Sperrins

The Sperrins or Sperrin Mountains (from Irish Speirín 'little pinnacle'[4]) are a range of mountains in Northern Ireland and one of the largest upland areas in Northern Ireland. The range stretches from Strabane eastwards to Slieve Gallion in Desertmartin and north towards Limavady, in the counties of Tyrone and Londonderry. The region has a population of some 150,000 and is a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The Sperrins
Na Speiríní (Irish)[1]
Sperrin Muntains (Ulster-Scots)[2]
Sawel Mountain, the highest point of the Sperrins
Highest point
PeakSawel Mountain
Elevation678 m (2,224 ft)
Geography
Sovereign stateUnited Kingdom
Constituent countryNorthern Ireland
CountiesCounty Tyrone, County Londonderry
Range coordinates54°48′00″N 7°04′59″W
Geology
OrogenyCaledonian orogeny
Type of rockSchist, quartzite,[3] granite, basalt, rhyolite

Features

It has a distinctive glaciated landscape. The Glenshane Pass, part of the A6 Belfast to Derry road, is in the mountains and has notoriously bad weather in winter. Sawel Mountain is the highest peak in the Sperrins, and the seventh highest in Northern Ireland. Its summit rises to 678 m (2,224 ft). Another of the Sperrins, Carntogher (464 m), towers over the Glenshane Pass.[5]

Geologically, the Sperrins are formed mostly from Precambrian metamorphic rocks, with some younger Ordovician igneous rocks in the southern flank of the range. The Mountains are very sparsely populated and provide habitat for a diverse range of birds and mammals. Red fox, Sika Deer, Pine Marten and Red Squirrels are commonly found there alongside Peregrine Falcons, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks. Visiting Golden Eagles from the neighbouring reintroduced Donegal population have been sighted across the range from Strabane to Draperstown although no breeding population has yet been established. The Mountains also provide one of the last refuges of Red Grouse in Northern Ireland.

List
Rank Name Irish name[6] Height[7] Prominence[7]
1Sawel MountainSamhail Phite Méabha ("likeness of Méabh's vulva")678 m (2,224 ft)657 m (2,156 ft)
2MullaghcloghaMullach Clocha ("summit of the stone")635 m (2,083 ft)207 m (679 ft)
3MullaghaneanyMullach an Ionaidh ("summit of the wonder")627 m (2,057 ft)302 m (991 ft)
4MeenardMín Ard ("high mountain pasture")620 m (2,030 ft)85 m (279 ft)
5Dart MountainAn Dairt ("the lump")619 m (2,031 ft)89 m (292 ft)
6MullaghasturrakeenMullach an Starraicín ("summit of the steeple")581 m (1,906 ft)46 m (151 ft)
7MullaghclogherMullach Clochair ("summit of the stony patch")572 m (1,877 ft)127 m (417 ft)
8OughtmoreUcht Mór ("big mountain breast")569 m (1,867 ft)104 m (341 ft)
9SpelhoaghSpeilg Chuach ("cuckoo rock")568 m (1,864 ft)20 m (66 ft)
10MullaghdooMullach Dubh ("black summit")568 m (1,864 ft)20 m (66 ft)
11CarnanellyCarnán Aichle ("little cairn of the lookout")562 m (1,844 ft)307 m (1,007 ft)
12MullaghmoreMullach Mór ("big summit")550 m (1,800 ft)235 m (771 ft)
13MullaghcarnMullach Cairn ("summit of the cairn")542 m (1,778 ft)377 m (1,237 ft)
14White MountainSliabh Bán ("white mountain")537 m (1,762 ft)42 m (138 ft)
15Slieve GallionSliabh gCallann ("mountain of the heights")528 m (1,732 ft)333 m (1,093 ft)
16CrockbrackCnoc Breac ("speckled hill")526 m (1,726 ft)151 m (495 ft)
17MullaghcarbataghMullach Carbadach ("boulder-strewn summit")517 m (1,696 ft)32 m (105 ft)

See also
  • List of mountains in Ireland
Slieve Gallion in the snow

References
  1. Hoare, Natalie (July 2009) UK Landscapes, The Sperrins, Geographical Magazine
  2. "Ulstèr Merikay Fowk Pairk, Youngstèrs Wisin". National Museums Northern Ireland. Archived from the original on 11 October 2013. Retrieved 19 July 2017.
  3. The Rock Cycle, Schist, Co Tyrone, The Geological Society
  4. Ulster Place Names - Magherafelt (C. Dunbar)
  5. "Glenshane Slopes Landscape". Environment and Heritage Service. Archived from the original on 31 July 2012. Retrieved 26 June 2008.
  6. Paul Tempan (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). MountainViews.
  7. and Arderin Begs. MountainViews.
  • Landscapes Unlocked - Aerial footage from the BBC Sky High series explaining the physical, social and economic geography of Northern Ireland.


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