Slieve Gullion
Encyclopedia
Slieve Gullion is a mountain in the south of County Armagh
in Northern Ireland
. The mountain forms the core of the Ring of Gullion and stands as the highest point in the county with an elevation of 573 metres. Slieve Gullion plays a prominent role in the mythology
and history of the area surrounding it and dominates the countryside around it, offering views of as far away as Connacht
and Dublin Bay
in favorable weather conditions.
volcanic complex. It is surrounded by a ring dyke. Slieve Gullion has been shaped by glaciation and exhibits a classic 'crag and tail' glacial feature. The 'tail', composed of glacial deposits, points south, ending at Drumintee
.
Two cairn
s exist on top of the mountain on either side of the lake - the Northern one is a circular mound of stones approprimatley 40 feet in diameter whilst the Southern one is a large, well preserved passage grave
which is the highest yet discovered in Ireland.
Much of the surface of Slieve Gullion is covered with forest, heather, or raw stone while an amount of 612 hectares of dry heath
on the mountain have been designated a Special Area of Conservation
, an Environmentally Sensitive Area
, and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
. In July 2006, some areas of gorse
was destroyed by a wildfire
which may have been started deliberately
.
Traces of fields on the mountain's poor soil from farming in earlier times can still be seen as well as evidence of quarrying. Today Slieve Gullion is used for little economic production but is popular with visitors and trekers with scenic road access up to about half of the mountain's elevation and remains of an old trail allowing easy access to the summit. Drumintee, Mullaghbawn
, Lislea
, Forkhill
and Meigh
lie in Slieve Gullion's immediate hinterland.
. It is also suggested that this is the area where Cuchullain lived as a child. There are many local legends about Slieve Gullion involving the Cailleach Beara (a witch who transforms into a hare). Slieve Gullion also features in the Fenian Cycle
, where a tale is told of Finn McCool being tricked by the Cailleach Beara into jumping into the Mountain's lake, from which he emerges an old and withered man. The Fianna
force the Cailleach Beara to restore the erstwhile hero back to his former self but Finn never regains the true color of his hair, with it remaining white as an old man for the rest of his life.
County Armagh
-History:Ancient Armagh was the territory of the Ulaid before the fourth century AD. It was ruled by the Red Branch, whose capital was Emain Macha near Armagh. The site, and subsequently the city, were named after the goddess Macha...
in 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...
. The mountain forms the core of the Ring of Gullion and stands as the highest point in the county with an elevation of 573 metres. Slieve Gullion plays a prominent role in the mythology
Irish mythology
The mythology of pre-Christian Ireland did not entirely survive the conversion to Christianity, but much of it was preserved, shorn of its religious meanings, in medieval Irish literature, which represents the most extensive and best preserved of all the branch and the Historical Cycle. There are...
and history of the area surrounding it and dominates the countryside around it, offering views of as far away as Connacht
Connacht
Connacht , formerly anglicised as Connaught, is one of the Provinces of Ireland situated in the west of Ireland. In Ancient Ireland, it was one of the fifths ruled by a "king of over-kings" . Following the Norman invasion of Ireland, the ancient kingdoms were shired into a number of counties for...
and Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay
Dublin Bay is a C-shaped inlet of the Irish Sea on the east coast of Ireland. The bay is about 10 kilometres wide along its north-south base, and 7 km in length to its apex at the centre of the city of Dublin; stretching from Howth Head in the north to Dalkey Point in the south...
in favorable weather conditions.
Features
Slieve Gullion is the eroded remains of a PaleocenePaleocene
The Paleocene or Palaeocene, the "early recent", is a geologic epoch that lasted from about . It is the first epoch of the Palaeogene Period in the modern Cenozoic Era...
volcanic complex. It is surrounded by a ring dyke. Slieve Gullion has been shaped by glaciation and exhibits a classic 'crag and tail' glacial feature. The 'tail', composed of glacial deposits, points south, ending at Drumintee
Drumintee
Dromintee or Drumintee is a small village and townland in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 364 people. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area.- People :...
.
Two cairn
Cairn
Cairn is a term used mainly in the English-speaking world for a man-made pile of stones. It comes from the or . Cairns are found all over the world in uplands, on moorland, on mountaintops, near waterways and on sea cliffs, and also in barren desert and tundra areas...
s exist on top of the mountain on either side of the lake - the Northern one is a circular mound of stones approprimatley 40 feet in diameter whilst the Southern one is a large, well preserved passage grave
Passage grave
thumb|250px|right|A simple passage tomb in [[Carrowmore]] near [[Sligo]] in IrelandA passage grave or passage tomb consists of a narrow passage made of large stones and one or multiple burial chambers covered in earth or stone. Megaliths are usually used in the construction of passage tombs, which...
which is the highest yet discovered in Ireland.
