Slieve Gallion
Encyclopedia
Slieve Gallion is a mountain
in County Londonderry
, Northern Ireland
. By road, it is 4 miles (6.4 km) from Moneymore
, 8 miles (12.9 km) from Cookstown
, and 8 miles (12.9 km) from Magherafelt
. It is the eastern limit of the Sperrin Mountains range. It has 2 peaks: the southwestern peak at Glenarudda Mountain and Tintagh Mountain reaches a height of 528 metres (1,732.3 ft), and is the 397th highest peak in Ireland
; the northeastern peak reaches a height of 496 metres (1,627.3 ft), and is the 469th highest peak in Ireland; it is also the furthest-east mountain-top in the Sperrins. The southwestern peak is in Cookstown District
, and the northeastern peak is in Magherafelt District
. The mountain is part of the parishes of Desertmartin
, Lissan
and Ballinascreen.
. The mountain is formed from volcanic-derived igneous rock, and also granite
on the southern slopes. It is steep, and has a flat top. There is a telecommunications mast
on the northeastern summit. To the west, the landscape consists of blanket bog
and coniferous forest; most of the trees in the Slieve Gallion area are Sitka spruce
. There are also lodgepole pine
trees, as well as oak
towards the south of the area. Animal species living in the area include the Irish hare (a sub-species of the mountain hare
), the curlew
, and the red grouse
. The otter
can also be found around nearby rivers. Slieve Gallion is classed by the Northern Ireland Planning Service as an area of "High Scenic Value".
period, around 10,000 years ago. The radiocarbon dating
of pollen has shown that there were plants in the area 10,000 years ago. 7,000 ago, the number of alder trees steeply increased. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of sheep grazing in the area, as well as an increase in mountain biking
, contributing to erosion.
Mountain
Image:Himalaya_annotated.jpg|thumb|right|The Himalayan mountain range with Mount Everestrect 58 14 160 49 Chomo Lonzorect 200 28 335 52 Makalurect 378 24 566 45 Mount Everestrect 188 581 920 656 Tibetan Plateaurect 250 406 340 427 Rong River...
in County Londonderry
County Londonderry
The place name Derry is an anglicisation of the old Irish Daire meaning oak-grove or oak-wood. As with the city, its name is subject to the Derry/Londonderry name dispute, with the form Derry preferred by nationalists and Londonderry preferred by unionists...
, Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
. By road, it is 4 miles (6.4 km) from Moneymore
Moneymore
Moneymore is a village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 1,369 in the 2001 Census.It is an example of a Plantation village in Mid-Ulster. It was the first town in Ulster to have piped water.-Geography:...
, 8 miles (12.9 km) from Cookstown
Cookstown
Cookstown may refer to either of the following:*Cookstown, County Tyrone, Northern Ireland*Cookstown, Ontario, Canada*Cookstown, New Jersey, United States...
, and 8 miles (12.9 km) from Magherafelt
Magherafelt
Magherafelt is a small town in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 8,372 people recorded in the 2001 Census. It is the biggest town in the south of County Londonderry and is the social, economic and political hub of the area...
. It is the eastern limit of the Sperrin Mountains range. It has 2 peaks: the southwestern peak at Glenarudda Mountain and Tintagh Mountain reaches a height of 528 metres (1,732.3 ft), and is the 397th 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...
; the northeastern peak reaches a height of 496 metres (1,627.3 ft), and is the 469th highest peak in Ireland; it is also the furthest-east mountain-top in the Sperrins. The southwestern peak is in Cookstown District
Cookstown District Council
Cookstown District Council is a district council covering an area largely in County Tyrone and partly in County Londonderry. Council headquarters are in Cookstown. Small towns in the council area include Pomeroy, Moneymore, Coagh and Stewartstown and in the east the area is bounded by Lough Neagh...
, and the northeastern peak is in Magherafelt District
Magherafelt District Council
Magherafelt District Council is a district council in County Londonderry in Northern Ireland. Council headquarters are in Magherafelt. The Council area stretches from Lough Neagh and the River Bann in the east and into the Sperrin Mountains in the west and is divided by the Moyola River. It covers...
. The mountain is part of the parishes of Desertmartin
Desertmartin
Desertmartin is a small village in County Londonderry, Northern Ireland. It is four miles from Magherafelt, at the foot of Slieve Gallion. In the 2001 Census Desertmartin greater area had a population of 1,276. It had a population of 2257 in 1837 and 3101 in 1910. It lies within Desertmartin...
