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The Dublin Mountains Way () is a
waymarked Trail blazing or way marking is the practice of marking paths in outdoor recreational areas with signs or markings that follow each other at certain, though not necessarily exactly defined, distances and mark the direction of the trail. A blaz ...
long-distance trail A long-distance trail (or long-distance footpath, track, way, greenway) is a longer recreational trail mainly through rural areas used for hiking, backpacking, cycling, horse riding or cross-country skiing. They exist on all continents excep ...
in the
Dublin Mountains The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Wh ...
, Counties
South Dublin , image_map = Island of Ireland location map South Dublin.svg , map_caption = Inset showing South Dublin (darkest green in inset) within Dublin Region (lighter green) , area_total_km2 ...
and
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown ( ga, Dún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is a Counties of Ireland, county in Republic of Ireland, Ireland. It is part of the Provinces of Ireland, province of Leinster and the Eastern and Midland Region. It is one of three s ...
, Ireland. The route is approximately long and runs from Shankill in the east to
Tallaght ) , image_skyline = TallaghtDublinD24.jpg , image_caption = Tallaght, Dublin , image_flag = , flag_size = , pushpin_map = Dublin#Ireland , pushpin_label_position = left , ...
in the west. It has been developed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership, an umbrella group of relevant state agencies and recreational users working to improve recreational facilities in the Dublin Mountains. Work on the trail began in 2008 and the first section officially opened in June 2009. The task of upgrading and building paths and waymarking the route has been carried out to a large extent by volunteers working under the direction of the Dublin Mountains Partnership. It was opened in October 2010. Travelling from east to west, the route of the Dublin Mountains Way starts on the Main Street of Shankill and passes through
Rathmichael Rathmichael () is a suburb south-east of Dublin, in the administration of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, near the southern border of the historic County Dublin. It is situated west of Shankill from which it is, roughly, separated by the M50/ M11 ...
,
Carrickgollogan Carrickgollogan () is a hill in Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown in Ireland, towards the southern border of the historic County Dublin. It is high, on the eastern edge of the Dublin Mountains, rising above the districts of Rathmichael and Shankill. It ...
,
Barnaslingan __NOTOC__ Barnaslingan () is a high hill in County Dublin, Ireland. It is most noted for the geological feature known as The Scalp ( or "cleft") that lies to the west of the summit. Samuel Lewis, in ''A Topographical Dictionary of Ireland'' ( ...
,
Glencullen Glencullen () is a village and townland in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in south County Dublin, Ireland. It is also the name of the valley above one end of which the village sits, and from which it takes its name, and is on the R ...
, Ballyedmonduff,
Three Rock Three Rock Mountain (; archaic: ''Sliabh Ruadh'') is a mountain in Co Dublin, Ireland. It is high and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The mo ...
,
Two Rock Two Rock (; archaic: Black Mountain; ' ()) is a mountain in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is high and is the 382nd highest mountain in Ireland. It is the highest point of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two ...
,
Tibradden Mountain Tibradden Mountain () is a mountain in County Dublin in Ireland. Other former names for the mountain include "Garrycastle" and "Kilmainham Begg" (a reference to Kilmainham Priory which once owned the lands around the mountain). It is high and i ...
, Cruagh Wood, Featherbed Forest, Glenasmole and Kiltipper before ending at Seán Walsh Memorial Park in Tallaght. The Way visits several sites of historical interest including the prehistoric monuments at Ballyedmonduff and on Two Rock and Tibradden Mountains. It also visits several places of scientific interest such as The Scalp, an important example of a
glacial A glacial period (alternatively glacial or glaciation) is an interval of time (thousands of years) within an ice age that is marked by colder temperatures and glacier advances. Interglacials, on the other hand, are periods of warmer climate betw ...
lake overflow, and the Glenasmole Valley, a
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
. The route passes through a variety of terrain from urban parks to forest to open mountainside and is on a mixture of roads and forest and mountain tracks and trails.


