metres
• National monuments in County Kerry