Much of the surface of Slieve Gullion is covered with forest, heather, or raw stone while an amount of 612 hectares of dry heath
Heath (habitat)
A heath or heathland is a dwarf-shrub habitat found on mainly low quality acidic soils, characterised by open, low growing woody vegetation, often dominated by plants of the Ericaceae. There are some clear differences between heath and moorland...
on the mountain have been designated a Special Area of Conservation
Special Area of Conservation
A Special Area of Conservation is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive , also known as the Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora...
, an Environmentally Sensitive Area
Environmentally Sensitive Area
An Environmentally Sensitive Area is a type of designation for an agricultural area which needs special protection because of its landscape, wildlife or historical value. The scheme was introduced in 1987...
, and an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty
An Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is an area of countryside considered to have significant landscape value in England, Wales or Northern Ireland, that has been specially designated by the Countryside Agency on behalf of the United Kingdom government; the Countryside Council for Wales on...
. In July 2006, some areas of gorse
Gorse
Gorse, furze, furse or whin is a genus of about 20 plant species of thorny evergreen shrubs in the subfamily Faboideae of the pea family Fabaceae, native to western Europe and northwest Africa, with the majority of species in Iberia.Gorse is closely related to the brooms, and like them, has green...
was destroyed by a wildfire
Wildfire
A wildfire is any uncontrolled fire in combustible vegetation that occurs in the countryside or a wilderness area. Other names such as brush fire, bushfire, forest fire, desert fire, grass fire, hill fire, squirrel fire, vegetation fire, veldfire, and wilkjjofire may be used to describe the same...
which may have been started deliberately
Arson
Arson is the crime of intentionally or maliciously setting fire to structures or wildland areas. It may be distinguished from other causes such as spontaneous combustion and natural wildfires...
.
Traces of fields on the mountain's poor soil from farming in earlier times can still be seen as well as evidence of quarrying. Today Slieve Gullion is used for little economic production but is popular with visitors and trekers with scenic road access up to about half of the mountain's elevation and remains of an old trail allowing easy access to the summit. Drumintee, Mullaghbawn
Mullaghbawn
Mullaghbawn or Mullaghbane is a small village and townland near Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 402...
, Lislea
Lislea
Lislea is a small village and townland near Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the parish of Killevy, barony of Orior Upper and the Newry and Mourne District Council area. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 84 people....
, Forkhill
Forkhill
Forkhill or Forkill is a small village in south County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It is within the Ring of Gullion, near Slieve Fuad. In the 2001 Census it had a population of 366.- Name :...
and Meigh
Meigh
Meigh is a small village and townland near Slieve Gullion in County Armagh, Northern Ireland. It had a population of 444 people in the 2001 Census. It lies within the Newry and Mourne District Council area.-Geography:...
lie in Slieve Gullion's immediate hinterland.
In mythology
The mountain features in the epic poem Táin Bó CuailngeTáin Bó Cúailnge
is a legendary tale from early Irish literature, often considered an epic, although it is written primarily in prose rather than verse. It tells of a war against Ulster by the Connacht queen Medb and her husband Ailill, who intend to steal the stud bull Donn Cuailnge, opposed only by the teenage...
. It is also suggested that this is the area where Cuchullain lived as a child. There are many local legends about Slieve Gullion involving the Cailleach Beara (a witch who transforms into a hare). Slieve Gullion also features in the Fenian Cycle
Fenian Cycle
The Fenian Cycle , also referred to as the Ossianic Cycle after its narrator Oisín, is a body of prose and verse centering on the exploits of the mythical hero Fionn mac Cumhaill and his warriors the Fianna. It is one of the four major cycles of Irish mythology along with the Mythological Cycle,...
, where a tale is told of Finn McCool being tricked by the Cailleach Beara into jumping into the Mountain's lake, from which he emerges an old and withered man. The Fianna
Fianna
Fianna were small, semi-independent warrior bands in Irish mythology and Scottish mythology, most notably in the stories of the Fenian Cycle, where they are led by Fionn mac Cumhaill....
force the Cailleach Beara to restore the erstwhile hero back to his former self but Finn never regains the true color of his hair, with it remaining white as an old man for the rest of his life.