History

The Dublin Mountains Way has been developed by the Dublin Mountains Partnership (DMP), which was established in May 2008 with the aim of improving the recreational experience for users of the
Dublin Mountains The Wicklow Mountains (, archaic: ''Cualu'') form the largest continuous upland area in the Republic of Ireland. They occupy the whole centre of County Wicklow and stretch outside its borders into the counties of Dublin, Wexford and Carlow. Wh ...
. Its members include representatives from
Coillte Coillte (; meaning "forests"/"woods") is a state-owned commercial forestry business in Ireland based in Newtownmountkennedy. Coillte manage approximately 7% of the country’s land, and operates three businesses - their core forestry business, a ...
, the
State-owned State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownersh ...
forestry Forestry is the science and craft of creating, managing, planting, using, conserving and repairing forests, woodlands, and associated resources for human and environmental benefits. Forestry is practiced in plantations and natural stands. Th ...
company;
South Dublin County Council South Dublin County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Átha Cliath Theas) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of South Dublin, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities created by the Local Government (Dublin) Act ...
;
Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council ( ga, Comhairle Contae Dhún Laoghaire–Ráth an Dúin) is the authority responsible for local government in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. It is one of three local authorities that s ...
; the National Parks and Wildlife Service and the Dublin Mountains Initiative, an umbrella group of recreational users of the mountains. The trail has been an objective of the local authorities since the 1980s; an attempt to develop the Way in 1988 was thwarted when the
Department of Energy A Ministry of Energy or Department of Energy is a government department in some countries that typically oversees the production of fuel and electricity; in the United States, however, it manages nuclear weapons development and conducts energy-rel ...
vetoed the routing of the trail through state-owned forests due to the risk of
public liability Public liability is part of the law of tort which focuses on civil wrongs. An applicant (the injured party) usually sues the respondent (the owner or occupier) under common law based on negligence and/or damages. Claims are usually successful when ...
claims, even though £10,000 had been spent on equipment, including waymarks. With the formation of the DMP in 2008, the trail began to be realised. The DMP was set up as a result of pressure from the Dublin Mountains Initiative arising from clear felling of forests in the area. The vision document published in 2006 by the Dublin Mountains Initiative included a proposal for a "Dublin Way", similar to what has now been developed. Work commenced on the Dublin Mountains Way in September 2008 with the upgrade of the trail at
Tibradden Mountain Tibradden Mountain () is a mountain in County Dublin in Ireland. Other former names for the mountain include "Garrycastle" and "Kilmainham Begg" (a reference to Kilmainham Priory which once owned the lands around the mountain). It is high and i ...
. A sleepered bog bridge was constructed at the summit to protect the surrounding
heathland A heath () is a shrubland habitat found mainly on free-draining infertile, acidic soils and characterised by open, low-growing woody vegetation. Moorland is generally related to high-ground heaths with—especially in Great Britain—a cooler ...
and a stone staircase and water management features were added to other parts of the trail. The work was carried out with support from at a cost of €100,000. The first section of the Way – from Tibradden to Cruagh Wood – was officially opened on 19 June 2009 by
Éamon Ó Cuív Éamon Ó Cuív (; born 23 June 1950) is an Irish Fianna Fáil politician who has been a Teachta Dála (TD) for the Galway West constituency since the 1992 general election. He previously served as Deputy Leader of Fianna Fáil from 2011 to 2 ...
, TD, Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. Other sections have been completed with assistance from over 300 volunteer workers. The section linking Cruagh Wood and Massy's Estate was built by volunteers from the trail conservation group Mountain with funding from the Irish Ramblers Club. Mountain 's work on this section of trail was awarded second prize in the
European Ramblers' Association The European Ramblers Association (ERA); Europäische Wandervereinigung (EWV); Fédération Européenne de la Randonnée Pédestre (FERP), is a network organisation working for promotion of walking, hiking, creating trails, exchange of the know-h ...
2011 Eco Awards, in recognition of achievements in
environmental protection Environmental protection is the practice of protecting the natural environment by individuals, organizations and governments. Its objectives are to conserve natural resources and the existing natural environment and, where possible, to repair dam ...
and sustainable outdoor recreation. Volunteers from Google have upgraded trails and waymarked the route at Barnaslingan and Carrickgollogan. The full route was officially opened on 31 October 2010 by the Dublin Mountains Partnership at a ceremony in Ticknock forest. In November 2011, the Dublin Mountains Way won a
Chambers Ireland The Chambers of Commerce of Ireland, trading as Chambers Ireland is the federation of chambers of commerce for the Republic of Ireland. It is a member organisation of EUROCHAMBRES. ''InBUSINESS'' magazine ''InBUSINESS'' is the organisation's ...
Excellence in Local Government Award in the Joint Local Authority Initiative section. A number of alterations were made to the route in 2012. The Way originally passed through St Ann's graveyard in Glenasmole to reach the Bohernabreena Waterworks but now follows the road to Castlekelly Bridge, entering the Waterworks at its southern end. Following an agreement with a local landowner, some of trail has been taken off-road by facilitating access to
Three Rock Mountain Three Rock Mountain (; archaic: ''Sliabh Ruadh'') is a mountain in Co Dublin, Ireland. It is high and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The m ...
via private forestry at Ballyedmonduff. A further major change occurred in 2013: originally the route included an optional looped route around Massy's Estate and the Hell Fire Club on
Montpelier Hill Montpelier Hill () is a 383 metres (1,257 foot) hill in County Dublin, Ireland. It is commonly referred to as the Hell Fire Club (), the popular name given to the ruined building at the summit believed to be one of the first Freemason lodges ...
; this part of the route was removed to comply with the international classification rules for walking trails, which require trails to be continuous and without detours or loops.


