Three Rock Mountain facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Three Rock Mountain |
|
|---|---|
| Binn Trí Charraig / Sliabh Ruadh | |
Masts on Three Rock Mountain
|
|
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 448 m (1,470 ft) |
| Geography | |
 Three Rock
Location in Dublin
Three Rock
Location in island of Ireland
|
|
| Location | Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland |
| Parent range | Dublin Mountains |
| OSI/OSNI grid | O176231 |
| Topo map | OSI Discovery No. 50 |
Three Rock Mountain is a mountain in County Dublin, Ireland. It stands about 444 meters (1,457 feet) high. This mountain is part of a group of hills in the Dublin Mountains. These hills include Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue, and Tibradden Mountain.
The mountain gets its name from three large groups of granite rocks at its top. Long ago, people thought these rocks were built by humans. For example, in 1780, Gabriel Beranger thought they were altars for sacrifices. However, these three rock groups are actually natural features called tors. They were formed slowly over time by weathering, which is when rocks break down due to weather.
Today, the top of Three Rock Mountain has many radio masts and towers. These towers send out TV and radio signals across the Dublin area below. The forests on the mountain slopes are mostly made up of different types of pine trees. These include Sitka spruce, Japanese larch, Scots pine, Monterey pine, and lodgepole pine.
Exploring Three Rock Mountain
The views from the top of Three Rock Mountain are amazing. People have enjoyed them for many years. A writer named Weston St. John Joyce once said that from the top, you can see a huge area. This includes mountains, the sea, and flat land. You can see Dublin Bay and Howth to the north. To the east, you can spot Dún Laoghaire, Dalkey, and Killiney. On clear days, you might even see Holyhead and the Snowdon mountains in Wales!
You can reach the mountain through forest areas owned by Coillte. These areas are called Ticknock and Kilmashogue. Part of the path from Kilmashogue follows the Wicklow Way, which is a long hiking trail. Three Rock is also on the Dublin Mountains Way hiking trail. This trail goes between Shankill and Tallaght.
Several local sports clubs are named after the mountain. The Three Rock Orienteering Club has held orienteering (a sport where you use a map and compass) competitions there since 1981. There are also the Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club for field hockey and the Three Rock Rovers association football club.
Mountain History
On top of the main rock group at the summit, there are four bowl-shaped holes. These are called bullauns. In early Christian times, people used them for grinding things. Near the top, you can also find the remains of an old army shooting range. This range closed in the 1970s. When people were shooting, a red flag was raised on the forest road to warn visitors.
The mountain slopes also have the remains of several old hill forts and ring forts. These were old enclosed areas. However, most of them are now hidden by the trees planted in the forests.
In the 1800s, the lower parts of Three Rock had many small quarries. These quarries supplied paving stones for Dublin Corporation (the city council) for a long time. Near the village of Barnacullia, there was a cottage where Countess Markievicz lived until the 1916 Easter Rising. The children of James Connolly stayed at this cottage during the Rising. Later, during the Irish War of Independence (1919–1921), a group of Irish fighters set up a camp in Barnacullia.
Further down the slopes, near Ticknock Road, there is a holy well called Grumley's Well. People say it can help cure eye problems.
Three Rock as a Broadcast Hub
The main place for broadcasting on Three Rock Mountain is run by 2RN. This company is part of RTÉ, Ireland's national broadcaster. The site has a tall mast, about 140 meters (460 feet) high, which is close to the mountain's peak.
This site was one of the first to broadcast UHF television signals in Ireland. It started in 1978 to help launch RTÉ's second TV channel, RTÉ 2. It also made TV reception better for many people. Before this, some parts of Dublin did not get a good signal from the Kippure transmitter. The original tower on the site was replaced by the current tall mast in 2002. However, the old tower is still used for microwave links, which carry signals for broadcasting and phone services.
Today, the transmitters on Three Rock provide the Irish digital television service, Saorview, to Dublin city and county. They also broadcast FM radio and DAB radio networks. Other masts at the site send out signals for most of Dublin's local radio stations.
