Cnoc na Péiste—often anglicised

Anglicisation

Anglicisation, or anglicization , is the process of converting verbal or written elements of any other language into a form that is more comprehensible to an English speaker, or, more generally, of altering something such that it becomes English in form or character.The term most often refers to...

 as Knocknapeasta and more rarely given as Slievenapeesta or Cummeennapeasta—is a 988 m (3,241 ft) mountain peak

Mountain peak

A mountain peak is the highest part of a mountain; a mountaintop; the summit.Mountain Peak may also refer to:* Blue Mountain Peak, Jamaica* Hole in the Mountain Peak, Nevada, USA...

 in County Kerry

County Kerry

Kerry means the "people of Ciar" which was the name of the pre-Gaelic tribe who lived in part of the present county. The legendary founder of the tribe was Ciar, son of Fergus mac Róich. In Old Irish "Ciar" meant black or dark brown, and the word continues in use in modern Irish as an adjective...

, Republic of Ireland

Republic of Ireland

Ireland , described as the Republic of Ireland , is a sovereign state in Europe occupying approximately five-sixths of the island of the same name. Its capital is Dublin. Ireland, which had a population of 4.58 million in 2011, is a constitutional republic governed as a parliamentary democracy,...

. It is part of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks

Macgillycuddy's Reeks

MacGillycuddy's Reeks is a mountain range in County Kerry, Republic of Ireland. Stretching slightly over , it includes the highest peaks in Ireland and the only peaks on the island that are over . The highest of these is Corrán Tuathail or Carrauntoohil , followed by Binn Chaorach and Cathair na...

 range and is the fourth highest summit

Summit (topography)

In topography, a summit is a point on a surface that is higher in elevation than all points immediately adjacent to it. Mathematically, a summit is a local maximum in elevation...

 in 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...

—after Carrauntoohil, Beenkeragh and Caher; which are also part of the range.

Surroundings

Cnoc na Péiste is the highest point on a ridge heading east from Carrauntoohil towards Purple Mountain, from which it is separated by the Gap of Dunloe

Gap of Dunloe

The Gap of Dunloe is a narrow mountain pass between Macgillycuddy's Reeks and Purple Mountain in County Kerry, Ireland. It is about from north to south. Within it are five lakes: Coosaun Lough, Black Lake, Cushnavally Lake, Auger Lake, and Black Lough . These lakes are connected by the River Loe...

. To the southwest of Cnoc na Péiste is the peak of Maolán Buí (973 m) and to the northeast is An Gunna Mhór (939 m) or "The Big Gun".

Between Cnoc na Péiste and An Gunna Mhór there are two small lake

Lake

A lake is a body of relatively still fresh or salt water of considerable size, localized in a basin, that is surrounded by land. Lakes are inland and not part of the ocean and therefore are distinct from lagoons, and are larger and deeper than ponds. Lakes can be contrasted with rivers or streams,...

s—Loch Coimín Piast (anglicised Lough Cummeenapeasta) and Lough Googh—one on either side of the ridge. A stream

Stream

A stream is a body of water with a current, confined within a bed and stream banks. Depending on its locale or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to as a branch, brook, beck, burn, creek, "crick", gill , kill, lick, rill, river, syke, bayou, rivulet, streamage, wash, run or...

 called Glasheencummeennapeasta flows northwards from Lough Cummeenapeasta into Hag's Glen, where it joins the Gaddagh River. On the other side of the ridge, a stream flows southwards from Lough Googh into the Derrycarna River.

Aircraft crash

At about 7 am on 17 December 1943, during World War II

World War II

World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...

, a United States Army Air Forces

United States Army Air Forces

The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....

 (USAAF) plane crashed into the side of Cnoc na Péiste. The plane was a Douglas C-47 or Dakota (serial number 43-30719) with five crewmen aboard. It struck the mountain just above Lough Cummeenapeasta at an altitude of about 2,000 ft—killing all five passengers. The Gardaí

Garda Síochána

, more commonly referred to as the Gardaí , is the police force of Ireland. The service is headed by the Commissioner who is appointed by the Irish Government. Its headquarters are located in the Phoenix Park in Dublin.- Terminology :...

 were not alerted to the crash until 3 February 1944, and the following day an Irish Army

Irish Army

The Irish Army, officially named simply the Army is the main branch of the Defence Forces of Ireland. Approximately 8,500 men and women serve in the Irish Army, divided into three infantry Brigades...

detachment was sent to recover the bodies. Pieces of the aircraft can still be seen on the mountainside, and a plaque was placed at the shore of the lake to commemorate the victims.

Climbing Cnoc na Péiste

Climbers and walkers tend to tackle all the Macgillycuddy's Reeks in a single attempt, often from the north-east along the Hag's Glen, since there are few other options for descent from the main ridge. The continuation of the ridge east of Cnoc na Péiste is very sharp and cannot be walked; hikers must take a route to one side of the ridge to continue on to An Gunna Mhór.