Route


Shankill and Rathmichael

Heading from east to west, the Dublin Mountains Way starts in the village of Shankill at Brady's pub. The
trailhead A trailhead is the point at which a trail begins, where the trail is often intended for hiking, biking, horseback riding, or off-road vehicles. Modern trailheads often contain rest rooms, maps, sign posts and distribution centers for information ...
is marked by a mapboard erected by the Dublin Mountains Partnership. The Way is marked with the standard yellow "walking man" symbol used by long-distance trails in Ireland. Sections where the Dublin Mountains Way crosses other trails are also signed "DMW". The trail follows a series of lanes behind the pub, through the Tillystown area of Shankill, crossing the
M11 motorway The M11 is a motorway that runs north from the North Circular Road (A406) in South Woodford to the A14, northwest of Cambridge, England. Originally proposed as a trunk road as early as 1915, various plans were considered throughout the 1960s ...
via a pedestrian bridge, following the line of an old
mass path A mass path is a pedestrian track or road connecting destinations frequently used by rural communities, traditionally leading to a church celebrating Sunday Mass. They were most common during the centuries that preceded motorised transportation i ...
to
Rathmichael Rathmichael () is a suburb south-east of Dublin, in the administration of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, near the southern border of the historic County Dublin. It is situated west of Shankill from which it is, roughly, separated by the M50/ M11 ...
. It then follows Lordello Road and emerges onto Ferndale Road where it soon turns onto a lane leading into Rathmichael Wood. Along this lane is a twelfth-century cross set in a granite boulder base. This is one of a series of crosses – known as the Fassaroe Crosses – found in the locality, all of which are believed to have been the work of the same stonemason. The base is in its original location but the cross itself was found in the remains of the church in neighbouring Kiltuck and reunited with its base in 1910. The cross is unusual in that there is a crucifixion scene on both faces. Competing theories for the purpose of the cross are that it marked a route between the churches at Rathmichael and Kiltuck or that it marked the site of another church, now long gone. Local folklore tells a tale of a series of misfortunes that once befell a group of men sent to take the cross at the behest of a local collector of antiquities. The trail passes through Rathmichael Wood and emerges onto Puck's Castle Lane.


