Benbreen#Geography

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

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 {{convert|680|m|ft}}, and Benbreen North Top {{convert|674|m|ft}}; 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 {{convert|25|m|ft}}, and Benbreen North Top's prominence of {{convert|16|m|ft}}, qualify them both as Vandeleur-Lynams on the Irish mountain classification system.

Benbreen lies between the summits of Bencollaghduff {{convert|696|m|ft}} to the north, and Bengower {{convert|664|m|ft}} to the south, and its southerly ridge down to the col with Bengower (known as {{langx|ga|Mám na Gaoithe}}, or "pass of the wind" at 470 metres), is noted for its large deposits of scree.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/a-walk-for-the-weekend-the-twelve-bens-of-connemara-are-a-hard-walk-but-worth-it-1.2693403|author=Tony Doherty|date=22 June 2016|newspaper=Irish Times|title=A walk for the weekend: The Twelve Bens of Connemara are a hard walk but worth it|quote=Even if you had to crawl across bogs to get to them, it would be worth it as the nine peaks which form the Glencoaghan Horseshoe provide some of the most exhilarating mountaineering on this island.}}

Benbreen's prominence of {{convert|186|m|ft}} 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.{{cite web|url=https://mountainviews.ie/lists/highest/|title=Irish Highest 100: The highest 100 Irish mountains with a prominence of +100m|publisher=MountainViews Online Database|date=September 2018}}

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.{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.com/Irelands-Best-Walks-Walking-Guides/dp/184889211X|title=Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide (Walking Guides) |author=Helen Fairbairn|publisher=Collins Press|date=30 December 2014|isbn=978-1848892118|quote=ROUTE 34: The Glencoaghan Horseshoe. A true classic}}{{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = Connemara: Collins Rambler's guide | publisher = Harper Collins | isbn = 978-0002201216 | year = 2001 | quote=Walk 30: Gleann Chóchan Horseshoe | url=http://www.paddydillon.co.uk/guidebook/ramblers-guide-connemara/}} 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;{{cite web|url=https://mountainviews.ie/track/1511/|title=Owenglin Horseshoe|publisher=MountainViews Online Database|accessdate=30 July 2019}}{{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = Connemara: Collins Rambler's guide | publisher = Harper Collins | isbn = 978-0002201216 | year = 2001 | quote=Walk 24: Owenglin Horseshoe | url=http://www.paddydillon.co.uk/guidebook/ramblers-guide-connemara/}}

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.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.climbing.ie/index.php/Binn_Braon | title=Binn Braon | publisher=Irish Climbing Wiki|quote=|accessdate=20 August 2019}} 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).

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

• {{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014}}
• {{cite book| author=MountainViews Online Database (Simon Stewart)|year=2013 | title=A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins |publisher=Collins Books | isbn=978-1-84889-164-7}}
• {{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = Connemara: Collins Rambler's guide | publisher = Harper Collins | isbn = 978-0002201216 | year = 2001 }}
• {{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits | publisher = Cicerone | isbn = 978-1852841102 | year = 1993 }}

{{commons category|Benbreen}}

• 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

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{{reflist}}

• [https://mountainviews.ie/summit/122/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Benbreen
• [https://mountainviews.ie/mv/irl150setup.htm MountainViews: Irish Online Mountain Database]
• [http://www.hills-database.co.uk/downloads.html The Database of British and Irish Hills ], the largest database of British Isles mountains ("DoBIH")
• [http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/ Hill Bagging UK & Ireland], the searchable interface for the DoBIH

{{Mountains of Great Britain and Ireland|}}

{{Mountains and hills of Connacht}}

{{IrishTrails}}

Category:Marilyns of Ireland

Category:Hewitts of Ireland

Category:Mountains and hills of County Galway

Category:Geography of County Galway

Category:Mountains under 1000 metres