Glinsk () is a

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 orig ...

in the County Mayo

Gaeltacht ( , , ) are the districts of Ireland, individually or collectively, where the Irish government recognises that the Irish language is the predominant vernacular, or language of the home. The ''Gaeltacht'' districts were first officially reco ...

Ireland Ireland ( ; ga, Éire ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the Atlantic Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe, north-western Europe. It is separated from Great Britain to its east by the North Channel (Grea ...

. It is in the parish of

Kilcommon Kilcommon ( ga, Cill Chomáin) is a civil parish in Erris, north Mayo consisting of two large peninsulas; Dún Chaocháin and Dún Chiortáin. It consists of 37 townlands, some of which are so remote that they have no inhabitants. Habitatio ...

and barony of

Erris Erris is a barony in northwestern County Mayo in Ireland consisting of over , much of which is mountainous blanket bog. It has extensive sea coasts along its west and north boundaries. The main towns are Belmullet and Bangor Erris. The name ...

. Glinsk Mountain (304 metres) is a remote area of upland blanket bog with sea cliffs descending to

Broadhaven Bay Broadhaven Bay ( ga, Cnocán na Líne) is a natural bay of the Atlantic Ocean on the northwestern coast of County Mayo, Ireland. The opening of the bay faces northward, stretching 8.6 km between Erris Head in the west and Kid Island/Oileá ...

and continuing along the coast to a height of 255 metres at Benwee Head. The mountain is the source of the Muingnabo River.Map of Glinsk
Ordnance Survey Ireland. Retrieved: 2012-09-26.

History and geography

Due to particularly ancient blanket bog deposits, believed to predate the

Neolithic The Neolithic period, or New Stone Age, is an Old World archaeological period and the final division of the Stone Age. It saw the Neolithic Revolution, a wide-ranging set of developments that appear to have arisen independently in several p ...

period, bog filled lakes and conifer forestry plantations in the area surrounding Glinsk, the population is extremely low with no houses in this townland and few within several surrounding kilometres. The only obvious remains of human habitation in the area is the ruin of a British lookout tower built in 1806 high up on the southern side of Glinsk mountain. The English, having been taken by surprise when the French landed at

Killala Killala () is a village in County Mayo in Ireland, north of Ballina. The railway line from Dublin to Ballina once extended to Killala. To the west of Killala is a Townsplots West (known locally as Enagh Beg), which contains a number of ancient ...

during the

Irish Rebellion of 1798 The Irish Rebellion of 1798 ( ga, Éirí Amach 1798; Ulster-Scots: ''The Hurries'') was a major uprising against British rule in Ireland. The main organising force was the Society of United Irishmen, a republican revolutionary group influenced ...

, were determined that it should not happen again. They built watch towers along the coast, each of which could be seen from those on either side of it. The one built on the southern slopes of Glinsk is situated 283 metres above sea level. The ruin, some two metres in height, can still be seen.

Natural energy project proposal

There is a proposal to build a 480 megawatt combined

wind farm A wind farm or wind park, also called a wind power station or wind power plant, is a group of wind turbines in the same location used to produce electricity. Wind farms vary in size from a small number of turbines to several hundred wind turb ...

- hydroelectric facility at this location which could contribute towards the county's goal of becoming self-sufficient in energy supply. The project would use wind turbines to pump sea water up to energy storage in the form of reservoirs on Glinsk Mountain. When required, the reservoirs would feed power generating turbines by allowing the water to fall down a shaft back to the ocean.Seawater energy proposal for Mayo
''The Irish Times'', 3 March 2012.
''The Irish Times'', 3 March 2012.Sea-water energy planned for Glinsk
The Mayo News, 9 March 2012.

Pictures

File:Watch tower on Glinsk Mountain in County Mayo.jpg, alt=Watch tower on Glinsk Mountain built after 1798, Watch tower on Glinsk Mountain built after the

File:Blanket bog on Glinsk Mountain.jpg, alt=Blanket bog on Glinsk Mountain, Blanket bog on Glinsk Mountain File:Barn at Glinsk Mountain.jpg, alt=Base of Glinsk Mountain, Base of Glinsk Mountain

References

* Noone, Fr. S. ''Where the Sun Sets'' (1991) Kildare p. 175 {{County Mayo Bogs of Ireland Townlands of County Mayo Erris Gaeltacht places in County Mayo