Carrickgollogan and Barnaslingan

From Puck's Castle Lane, the trail enters Carrickgollogan Wood. These woods consist of of mixed woodland including
Lodgepole pine ''Pinus contorta'', with the common names lodgepole pine and shore pine, and also known as twisted pine, and contorta pine, is a common tree in western North America. It is common near the ocean shore and in dry montane forests to the subalpine, ...
,
Noble fir ''Abies procera'', the noble fir, also called red fir and Christmas tree, is a species of fir native to the Cascade Range and Pacific Coast Ranges of the northwestern Pacific Coast of the United States. It occurs at altitudes of . Description '' ...
,
Japanese larch ''Larix kaempferi'', the Japanese larch or karamatsu () in Japanese, is a species of larch native to Japan, in the mountains of Chūbu and Kantō regions in central Honshū.Farjon, A. (1990). ''Pinaceae. Drawings and Descriptions of the Genera ...
,
Lawson cypress ''Chamaecyparis lawsoniana'', known as Port Orford cedar or Lawson cypress, is a species of conifer in the genus ''Chamaecyparis'', family Cupressaceae. It is native to Oregon and northwestern California, and grows from sea level up to in the v ...
,
Scots pine ''Pinus sylvestris'', the Scots pine (UK), Scotch pine (US) or Baltic pine, is a species of tree in the pine family Pinaceae that is native to Eurasia. It can readily be identified by its combination of fairly short, blue-green leaves and orang ...
,
birch A birch is a thin-leaved deciduous hardwood tree of the genus ''Betula'' (), in the family Betulaceae, which also includes alders, hazels, and hornbeams. It is closely related to the beech-oak family Fagaceae. The genus ''Betula'' contains 30 ...
and
beech Beech (''Fagus'') is a genus of deciduous trees in the family Fagaceae, native to temperate Europe, Asia, and North America. Recent classifications recognize 10 to 13 species in two distinct subgenera, ''Engleriana'' and ''Fagus''. The ''Engle ...
. The ruin of the
flue A flue is a duct, pipe, or opening in a chimney for conveying exhaust gases from a fireplace, furnace, water heater, boiler, or generator to the outdoors. Historically the term flue meant the chimney itself. In the United States, they are al ...
chimney of the former
Ballycorus Leadmines Ballycorus () leadmines is a former lead mining and smelting centre located in the townland of the same name, near Kilternan in County Dublin, Ireland. The mine opened around 1807 and was taken over by the Mining Company of Ireland (MCI) in 1826 ...
, with its distinctive external spiral staircase becomes visible as the trail climbs the hillside. The route passes close to but does not ascend the summit of Carrickgollogan Hill (), which can be reached by a short detour along the waymarked Lead Mines Way. The trail emerges from Carrickgollogan onto Murphy's Lane and thence to Barnaslingan Lane where it enters Barnaslingan Wood. The trail passes through dense pine woods as it ascends the summit of Barnaslingan Hill (). The summit looks over The Scalp, a narrow glacial valley created during the last ice age. This slender channel was gouged out by escaping
meltwater Meltwater is water released by the melting of snow or ice, including glacial ice, tabular icebergs and ice shelves over oceans. Meltwater is often found in the ablation zone of glaciers, where the rate of snow cover is reducing. Meltwater can be ...
draining from a
glacial lake A glacial lake is a body of water with origins from glacier activity. They are formed when a glacier erodes the land and then melts, filling the depression created by the glacier. Formation Near the end of the last glacial period, roughly 10,0 ...
. These glacial origins are evident from the granite outcrops and boulders that litter the hillside. The Scalp is an important example of a glacial lake outflow and is listed as an Area of Scientific Interest. The trail descends through the woods and emerges onto the R117 (
Enniskerry Enniskerry (historically ''Annaskerry'', from ) is a village in County Wicklow, Ireland. The population was 1,889 at the 2016 census. Location The village is situated on the Glencullen River in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains in the ea ...
) Road.