, Lissan
Lissan
Lissan is a civil and ecclesiastical parish that spans into County Londonderry and County Tyrone, Northern Ireland. The local Roman Catholic church was built in 1908....
and Ballinascreen.
Nature
Slieve Gallion is a volcanic plugVolcanic plug
A volcanic plug, also called a volcanic neck or lava neck, is a volcanic landform created when magma hardens within a vent on an active volcano. When forming, a plug can cause an extreme build-up of pressure if volatile-charged magma is trapped beneath it, and this can sometimes lead to an...
. The mountain is formed from volcanic-derived igneous rock, and also 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...
on the southern slopes. It is steep, and has a flat top. There is a telecommunications mast
Radio masts and towers
Radio masts and towers are, typically, tall structures designed to support antennas for telecommunications and broadcasting, including television. They are among the tallest man-made structures...
on the northeastern summit. To the west, the landscape consists of blanket bog
Blanket bog
Blanket bog or blanket mire is an area of peatland, forming where there is a climate of high rainfall and a low level of evapotranspiration, allowing peat to develop not only in wet hollows but over large expanses of undulating ground. The blanketing of the ground with a variable depth of peat...
and coniferous forest; most of the trees in the Slieve Gallion area are Sitka spruce
Sitka Spruce
Picea sitchensis, the Sitka Spruce, is a large coniferous evergreen tree growing to 50–70 m tall, exceptionally to 95 m tall, and with a trunk diameter of up to 5 m, exceptionally to 6–7 m diameter...
. There are also lodgepole pine
Lodgepole Pine
Lodgepole Pine, Pinus contorta, also known as Shore Pine, is a common tree in western North America. Like all pines, it is evergreen.-Subspecies:...
trees, as well as oak
Oak
An oak is a tree or shrub in the genus Quercus , of which about 600 species exist. "Oak" may also appear in the names of species in related genera, notably Lithocarpus...
towards the south of the area. Animal species living in the area include the Irish hare (a sub-species of the mountain hare
Mountain Hare
The Mountain Hare , also known as Blue Hare, Tundra Hare, Variable Hare, White Hare, Alpine Hare and Irish Hare, is a hare, which is largely adapted to polar and mountainous habitats. It is distributed from Fennoscandia to eastern Siberia; in addition there are isolated populations in the Alps,...
), the curlew
Curlew
The curlews , genus Numenius, are a group of eight species of birds, characterised by long, slender, downcurved bills and mottled brown plumage. They are one of the most ancient lineages of scolopacid waders, together with the godwits which look similar but have straight bills...
, and the red grouse
Red grouse
The Red Grouse is a medium sized bird of the grouse family which is found in heather moorland in Great Britain and Ireland. It is usually classified as a subspecies of the Willow Grouse but is sometimes considered to be a separate species Lagopus scoticus...
. The otter
Otter
The Otters are twelve species of semi-aquatic mammals which feed on fish and shellfish, and also other invertebrates, amphibians, birds and small mammals....
can also be found around nearby rivers. Slieve Gallion is classed by the Northern Ireland Planning Service as an area of "High Scenic Value".
History
Peat formed at Slieve Gallion in the early HoloceneHolocene
The Holocene is a geological epoch which began at the end of the Pleistocene and continues to the present. The Holocene is part of the Quaternary period. Its name comes from the Greek words and , meaning "entirely recent"...
period, around 10,000 years ago. The radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating
Radiocarbon dating is a radiometric dating method that uses the naturally occurring radioisotope carbon-14 to estimate the age of carbon-bearing materials up to about 58,000 to 62,000 years. Raw, i.e. uncalibrated, radiocarbon ages are usually reported in radiocarbon years "Before Present" ,...
of pollen has shown that there were plants in the area 10,000 years ago. 7,000 ago, the number of alder trees steeply increased. In recent decades, there has been an increase in the number of sheep grazing in the area, as well as an increase in mountain biking
Mountain biking
Mountain biking is a sport which consists of riding bicycles off-road, often over rough terrain, using specially adapted mountain bikes. Mountain bikes share similarities with other bikes, but incorporate features designed to enhance durability and performance in rough terrain.Mountain biking can...
, contributing to erosion.