Derryclare

The name "Derryclare" comes from Irish Doire Chláir; {{lang|ga|doire}} means "an oak wood", and {{lang|ga|clár}} can mean either a "plain" or a "board/plank-bridge". Irish academic Paul Tempan says Ordnance Survey Ireland most likely transferred the name from the nearby townland of Derryclare, east of the mountain. The full Irish name of the mountain itself is {{lang|ga|Binn Doire Chláir}}, meaning "peak of the oak wood at the plain or plank-bridge"; such a translation would be consistent with the easterly slopes of Derryclare, where Derryclare Wood is bounded by Derryclare Lough and Lough Inagh.{{cite web|url=https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/protected-sites/synopsis/SY002031.pdf|title=Site Name: The Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex SAC|date=2017|accessdate=29 July 2019|publisher=Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht|quote=Site Code: 002031}}

On the mountain's southern shoulder is a rocky outcrop called Bennaderreen, from {{lang|ga|Binn an Doirín}}, "peak of the little oak wood".[https://www.logainm.ie/en/1397508 Bennaderreen Rock]. Placenames Database of Ireland.

Derryclare is one of the most southerly of the Bens and sits at the eastern side of the entrance to the large U-shaped valley of the Glencoaghan River. To the south of Derrclare is the scenic lake of Derryclare Lough, and to the east is the large Inagh Valley, and Lough Inagh.

Derryclare's only neighbour is Bencorr {{convert|711|m|ft}}, the 2nd-highest peak in the Twelve Bens range, to which it is connected by a high northern rocky ridge. Derryclare and Bencorr form a large deep eastern corrie called {{langx|ga|Log an Choire Mhóir}} (meaning "wood of the big corrie").{{cite book | author=Paul Phelan | year=2011 | title=Connemara & Mayo - A Walking Guide: Mountain, Coastal & Island Walks | publisher=Collins Press | isbn=978-1848891029 | url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connemara-Mayo-Walking-Mountain-Coastal/dp/1848891024 | quote=Route 10: Derryclare and Bencorr}}

The corrie leads down to the Derryclare Wood, which includes a 19-hectare broadleaf forest that is a Statutory Nature Reserve (SRN), and a 789-hectare commercial conifer forest owned and operated by Coillte; both of which are bounded by Derryclare Lough and Lough Inagh.

In 1980, the Irish state designated 19-hectares of woodland on the eastern slopes of Derryclare as a Statutory Nature Reserve called the Derryclare Nature Reserve (or Derryclare Wood by some sources).{{cite web | url=https://loveconnemara.com/item/derryclare-lough/ | title=Derryclare Nature Reserve | publisher=Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | accessdate=1 August 2019}} The broadleaf trees in the reserve are composed of Sessile Oak, with Rowan (Sorbus aucuparia), Downy Birch (Betula pubescens) and some Ash (Fraxinus excelsior) creating a canopy layer; there are well-developed lichen and fungus flora present. The fungal parasite, Hemigrapha astericus, a native of Australia and South America, was first recorded in the northern hemisphere in Derryclare Wood.{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Connemara-Listening-Wind-Trilogy/dp/1844880664|title=Connemara: Listening to the Wind | date=2007 | author=Tim Robinson | isbn=978-1844880669 | publisher=Penguin }}

In 2005, 19 Irish red squirrels were translocated from Portumna Forest Park to Derryclare Wood as part of a programme to protect the species in Ireland.{{cite report | url=https://www.npws.ie/sites/default/files/publications/pdf/IWM51.pdf|title=Red Squirrel Translocation in Ireland

| publisher=Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht | date=2011| author1=Catherine Waters |author2=Colin Lawton|accessdate=1 August 2019}}{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/plan-to-save-red-squirrel-begins-1.1193523|newspaper=Irish Times|date=5 February 2007|accessdate=1 August 2019|title=Plan to save red squirrel begins}}

Derryclare is one of the more accessible Twelve Bens, being situated near the N59 road, and a number of routes are available from the Glencoaghan Valley side in the west, or the Derryclare Nature Reserve side in the east, that climb to the summit and back.{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/ben-there-done-that-1.1274707|title=Ben there and done that|newspaper=Irish Times|accessdate=1 August 2019|date=30 January 2010|author=Tony Doherty}}

Derryclare can be climbed in "horseshoe" walks such as the 11–14 kilometre 5–7 hour circuit of Bencorr (descending via Bencorr's easterly spur at the northern end of {{langx|ga|Log an Choire Mhóir}}), and/or Bencorr North Top (descending via Carrot Ridge, at the northern end of {{langx|ga|Log an Choire Bhig}}).

Derryclare is also often climbed as part of the popular 16–kilometre 8–9 hour Glencoaghan Horseshoe, considered one of Ireland's best hill-walks.{{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/}}{{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.}}

The large easterly corrie between the summit of Derryclare and the summit of Bencorr, {{langx|ga|Log an Choire Mhóir}} (meaning "wood of the big corrie"), contains several large 200 metre multi-pitch graded rock climbs of grades Diff (D) to Very Diff (VD), the most notable of which is The Knave (VD, 225 m).{{cite web|url=http://wiki.climbing.ie/index.php/Inagh_Valley|publisher=Irish Online Climbing Wiki|accessdate=1 August 2019|title=Inagh Valley: Log an Choire Mhóir}}

File:South ridge of Derryclare to summit.jpg|Summit of Derryclare from south-ridge

File:Bencorr & Derryclare from summit of Bencollaghduff.jpg|Bencorr (center) and Derryclare (right), from Bencollaghduff

File:Derryclare, Bencorr & Benbaun from lower south ridge of Letterbreckaun.jpg|Derryclare (left), Bencorr (centre), Bencorr North Top (right); Benbaun is far right

File:Twelve Bens across Lough Inagh.jpg|Derryclare (left), Bencorr (centre), and Bencorr North Top (right); with the corries of Log an Choire Mhóir (left) and Log an Choire Bhig (right)

File:Looking south to Summit of Derryclare.jpg|Looking south to the summit of Derryclare from its northern-ridge with Bencorr

• {{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 | author=Paul Phelan | year=2011 | title=Connemara & Mayo - A Walking Guide: Mountain, Coastal & Island Walks | publisher=Collins Press | isbn=978-1848891029}}
• {{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|Derryclare}}

• 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/115/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Bencollaghduff
• [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

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{{Irish Rock Climbing}}

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Category:Marilyns of Ireland

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Category:Mountains and hills of County Galway

Category:Geography of County Galway

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