Kilternan and Glencullen

The trail follows the R117 road to the village of
Kilternan Kilternan (), also known as Kiltiernan, is a village in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, in the foothills of the Wicklow Mountains south of Dublin, Ireland, near the border with County Wicklow. Location Separated from the continuous built-up Dubli ...
. Along the way, it passes the partially completed Kilternan Golf and Country Club, built around a nineteenth-century house called Springfield which was once the home of the poet and mathematician
George Darley George Darley (1795–1846) was an Irish poet, novelist, literary critic, and author of mathematical texts. Friends with such literary luminaries as Charles Lamb, Thomas Carlyle, and John Clare, he was considered by some to be on a level with Te ...
. Reaching Kilternan village, the route turns onto the
R116 road The R116 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs east-west from the N11 at Loughlinstown to the R115 in Ballyboden. It runs through the South of County Dublin for its entire length. Route The official definition of the R116 from the ...
at the Church of Our Lady of the Wayside, a distinctive wooden structure built in 1929. From Kilternan, the Way follows the R116 road to
Glencullen Glencullen () is a village and townland in the county of Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown in south County Dublin, Ireland. It is also the name of the valley above one end of which the village sits, and from which it takes its name, and is on the R ...
, built on the crossroads where the R116 meets the Ballyedmonduff Road. The Glencullen area has long been a centre for
granite Granite () is a coarse-grained (phaneritic) intrusive igneous rock composed mostly of quartz, alkali feldspar, and plagioclase. It forms from magma with a high content of silica and alkali metal oxides that slowly cools and solidifies undergro ...
quarrying and stonecutting and stone from here has been used in many notable Dublin buildings such as the
GPO GPO may refer to: Government and politics * General Post Office, Dublin * General Post Office, in Britain * Social Security Government Pension Offset, a provision reducing benefits * Government Pharmaceutical Organization, a Thai state enterpris ...
and the Industry and Commerce Building on
Kildare Street Kildare Street () is a street in Dublin, Ireland. Location Kildare Street is close to the principal shopping area of Grafton Street and Dawson Street, to which it is joined by Molesworth Street. Trinity College lies at the north end of the ...
. Passing through the village, the route takes in the ruins of the old church, built in 1824; the Carnegie library, built in 1907; and the new church, built in 1909, all of which were built with support from the O'Connell-Fitzsimon family who owned the lands around Glencullen for many years. The focal point of the village is Johnnie Fox's pub which was established in 1798.


