Barnaslingan
Encyclopedia
Barnaslingan is a 238 metres (780.8 ft) high hill in County Dublin
, Ireland
. It is most noted for the geological feature known as The Scalp that lies to the west of the summit. Samuel Lewis, in A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), described it thus: “A deep natural chasm in the mountain, forming a defile
with lofty and shelving ramparts on each side, from which large detached masses of granite
many tons of weight have fallen, on each side large masses of detached rock are heaped together in wild confusion, apparently arrested in their descent, and threatening at every moment to crush the traveller by their fall”.
The Scalp is a narrow glacial
valley formed approximately 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age
. During this period a massive ice sheet
covered the Irish Sea
extending inland over the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains
. As the ice melted several glacial lake
s formed, including one at Enniskerry
, enclosed by the mountains and the ice sheet. The pressure created by this volume of water pressing against the bedrock eventually found a weak point and gouged out the channel now known as The Scalp. The same process created similar features in nearby County Wicklow
at the Glen of the Downs
and at the Rocky Valley north of the Great Sugar Loaf
. On account of its status as an example of a glacial lake overflow, it is listed as an Area of Scientific Interest. The steep, rocky slopes are home to a herd of feral goat
s and the area is also a habitat for deer
and badger
s.
The route of the R117 road
passes through The Scalp between Kilternan
and Enniskerry
. Even though the floor of the valley is quite narrow, a small number of buildings are situated along the roadside. The most prominent of these is the Scalp Service Station
; prior to 1963 this was a ballroom
called “The New Era”. Another house, now a private residence, was a tea room
called “Butler's Tea House”.
Overlooking the area is the Kilternan Golf and Country Club which first opened as a hotel in 1970. It is built around a nineteenth century house called Springfield which was once the home of the poet and mathematician George Darley
(1795-1846). In 2001 the hotel was purchased by the hotelier and developer Hugh O'Regan who commenced a major redevelopment and expansion of the property. Although the work is 90 percent complete, Mr O'Regan's companies went into liquidation
in 2009 and its future is uncertain. The land around the hotel is also the site of a dry ski slope and headquarters of the Ski Club of Ireland
; it continues to operate.
Barnaslingan lies within a Coillte-owned forest recreation area which is managed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership. There are a number of waymarked
walking trails in the woods as well as a permanent orienteering
course. Barnaslingan is also traversed by the Dublin Mountains Way
.
County Dublin
County Dublin is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Dublin Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the city of Dublin which is the capital of Ireland. County Dublin was one of the first of the parts of Ireland to be shired by King John of England following the...
, Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
. It is most noted for the geological feature known as The Scalp that lies to the west of the summit. Samuel Lewis, in A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland (1837), described it thus: “A deep natural chasm in the mountain, forming a defile
Defile (geography)
Defile is a geographic term for a narrow pass or gorge between mountains or hills. It has its origins as a military description of a pass through which troops can march only in a narrow column or with a narrow front...
with lofty and shelving ramparts on each side, from which large detached masses of granite
Granite
Granite is a common and widely occurring type of intrusive, felsic, igneous rock. Granite usually has a medium- to coarse-grained texture. Occasionally some individual crystals are larger than the groundmass, in which case the texture is known as porphyritic. A granitic rock with a porphyritic...
many tons of weight have fallen, on each side large masses of detached rock are heaped together in wild confusion, apparently arrested in their descent, and threatening at every moment to crush the traveller by their fall”.
The Scalp is a narrow glacial
Glacier
A glacier is a large persistent body of ice that forms where the accumulation of snow exceeds its ablation over many years, often centuries. At least 0.1 km² in area and 50 m thick, but often much larger, a glacier slowly deforms and flows due to stresses induced by its weight...
valley formed approximately 12,000 years ago during the last Ice Age
Ice age
An ice age or, more precisely, glacial age, is a generic geological period of long-term reduction in the temperature of the Earth's surface and atmosphere, resulting in the presence or expansion of continental ice sheets, polar ice sheets and alpine glaciers...
. During this period a massive ice sheet
Ice sheet
An ice sheet is a mass of glacier ice that covers surrounding terrain and is greater than 50,000 km² , thus also known as continental glacier...
covered the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
extending inland over the Dublin-Wicklow Mountains
Wicklow Mountains
The Wicklow Mountains form the largest continuous upland area in Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into Counties Carlow, Wexford and Dublin. Where the mountains extend into County Dublin, they are known locally as the Dublin Mountains...
