Knockboy
Encyclopedia
Knockboy is a 706-metre-high mountain on the border between counties Cork
and Kerry
in Ireland
. It is the highest peak in the Shehy mountain range
and the highest mountain in County Cork with its summit shared with County Kerry. It is the 104th highest peak in Ireland
. Knockboy is composed of sandstone
laid down in the Devonian
period which was subsequently uplifted to form a mountain range, before being eroded into its present form by glaciers during the last ice age
.
County Cork
County Cork is a county in Ireland. It is located in the South-West Region and is also part of the province of Munster. It is named after the city of Cork . Cork County Council is the local authority for the county...
and 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...
in 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 the highest peak in the Shehy mountain range
Shehy mountains
The Shehy Mountains are a range of low mountains situated on the border between County Cork and County Kerry, in Ireland.-Geography and geology:...
and the highest mountain in County Cork with its summit shared with County Kerry. It is the 104th highest peak 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...
. Knockboy is composed of sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
laid down in the Devonian
Devonian
The Devonian is a geologic period and system of the Paleozoic Era spanning from the end of the Silurian Period, about 416.0 ± 2.8 Mya , to the beginning of the Carboniferous Period, about 359.2 ± 2.5 Mya...
period which was subsequently uplifted to form a mountain range, before being eroded into its present form by glaciers 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...
.