Benbreen Central Top

Benbreen () at , is the 100th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 122nd–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, Benbreen lies in the southern end of the Twelve Bens mountain range in the Connemara National Park in Galway, Ireland. Benbreen is the 4th-tallest mountain of the Twelve Bens range, after Benbaun , Bencorr , and Bencollaghduff . Benbreen's profile is of a "high narrow rocky ridge with several summits", than a typical "peaked mountain".

Naming

Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that ga, Braon can mean "drip" or "drop", but is more likely related to a personal name, and is the basis of the local surnames ga, Ó Braoin and ga, Mac Braoin, which have been anglicised as "Breen" and "McBreen".

Geography

The actual summit of Benbreen lies on the southern end of a long high rocky quartzite ridge that includes the subsidiary peaks of Benbreen Central Top , and Benbreen North Top ; this gives Benbreen the profile of a "high narrow ridge", with Benbreen as the South Top, than a typical "peaked mountain". Benbreen Central Top's prominence of , and Benbreen North Top's prominence of , qualify them both as Vandeleur-Lynams on the Irish mountain classification system.

Benbreen lies between the summits of Bencollaghduff to the north, and Bengower to the south, and its southerly ridge down to the col with Bengower (known as ga, Mám na Gaoithe, or "pass of the wind" at 470 metres), is noted for its large deposits of scree.

Benbreen's prominence of qualifies it as a Marilyn, and it also ranks it as the 60th-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, '' 100 Highest Irish Mountains'', where the minimum prominence threshold is 100 metres.

Recreation

Hill walking

Benbreen is most often climbed as part of the popular 16–kilometre 8–9 hour ''Glencoaghan Horseshoe'', considered one of Ireland's best high-grade hill-walking routes. Benbreen is also climbed as part of the even longer ''Owenglin Horseshoe'', a 20–kilometre 10–12 hour route around the Owenglin River taking in over twelve summits;

Rock climbing

Benbreen's northeastern cliffs have multi-pitch rock-climbs with grades from Diff (D) to Moderate Severe (MS), and length ranging from 40 to 130 metres. Some of the first ascents date from the mid 1980s, and noted routes include ''Blind Faith'' (S 3a, 4a, 3a, 80 m), and ''Stoned & Starving'' (S -, 4a, 75 m).

Gallery

File:Ben Gower (left) and Benbreen (right) from Bencollaghduff.jpg, Bengower (left) and Benbreen (right), from the summit of Bencollaghduff
File:Benbreen & Bencollaghduff from north ridge of Bengower.jpg, Benbreen and its southern scree slopes, from the summit of Bengower
File:Bengower, Benbreen, Benbaun & Bencollaghduff from Derryclare.jpg, Bengower (left), Benbreen's high summit ridge (centre), and Bencollaghduff (right)
File:Benlettery, Bengower & Benbreen from summit of Bencorr.jpg, Benbreen's mini-massif and summit ridge, from Bencorr
File:Benbreen from bottom of south ridge of Benbaun.jpg, Benbreen's northeast face (see rock climbing), viewed from the col of Maumina with Benbaun

Bibliography

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See also

* Twelve Bens
* Mweelrea, major range in Killary Harbour
* Maumturks, major range in Connemara
* Lists of mountains in Ireland
* Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
* List of Marilyns in the British Isles
* List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

References

External links

MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website
Benbreen

the largest database of British Isles mountains (" DoBIH")
Hill Bagging UK & Ireland
the searchable interface for the DoBIH

{{IrishTrails

Marilyns of Ireland
Hewitts of Ireland
Mountains and hills of County Galway
Geography of County Galway
Mountains under 1000 metres