Three Rock and Two Rock Mountains

Leaving Glencullen, the Way enters forestry at Ballyedmonduff, passing the site of
Ballyedmonduff wedge tomb Ballyedmonduff Wedge Tomb is a wedge-shaped gallery grave and a National Monument in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown, Ireland. Location Ballyedmonduff Wedge Tomb is found on the south-eastern slope of the Two Rock mountain. History This is an e ...
. This
Bronze Age The Bronze Age is a historic period, lasting approximately from 3300 BC to 1200 BC, characterized by the use of bronze, the presence of writing in some areas, and other early features of urban civilization. The Bronze Age is the second pri ...
wedge-shaped gallery grave A gallery grave is a form of megalithic tomb built primarily during the Neolithic Age in Europe in which the main gallery of the tomb is entered without first passing through an antechamber or hallway. There are at least four major types of galler ...
consists of three chambers surrounded by a horseshoe arrangement of stones. It was excavated in 1945 and
sherd In archaeology, a sherd, or more precisely, potsherd, is commonly a historic or prehistoric fragment of pottery, although the term is occasionally used to refer to fragments of stone and glass vessels, as well. Occasionally, a piece of broken p ...
s of Beaker pottery, a polished hammer, a possible polishing stone and a flint scraper were found. The trail ascends through the spruce, larch and pine woods of
Ticknock Ticknock or Tiknock () is a townland southwest of Sandyford in Dublin at the northeastern foothills of the Dublin Mountains. The townland of Tiknock is in the electoral division of Dundrum, and has an area of approximately . There are a number o ...
forest to reach the summit of
Three Rock Three Rock Mountain (; archaic: ''Sliabh Ruadh'') is a mountain in Co Dublin, Ireland. It is high and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprises Two Rock, Three Rock, Kilmashogue and Tibradden Mountains. The mo ...
(). This area is dominated by the masts used by
RTÉ (RTÉ) (; Irish language, Irish for "Radio & Television of Ireland") is the Public broadcaster, national broadcaster of Republic of Ireland, Ireland headquartered in Dublin. It both produces and broadcasts programmes on RTÉ Television, telev ...
and other broadcasters for the transmission of radio and television services. The mountain takes its name from the three groups of rocks visible from much of Dublin city and suburbs. It was once believed that these features were man made: for example, in 1780
Gabriel Beranger Gabriel Beranger (1725–1817) was a Dutch artist, known for his works showing Irish antiquities. Life Beranger was born in Rotterdam on 9 March 1725, as the son of Henry Beranger and Marie le Duc/Anne Marie Leduc. His parents, who had married in ...
speculated that they were altars on which sacrifices were offered. In fact, the rocks are granite
tor Tor, TOR or ToR may refer to: Places * Tor, Pallars, a village in Spain * Tor, former name of Sloviansk, Ukraine, a city * Mount Tor, Tasmania, Australia, an extinct volcano * Tor Bay, Devon, England * Tor River, Western New Guinea, Indonesia Sc ...
s formed naturally over many years by the process of
weathering Weathering is the deterioration of rocks, soils and minerals as well as wood and artificial materials through contact with water, atmospheric gases, and biological organisms. Weathering occurs ''in situ'' (on site, with little or no movement), ...
. The middle tor contains a series of bowl-shaped depressions known as
bullaun A bullaun ( ga, bullán; from a word cognate with "bowl" and French ''bol'') is the term used for the depression in a stone which is often water filled. Natural rounded boulders or pebbles may sit in the bullaun. The size of the bullaun is high ...
s which were used for grinding in early Christian times. From Three Rock, the trail ascends to the summit of Two Rock Mountain (). Known as " Fairy Castle", this is the highest point on the Dublin Mountains Way. The summit is marked by a cairn and a trig pillar. These two features lie upon a raised mound, approximately across and high and covered in turf and heather: this is the remains of a
passage tomb A passage grave or passage tomb consists of one or more burial chambers covered in earth or with stone, and having a narrow access passage made of large stones. These structures usually date from the Neolithic Age, and are found largely in Wester ...
. Due to the collapse of the edges of the cairn, the entrance to the passage can no longer be seen.


