Diamond Hill (Ireland)

According to Irish academic Paul Tempan, "Ghuaire" most likely refers to Guaire Aidne mac Colmáin (died 663), one of the Kings of Connacht and a member of the Ui Fiachrach Aidhne. Guaire was renowned for his hospitality and generosity and was known as "Guaire of the extended hand", and is the title character in W. B. Yeats’ play, The King’s Threshold. He is also associated with Dunguaire Castle, near the village of Kinvara.

Tempan also notes that Diamond Hill is also known as "Bengooria", being an anglicised version of its Irish name, as well as "Benhoowirra", an alternative anglicisation.{{cite book |url= http://www.mountaineering.ie/_files/Paul%20Tempan%20Irish%20Mountain%20Placenames%20-%20Feb%202012.pdf |title=Irish Hill and Mountain Names |author=Paul Tempan |date=February 2012 |website=Mountaineering.ie |publisher=Mountaineering Ireland |access-date=6 February 2015}} The Discovery Map spells the name as "Diomond Hill", however, Tempan notes that this is not the locally accepted spelling (being "Diamond"), and relates to the glitter of the quartz crystals on the mountain.

Diamond Hill is an isolated peak of the Twelve Bens, which lies in the north-west corner of the range. Immediately east of Diamond Hill is the minor peak of Knockbrack at {{convert|442|m|ft}}, which is part of the small massif of Benbrack {{convert|582|m|ft}}, one of the core Twelve Bens.{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote="Walk 32: Diamond Hill"}}

To the north of Diamond Hill is Kylemore Lough (and Kylemore Abbey), and across the Lough is the massif of Garraun, which is part of the wider Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex Special Area of Conservation. To the west of Diamond Hill is the Ballinakill harbour (and weather permitting, views to the isles of Inishboffin and Inishark), and to the south are the western boglands and dotted lakes of Connemara.

To the southeast is the scenic valley of Polladirk, around which several major Bens are located, including Benbrack, Benfree {{convert|638|m|ft}} (and Benbaun at {{convert|729|m|ft}}, the tallest Ben in the range just behind Benfree), Muckanaght {{convert|654|m|ft}}, and Bencullagh {{convert|632|m|ft}}.{{cite book | author=Paul Phelan | year=2011 | title=Connemara & Mayo - A Walking Guide: Mountain, Coastal & Island Walks | publisher=Collins Press | isbn=978-1848891029 | quote="Walk 3: Diamond Hill}}

Diamond Hill is popular for its accessibility and panoramic views, only ranking behind Croagh Patrick for footfall,{{cite news|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/walk-for-the-weekend-a-gem-of-a-hike-with-views-over-lakes-and-beaches-1.3863635|title=Walk for the Weekend: A gem of a hike with views over lakes and beaches|author=Michael Guilfoyle | date=29 May 2019| access-date=5 August 2019|newspaper=Irish Times}} and attracts both Irish walkers and foreign tourists. The mountain was closed to climbing in 2002 due to severe erosion but was re-opened in December 2005 after the completion of a Euro 1.4 million wooden boardwalk and stone path trail that would limit further erosion.{{cite news |newspaper=Irish Times | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/new-walking-track-on-diamond-hill-1.998193 | date=6 January 2006 | access-date=8 August 2019 | title=New walking track on Diamond Hill | quote=With the completion of the route, the National Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) of the Department of the Environment lifted a three-year ban on walking on Diamond Hill, imposed because of severe erosion on the mountain.}}{{cite news | url=https://www.irishtimes.com/news/diamond-hill-gets-1-4m-pathway-to-summit-1.1163406 | newspaper=Irish Times | access-date = 8 August 2019 | title=Diamond Hill gets €1.4m pathway to summit | author=Pail Cullen | date=25 October 2004| quote=The ascent of "the Diamond" is one of the most popular climbs in Connemara. About 80,000 people visit the national park each year, and an estimated 10,000 attempt the climb.}}

The most popular route is the 7-kilometre 2.5-hour round-trip trail that starts and ends at the National Park visitor centre in Letterfrack, and does a loop over the summit ridge and back to the main trail; it does not require any special hiking ability and the trail is well marked, with pathways and boardwalks over bog sections. The trail splits into a Lower Diamond Hill Walk (3 km long loop), and an Upper Diamond Hill Walk (3.7 km long loop) which reaches the summit.

File:Polladirk Valley, Twelve Bens, Ireland.jpg|Polladirk Valley: Benbrack and Knockbrack to the left, Benfree (and Benbaun right behind it) (centre left), and Muckanaght (centre right) and Bencullagh (right)

File:Kylemore lough - Diamond Hill.JPG|Diamond Hill, viewed from Kylemore Lough in the northeast.

File:Binn Ghuaire Lúnasa 2013.png|Trail (stone path section) along the final summit ridge of Diamond Hill

File:View south from Diamond Hill.jpg|View south from the summit to the boglands of Connemara

File:Summit of Diamond Hill looking west.jpg|Summit of Diamond Hill and view west, with Tully Mountain (right)

• {{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|Diamond Hill (Ireland)}}

• Twelve Bens
• Mweelrea, major range in Killary Harbour
• Maumturks, major range in Connemara
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of Marilyns in the British Isles

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{{reflist}}

• [https://mountainviews.ie/summit/649/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Diamond Hill
• [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:Mountains and hills of County Galway

Category:Geography of County Galway

Category:Mountains under 1000 metres