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Cuilcagh
Northern slopes of Cuilcagh Mountain
Highest point
Elevation	666 m (2,185 ft)
Prominence	570 m (1,870 ft)
Listing	County Top (Cavan and Fermanagh), P600, Marilyn, Hewitt
Coordinates	54°12′00″N 7°48′40″W / 54.200°N 7.811°W / 54.200; -7.811
Naming
Native name	Binn Chuilceach (Irish)
English translation	"calcareous/chalky peak"
Pronunciation	Irish: [ˌbʲiːn̠ʲ ˈxɪlʲcəx] English: /ˈkʌlkə/
Geography
CuilcaghLocation in Ulster
Location	Fermanagh, Northern Ireland & Cavan, Republic of Ireland
OSI/OSNI grid	H123280
Topo map	OSi Discovery 26
Climbing
Easiest route	Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail (Stairway to Heaven)
Ramsar Wetland
Official name	Cuilcagh Mountain
Designated	31 December 1998
Reference no.	968

Cuilcagh (from Irish Binn Chuilceach, meaning 'chalky peak') is a mountain on the border between County Fermanagh (in Northern Ireland) and County Cavan (in the Republic of Ireland). With a height of 666 metres (2,185 ft) it is the highest point in both counties. It is also the 170th highest peak on the island of Ireland, and Ireland's only cross-border county top. Water from the southern slope flows underground until it emerges some miles away in the Shannon Pot, the traditional source of the River Shannon. The area is sometimes referred to as the Cuilcagh Mountains.

Naming

The name Cuilcagh comes from the Irish Cuilceach, which has been translated as "chalky". However, the mountain is mainly sandstone and shale, covered with bog and heather. The cliff-edged summit surface of the mountain is formed from the hard-wearing Lackagh Sandstone which itself overlies the Briscloonagh Sandstone. "It is possible that the name refers to the limestone rock on the lower northern flanks, namely the Glencar and Dartry Limestone formations. Here a number of streams disappear below ground at swallow holes named Cats Hole, Pollawaddy, Pollasumera and Polliniska, all forming part of the Marble Arch cave system. If so, the name would mean 'calcareous' rather than 'chalky'". It has also been called Slieve Cuilcagh in English, 'Slieve' being an anglicisation of Sliabh ("mountain").

In the 1609 Plantation of Ulster, Cuilcagh formed part of lands which were granted to John Sandford of Castle Doe by letters patent dated 7 July 1613 (Pat. 11 James I – LXXI – 38, Quilkagh). It was later sold by Sandford to his wife's uncle Toby Caulfeild, 1st Baron Caulfeild, Master of the Ordnance and Caulfield had the sale confirmed by letters patent of 12 July 1620 (Pat. 19 James I. XI. 45, Quilkagh).

Nature

The Cuilcagh area supports a rich assemblage of upland insects, and is one of the most important sites in Ireland for these species. Species recorded include the water beetles Agabus melanarius, Agabus arcticus, Dytiscus lapponicus, Stictotarsus multilineatus, Hydroporus longicornis and Hydroporus morio and the water bugs Glaenocorisa propinqua and Callicorixa wollastoni. Lough Atona is the main locality for these species.

Conservation

The Cuilcagh Mountain Park was opened by Fermanagh District Council in 1998.

Ramsar site

The Cuilcagh Mountain Ramsar site (wetlands of international importance designated under the Ramsar Convention), is 2744.45 hectares in area, at latitude 54 13 26 N and longitude 07 48 17 W. It was designated a Ramsar site on 31 December 1998.

Geopark

In 2001 the Cuilcagh Mountain Park was joined with popular tourist attraction the Marble Arch Caves and the Cladagh Glen Nature Reserve to make one of the first UNESCO-recognised European Geoparks. This became a Global Geopark in 2004. In September 2008 the Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark was expanded into County Cavan, making it the world's first transnational cross-border Geopark. The Geopark is protected and managed by Fermanagh & Omagh District Council through the staff of the Marble Arch Caves Visitor Centre.