Tibradden Mountain and Cruagh Wood

From Fairy Castle, the Way follows a ridge to the summit of
Tibradden Tibradden Mountain () is a mountain in County Dublin in Ireland. Other former names for the mountain include "Garrycastle" and "Kilmainham Begg" (a reference to Kilmainham Priory which once owned the lands around the mountain). It is high and i ...
(). The geology of the mountain is granite and the southern slopes of the site are strewn with granite boulders. Close to the summit lies the remains of a prehistoric site which was excavated in 1849 by members of the
Royal Irish Academy The Royal Irish Academy (RIA; ga, Acadamh Ríoga na hÉireann), based in Dublin, is an academic body that promotes study in the sciences, humanities and social sciences. It is Ireland's premier List of Irish learned societies, learned socie ...
. The burial urn that was found within the monument was removed and now resides at the
National Museum of Ireland The National Museum of Ireland ( ga, Ard-Mhúsaem na hÉireann) is Ireland's leading museum institution, with a strong emphasis on national and some international archaeology, Irish history, Irish art, culture, and natural history. It has thre ...
in Dublin. Following the 1849 excavation, the centre of the cairn was removed to create a circular chamber with a pseudo passage leading to the centre. As a result, the site was for many years thought to be a passage grave. However, conservation works carried out in 1956 revealed it to be a
chambered cairn A chambered cairn is a burial monument, usually constructed during the Neolithic, consisting of a sizeable (usually stone) chamber around and over which a cairn of stones was constructed. Some chambered cairns are also passage-graves. They are fo ...
with a
cist A cist ( or ; also kist ; from grc-gre, κίστη, Middle Welsh ''Kist'' or Germanic ''Kiste'') is a small stone-built coffin-like box or ossuary used to hold the bodies of the dead. Examples can be found across Europe and in the Middle East ...
burial at the centre. Within the chamber itself lies a stone with a spiral pattern. The trail descends from the summit of Tibradden through the Pine Forest, a mixed woodland area of Scots pine, Japanese larch, European larch, Sitka spruce, oak and beech. Crossing the
R116 road The R116 road is a regional road in Ireland which runs east-west from the N11 at Loughlinstown to the R115 in Ballyboden. It runs through the South of County Dublin for its entire length. Route The official definition of the R116 from the ...
and the Owendoher River, it enters Cruagh Wood. The route crosses the wood along the northern slopes of Cruagh Mountain () but does not ascend to the summit. The wood is a mixture of Sitka spruce and larch. As the trail exits Cruagh Wood it passes a stone memorial to the botanist H. C. Hart who, in 1886, made, and won, a bet that he could walk from
Terenure Terenure (), originally called ''Roundtown'', is an affluent, middle class suburb of Dublin in Ireland. It is located in the city's D6W postcode area. Location and transport Terenure lies primarily in the administrative area of Dublin City ...
in Dublin to the summit of
Lugnaquilla LugnaquillaLugnaquilla
.


Glenasmole and Tallaght

Emerging from Cruagh Wood, the way follows the R116 to the junction with the R115 known as Viewing Point. From Viewing Point, it briefly follows the R115 before entering Featherbed Forest, emerging onto the Piperstown Road in front of Piperstown Hill. The Way follows a series of minor roads, descending into the Glenasmole Valley, a slender gorge carved out by the
River Dodder The River Dodder ( ga, An Dothra) is one of the three main rivers in Dublin, Ireland, the others being the Liffey, of which the Dodder is the largest tributary, and the Tolka. Course and system The Dodder rises on the northern slopes of Ki ...
. The valley is a
Special Area of Conservation A Special Area of Conservation (SAC) is defined in the European Union's Habitats Directive (92/43/EEC), also known as the ''Directive on the Conservation of Natural Habitats and of Wild Fauna and Flora''. They are to protect the 220 habitats and ap ...
containing three important habitats: petrifying springs,
orchid Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae (), a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Along with the Asteraceae, they are one of the two largest families of flowering ...
-rich grassland and Molina meadow. It is a habitat for four endangered
flora Flora is all the plant life present in a particular region or time, generally the naturally occurring (indigenous) native plants. Sometimes bacteria and fungi are also referred to as flora, as in the terms '' gut flora'' or '' skin flora''. E ...
l species:
Green-winged Orchid ''Anacamptis morio'', the green-winged orchid or green-veined orchid ( synonym ''Orchis morio''), is a flowering plant of the orchid family, Orchidaceae. It usually has purple flowers, and is found in Europe and the Middle East. Description It f ...
, Small-white Orchid,
Yellow Archangel ''Lamium galeobdolon'', commonly known as yellow archangel, artillery plant, aluminium plant, or yellow weasel-snout, is a widespread wildflower in Europe, and has been introduced elsewhere as a garden plant. It displays the zygomorphic flower mo ...
and Yellow Bird's-nest. The trail follows the road to Castlekelly Bridge after which it enters the Bohernabreena Waterworks. The waterworks were constructed between 1883 and 1887 to provide the
townland A townland ( ga, baile fearainn; Ulster-Scots: ''toonlann'') is a small geographical division of land, historically and currently used in Ireland and in the Western Isles in Scotland, typically covering . The townland system is of Gaelic origi ...
of
Rathmines Rathmines () is an affluent inner suburb on the Southside of Dublin in Ireland. It lies three kilometres south of the city centre. It begins at the southern side of the Grand Canal and stretches along the Rathmines Road as far as Rathgar to t ...
with drinking water and to supply water for the mills along the Dodder. The Upper Reservoir collects the clear water from the upper end of the valley for use as drinking water. The lake has a surface area of 0.23 km2 and a capacity of 1.56 million m3. It is a habitat for
whooper swan The whooper swan ( /ˈhuːpə(ɹ) swɒn/) (''Cygnus cygnus''), also known as the common swan, pronounced ''hooper swan'', is a large northern hemisphere swan. It is the Eurasian counterpart of the North American trumpeter swan, and the type specie ...
s,
moorhen Moorhens—sometimes called marsh hens—are medium-sized water birds that are members of the rail family (Rallidae). Most species are placed in the genus ''Gallinula'', Latin for "little hen". They are close relatives of coots. They are of ...
s and
little grebe The little grebe (''Tachybaptus ruficollis''), also known as dabchick, is a member of the grebe family of water birds. The genus name is from Ancient Greek ''takhus'' "fast" and ''bapto'' "to sink under". The specific ''ruficollis'' is from Latin ...
s. The Way follows the Upper Reservoir, crossing its dam and following the
watercourse A stream is a continuous body of surface water flowing within the bed and banks of a channel. Depending on its location or certain characteristics, a stream may be referred to by a variety of local or regional names. Long large streams are ...
of the Dodder to the Lower Reservoir. An iron bridge connects the dam to a valve house which controls the flow of water from the reservoir into the water supply pipes. The Lower Reservoir collects the peaty water from the bogland around the valley. It has a surface area of 0.12 km2 and a capacity of 0.5 million m3. It was originally built to provide water for the mills along the Dodder but is now used to assist in controlling flooding on the river. From the waterworks, the trail follows the Dodder through Kiltipper Park and then, after skirting past the
housing estate A housing estate (or sometimes housing complex or housing development) is a group of homes and other buildings built together as a single development. The exact form may vary from country to country. Popular throughout the United States a ...
s at Ellensborough and Marlfield, enters Sean Walsh Park in Tallaght where the Way finishes at a mapboard with a stone marking the opening of the Tallaght section of the Way by Councillor Eamon Maloney, Mayor of South Dublin County, on 31 October 2010.