. As the ice melted several glacial lake
Glacial lake
A glacial lake is a lake with origins in a melted glacier. Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,000 years ago, glaciers began to retreat. A retreating glacier often left behind large deposits of ice in hollows between drumlins or hills. As the ice age ended, these melted to create...
s formed, including one at Enniskerry
Enniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
, enclosed by the mountains and the ice sheet. The pressure created by this volume of water pressing against the bedrock eventually found a weak point and gouged out the channel now known as The Scalp. The same process created similar features in nearby County Wicklow
County Wicklow
County Wicklow is a county in Ireland. It is part of the Mid-East Region and is also located in the province of Leinster. It is named after the town of Wicklow, which derives from the Old Norse name Víkingalág or Wykynlo. Wicklow County Council is the local authority for the county...
at the Glen of the Downs
Glen of the Downs
The Glen of the Downs is a 2 km long wooded glacial valley with steep sides rising to almost 250m on the east coast of Ireland. It contains a designated Nature Reserve comprising 59 ha, as well as a candidate Special Area of Conservation ....
and at the Rocky Valley north of the Great Sugar Loaf
Great Sugar Loaf
Often simply known as the Sugar Loaf , this mountain is located in the east of County Wicklow, in Ireland, south of Bray and to the north of the Glen of the Downs Nature Reserve...
. On account of its status as an example of a glacial lake overflow, it is listed as an Area of Scientific Interest. The steep, rocky slopes are home to a herd of feral goat
Feral goat
The feral goat is the domestic goat when it has become established in the wild. Feral goats occur in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, Great Britain, Hawaii, the Galapagos and in many other parts of the world...
s and the area is also a habitat for deer
Deer
Deer are the ruminant mammals forming the family Cervidae. Species in the Cervidae family include white-tailed deer, elk, moose, red deer, reindeer, fallow deer, roe deer and chital. Male deer of all species and female reindeer grow and shed new antlers each year...
and badger
Badger
Badgers are short-legged omnivores in the weasel family, Mustelidae. There are nine species of badger, in three subfamilies : Melinae , Mellivorinae , and Taxideinae...
s.
The route of the R117 road
R117 road
The R117 road is a regional road in Ireland. The route starts Harcourt Road at the end of the South Circular Road on the southside of Dublin city centre...
passes through The Scalp between Kilternan
Kilternan
Kilternan is a village in County of Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, in the foothills of the Dublin Mountains south of Dublin, near the border with County Wicklow....
and Enniskerry
Enniskerry
Enniskerry is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. It had a population of 2,672 at the 2006 census.- Location :...
. Even though the floor of the valley is quite narrow, a small number of buildings are situated along the roadside. The most prominent of these is the Scalp Service Station
Service station
Service station may refer to:* Filling station, a gasoline or petrol station* Automobile repair shop, a place where automobiles are repaired* Rest area, a public facility on motorways or controlled-access highways for resting or refuelling...
; prior to 1963 this was a ballroom
Ballroom
A ballroom is a large room inside a building, the designated purpose of which is holding formal dances called balls. Traditionally, most balls were held in private residences; many mansions contain one or more ballrooms...
called “The New Era”. Another house, now a private residence, was a tea room
Tea house
A tea house or tearoom is a venue centered on drinking tea. Its function varies widely depending on the culture, and some cultures have a variety of distinct tea-centered houses or parlors that all qualify under the English language term "tea house" or "tea room."-Asia:In Central Asia this term...
called “Butler's Tea House”.
Overlooking the area is the Kilternan Golf and Country Club which first opened as a hotel in 1970. It is built around a nineteenth century house called Springfield which was once the home of the poet and mathematician George Darley
George Darley
George Darley was an Irish poet, novelist, and critic.He was born in Dublin, and educated at Trinity College. Having decided to follow a literary career, in 1820 he went to London, where he published his first poem, Errors of Ecstasie . He also wrote for the London Magazine, under the pseudonym of...
(1795-1846). In 2001 the hotel was purchased by the hotelier and developer Hugh O'Regan who commenced a major redevelopment and expansion of the property. Although the work is 90 percent complete, Mr O'Regan's companies went into liquidation
Liquidation
In law, liquidation is the process by which a company is brought to an end, and the assets and property of the company redistributed. Liquidation is also sometimes referred to as winding-up or dissolution, although dissolution technically refers to the last stage of liquidation...
in 2009 and its future is uncertain. The land around the hotel is also the site of a dry ski slope and headquarters of the Ski Club of Ireland
Ski Club of Ireland
The Ski Club of Ireland owns and runs the only artificial ski slope in the Republic of Ireland. It is located in Kilternan, County Dublin.- History :...
; it continues to operate.
Barnaslingan lies within a Coillte-owned forest recreation area which is managed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership. There are a number of waymarked
Waymarking
Waymarking is an activity where people locate and log interesting locations around the world, usually with a GPS receiver and a digital camera. Waymarking differs from geocaching in that there is no physical container to locate at the given coordinates. Waymarking identifies points of interest for...
walking trails in the woods as well as a permanent orienteering
Orienteering
Orienteering is a family of sports that requires navigational skills using a map and compass to navigate from point to point in diverse and usually unfamiliar terrain, and normally moving at speed. Participants are given a topographical map, usually a specially prepared orienteering map, which they...
course. Barnaslingan is also traversed by the Dublin Mountains Way
Dublin Mountains Way
The Dublin Mountains Way is a waymarked long-distance trail in the Dublin Mountains, County Dublin, Ireland. The route is approximately long and runs from Shankill in the East to Tallaght in the West...
.