Boardwalk trail

In 2015, the Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail or Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Trail (also called "The Stairway to Heaven") was opened up to preserve and protect the underlying peatland bog from erosion; however, the trail led to a dramatic rise in visitors to Cuilcagh from circa 3,000 per annum to over 60,000. The popularity of the trail has led to concerns over the ability of the area to handle the increased visitors to the trail.

Starting from the Legnabrocky Car Park (paid parking), the trail is over 6 kilometres long to the top (or over 7 kilometres starting from the nearby Marble Arch Caves car park). The first 5 kilometres are on a wide undulating gravel track, while the final kilometre involves climbing 450 wooden steps to a viewing gallery at the top of the route (which is close to the top of Cuilcagh mountain itself). Walkers are advised to allow 2.5–3.5 hours to complete the full 12–14 kilometre round-trip journey.

Gallery

• View from the summit
• Benaughlin viewed from South Fermanagh with Cuilcagh on left
• Boardwalk section of "Stairway to Heaven"

See also

• Sliabh Beagh
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
• List of P600 mountains in the British Isles
• List of Marilyns in the British Isles
• List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

Further reading

• Brown, Leslie (2005). Inception and subsequent development of conduits in the Cuilcagh karst, Ireland (doctoral). Doctoral thesis, University of Huddersfield. Retrieved 29 July 2012.

References

1. ^ "Cuilcagh/Cuilcagh Mountains". MountainViews Online Database. Retrieved 27 November 2019.
2. "Cuilcagh Mountain". Ramsar Sites Information Service. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
3. "Place Names NI - Home". www.placenamesni.org. Archived from the original on 25 July 2018. Retrieved 4 August 2021.
4. "Cuilcagh". Mountainviews.ie. Retrieved 19 May 2007.
5. John G. O'Dwyer (26 November 2019). "Blow off the Christmas cabin-fever with a walk for the season". The Irish Times. Retrieved 27 November 2019. Generally known as the Stairway to Heaven, this consists of a well-constructed new trail that conveys walkers high into the Cuilcagh Mountains.
6. "GSNI GeoIndex". mapapps2.bgs.ac.uk.
7. Tempan, Paul. Irish Hill and Mountain Names. MountainViews.ie.
8. Fullarton, A (1856). A Gazetteer of the World: Volume 3. Royal Geographical Society. p. 527.
9. Chancery, Ireland (1800). Calendar of the Patent Rolls of the Chancery of Ireland.
10. "Calendar of the state papers, relating to Ireland, of the reign of James I. 1603-1625. Preserved in Her Majesty's Public Record Office, and elsewhere". London, Longman. 4 August 1872 – via Internet Archive.
11. "Designated and Proposed Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland" (PDF). Joint Nature Conservation Committee. Retrieved 7 July 2008.
12. ^ "Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark – IRELAND". European Geoparks Network. Retrieved 16 August 2014.
13. Andrea Smith (2 May 2017). "Why this 'Stairway to Heaven' in Ireland has become a social media star". Lonely Planet. Retrieved 7 July 2019. Nicknamed the 'stairway to heaven,' the boardwalk opened in 2015 with an aim of conserving pristine blanket bog and restoring damaged peatland that had been eroded by people walking through it.
14. Chris McCullough (29 April 2017). "How Fermanagh's amazing 'stairway to heaven' has become a victim of its own success". Belfast Telegraph. Retrieved 7 July 2019.
15. "The Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail (Stairway to Heaven): Route Information". Marble Arch Caves. Retrieved 5 June 2022.
16. Mark McConville (17 April 2019). "WATCH: Ireland's very own Stairway to Heaven! Weekend walk, anyone?". Irish Independent. Retrieved 7 July 2019. The stunning wooden structure is found on Fermanagh's Cuilcagh Way - specifically, along the 7.5 km Legnabrocky trail.