Intersecting and connecting paths

The Dublin Mountains Way shares part of its route with the Wicklow Way between Fairy Castle and Tibradden. The Way also shares its route with sections of shorter trails in the forest recreation areas it passes through such as the Lead Mines Way at Carrickgollogan, the Scalp Lookout Trail at Barnaslingan and the nature trail at Massy's Woods.


Public transport

Shankill is served by frequent
Dublin Bus Dublin Bus ( ga, Bus Átha Cliath) is a State-owned bus operator providing services in Dublin. By far the largest bus operator in the city, it carried 138 million passengers in 2019. It is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Córas Iompair Éireann. ...
services and by the
DART Dart or DART may refer to: * Dart, the equipment in the game of darts Arts, entertainment and media * Dart (comics), an Image Comics superhero * Dart, a character from ''G.I. Joe'' * Dart, a ''Thomas & Friends'' railway engine character * Dar ...
rail line. Tallaght is also served by frequent Dublin Bus services as well as the
Luas Luas (pronounced ; Irish for "speed") is a tram/ light rail system in Dublin, Ireland. There are two main lines: the Green Line, which began operating on 30 June 2004, and the Red Line which opened on 26 September 2004. Since then, both lin ...
light rail red line. The infrequent Dublin Bus route 44B serves Glencullen. The Dublin Mountaineer bus, operated by the Dublin Mountains Partnership, served several of the forest recreation areas along the Dublin Mountains Way but was discontinued in 2012.


References


Notes


Bibliography

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External links


Dublin Mountains Way
at th
Dublin Mountains PartnershipDublin Mountains InitiativeDublin Mountains Way
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OpenStreetMapTracks and Trails: Dublin Mountains Way
{{coord missing, County Dublin Long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland Tourist attractions in Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown Tourist attractions in South Dublin (county)