Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula |
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Beenoskee and Stradbally Mountain from Gowlane Strand
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| Highest point | |
| Peak | Beenoskee |
| Elevation | 826 m (2,710 ft) |
| Prominence | 491 m (1,611 ft) |
| Dimensions | |
| Length | 20 km (12 mi) E/W |
| Width | 11 km (6.8 mi) N/S |
| Geography | |
 Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula
Location in island of Ireland
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| Location | Kerry |
| Country | Republic of Ireland |
| Provinces of Ireland | Munster |
| Topo map | OSI Discovery 71/70 |
| Geology | |
| Age of rock | Devonian |
| Type of rock | Purple cross-bedded sandstone |
The Mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula are a group of mountains found on the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, Ireland. They are located between the Brandon mountains in the west and the Slieve Mish Mountains in the east. These mountains are known for their unique purple-red rocks and beautiful views.
Contents
The Story of the Rocks: Geology
Just like many other mountain ranges in Kerry, such as the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, the mountains of the Central Dingle Peninsula are mostly made of a type of rock called Old Red Sandstone. This rock formed during a time called the Devonian period. There are also some older rocks from the Ordovician period mixed in.
How the Rocks Formed
The rocks you see today were formed a very long time ago, between 310 and 450 million years ago. Back then, Ireland was located near the equator, which means it was a very hot place! During this time, the area where Cork and Kerry are now was a huge flat plain with many rivers. This area was called the Munster basin.
Over millions of years, sand, mud, and pebbles were washed down by rivers and settled in this basin. These layers of material slowly turned into rock. The rocks got their purple-red color from a natural process called chemical oxidation. You might even see some green parts where a different chemical process happened. It's rare to find fossils in these Old Red Sandstone rocks.
What the Mountains are Made Of
Old Red Sandstone isn't just one type of rock. It's a mix of different kinds, including:
- Sandstone: Made from sand grains.
- Mudstone: Made from fine mud.
- Siltstone: Made from silt, which is finer than sand but coarser than mud.
- Conglomerates: These are rocks made of smaller rocks and pebbles cemented together. You can often see large boulders with quartz pebbles scattered throughout the mountains.
How Glaciers Shaped the Mountains
These mountains were also shaped by huge sheets of ice, called glaciers, during the Ice Age. As the glaciers moved, they carved out special shapes in the landscape:
- Corries: These are bowl-shaped hollows found on the sides of mountains.
- U-shaped valleys: These are valleys that have a distinctive "U" shape, carved out by glaciers moving through them.
Even though glaciers were active here, these mountains don't have the sharp, jagged ridges that you might see in the MacGillycuddy Reeks.
Important Peaks
The MountainViews Online Database lists 23 different peaks in the Central Dingle Mountains that are taller than 100 meters (about 328 feet).
Marilyn: A mountain of any height that stands out by at least 150 meters (492 feet) from the land around it.
The highest mountain in this group is Beenoskee, which stands at 826 meters (2,710 feet) tall. Its name, Binn os Gaoith, means "Mountain above the Wind" or "Mountain above the Estuary." Another notable peak is Stradbally Mountain, which is 798 meters (2,618 feet) high.
Here are some of the tallest peaks in the Central Dingle Mountain range:
- Beenoskee: 826 meters (2,710 feet)
- Stradbally Mountain: 798 meters (2,618 feet)
- Slievanea NE Top: 671 meters (2,200 feet)
- An Cnapán Mór: 649 meters (2,129 feet)
- Cnoc na Bánóige: 642 meters (2,105 feet)