External links

• Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, WalkNI (2018)
• Ireland's own "Stairway to Heaven" (Cuilcagh Boardwalk Trail, Irish Independent (April 2017)
• Cuilcagh Legnabrocky Boarded Mountain Trail, Marble Arch Caves Global Geopark (July 2015)

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 Most prominent mountains of Britain and Ireland (the P600s)
Northern Highlands (20)	Foinaven Ben Hee Ben Hope Ben Loyal Ben Klibreck Ben More Assynt Canisp Cùl Mòr Ben More Coigach Beinn Dearg Ben Wyvis An Teallach Slioch Sgùrr Mòr (Fannichs) Fionn Bheinn Beinn Alligin Beinn Eighe Liathach Beinn Bhàn Sgorr Ruadh
Western Highlands (20)	Sgùrr a' Choire Ghlais Sgùrr na Lapaich Càrn Eige Beinn Fhada Sgùrr Fhuaran A' Chràlaig Sgùrr a' Mhaoraich Gleouraich Sgùrr nan Eugallt Ladhar Bheinn Sgùrr na Cìche Càrn Mòr Sròn a' Choire Ghairbh Sgùrr Thuilm Gaor Bheinn Rois-bheinn Sgùrr Ghiubhsachain Sgùrr Dhòmhnuill Garbh Bheinn Creach Bheinn
Central and Eastern Highlands (13)	Creag Meagaidh Ben Nevis Stob Coire Easain Binnein Mòr Chno Dearg Ben Alder Sgor nam Fiannaidh Beinn a' Bheithir Beinn Sgulaird Bidean nam Bian Ben Macdui Beinn a' Ghlò Lochnagar
Southern Highlands (15)	Meall a' Bhuiridh Ben Cruachan Schiehallion Beinn a' Chreachain Ben Lawers Ben Lui Ben Vorlich (Loch Lomond) Beinn Ìme Beinn an Lochain Beinn Mhòr (Cowal) Doune Hill Ben More (Crianlarich) Ben Lomond Ben Vorlich (Loch Earn) Ben Chonzie
Islands (13)	An Cliseam Beinn Mhòr (South Uist) The Storr Sgùrr Alasdair Blà Bheinn Beinn na Caillich Sgùrr na Coinnich Askival Ben More (Mull) Dùn da Ghaoithe Beinn an Òir Goat Fell Snaefell
Scottish Lowlands, England and Wales (13)	Merrick Broad Law Scafell Pike Helvellyn Skiddaw Cross Fell Snowdon Glyder Fawr Carnedd Llewelyn Aran Fawddwy Cadair Idris Pen y Fan Waun Fach
Republic of Ireland, Northern Ireland (25)	Carrauntoohil Mount Brandon Lugnaquilla Galtymore Baurtregaum Slieve Donard Mweelrea Nephin Mount Leinster Knockmealdown Fauscoum Barrclashcame Croagh Patrick Errigal Binn Bhan Slieve Carr Slievenamon Knockboy Binn idir an Dá Log Ben Gorm Keeper Hill Croaghaun Maumtrasna Cuilcagh Slieve Snaght

v t e Mountains and hills of Ulster
Lists of mountains in Ireland
Antrim Hills	Slemish Tievebulliagh Scawt Hill Trostan
Belfast Hills	Black Mountain Cavehill Carnmoney Divis Slieve True
Blue Stacks	Croaghgorm
Derryveagh	Seven Sisters Aghla Beg Aghla More Ardloughnabrackbaddy Crocknalaragagh Errigal Mackoght Muckish
Inishowen	Slieve Snaght Raghtin More
Keenaght Hills	Binevenagh Donald's Hill Loughermore
Mournes	Ben Crom Slieve Bearnagh Slieve Beg Slieve Binnian Slieve Commedagh Slieve Corragh Slieve Croob Slieve Donard Slievelamagan Slieve Muck
Sperrins	Benbradagh Mullaghcarn Mullaghmore Sawel Slieve Gallion
Southwest Donegal	Slieve League
Others	Belmore Mountain Benaughlin Cuilcagh Fair Head Knock Iveagh Slieve Beagh Slieve Gullion Slieve Rushen

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

• Mountains and hills of County Fermanagh
• Mountains and hills of County Cavan
• Marilyns of Ireland
• Marilyns of Northern Ireland
• Ramsar sites in Northern Ireland
• Republic of Ireland–United Kingdom border
• International mountains of Europe
• Highest points of Irish counties
• Mountains under 1000 metres
• Karst