Mullaghcleevaun

According to Irish academic Paul Tempan, Patrick Weston Joyce notes that Mullaghcleevaun was named after a "cradle-like depression near the top, presumably the one occupied by Cleevaun Lough".

Mullaghcleevaun is the 2nd highest peak in the Wicklow Mountains, and is situated in the central sector of the whole range, on the western edge overlooking the Poulaphouca Reservoir (also called the "Blessington Lakes").

Mullaghcleevan's prominence of {{convert|374|m|ft}}, makes it the 8th-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}} Mullaghcleevaun's flat summit is visible from other peaks in the range, and its massif also includes the subsidiary summit of Mullaghcleevaun East Top {{convert|790|m|ft}}, whose prominence of {{convert|40|m|ft}} qualifies it as Hewitt. To the south-east of Mullaghcleevaun East Top is the summit of Carrigshouk {{convert|573|m|ft}}, whose prominence of {{convert|31|m|ft}} qualifies it as an Arderin. Further away on Mullaghcleevaun's larger massif is Duff Hill {{convert|720|m|ft}}, which lies to the north.

Mullaghcleevaun's most distinctive feature is its deep northern corrie, which contains Wicklow's highest natural lake, Lough Cleevaun {{convert|686|m|ft}}.

Mullaghcleevaun's southeastern slopes are the source of the Glenmacnass River which flows down the Glenmacnass Waterfall into the Glenmacnass Valley and on to Laragh.{{cite web| url= http://spatial.dcenr.gov.ie/GSI_DOWNLOAD/Geoheritage/Reports/WW031_Glenmacnass_Valley.pdf|title=WICKLOW - COUNTY GEOLOGICAL SITE REPORT: Glenmacnass Valley|publisher=Geological Survey of Ireland|accessdate=17 July 2019|date=2014}}

A common route to the summit of Mullaghcleevaun is from the south via an 8.5-kilometre 3-4 hour walk which starts from a small car-park in the forest below Carraigshouk {{convert|572|m|ft}} (the car-park is known locally as "The Oasis") just off the R115 road (also called the Old Military Road).{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/peak-viewing-in-wicklow-1.664966|title=Peak viewing in Wicklow|date=16 October 2010|accessdate=15 July 2019}} This southerly route ascends to Mullaghcleevaun East Top and then to the summit of Mullaghcleevaun, before retracing to the car-park.

A similar distance route can be done from the north starting at the car-park at Ballynultagh Gap ({{gbm4ibx|O044108}}), which lies between Black Hill and Sorrel Hill).{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892019 | year = 2014|quote=Route 15: Mullaghcleevaun from the North}}

A longer undertaking is the complete north-east to south-west "boggy ridge" that runs from the Sally Gap to Carrigvore {{convert|682|m|ft}}, and then on to Gravale {{convert|718|m|ft}}, and then after a col, the ridge continues south-westwards to meet Duff Hill {{convert|720|m|ft}}, and then on to Mullaghcleevaun East Top and Mullaghcleevaun itself. Getting from the Sally Gap to Mullaghcleevan is itself an 8.5-kilometre 3-4 hour walk, which some hill walkers avoid having to completely retrace back to the Sally Gap, and thus completing a 7-hour walk, by instead using two cars.

File:Mullaghcleevaun II.jpg|Northern corrie

File: Mullaghcleevaun Plaque II.jpg|An Oige memorial plaque

File:Mullaghcleevaun5169w.jpg|From the R759

File:Mullaghcleevaun North Corrie.jpg|Northern corrie, winter

File:Summit of Mullaghcleevaun.jpg|Summit cairn

File:Mullaghcleevaun.jpg|View from the East

File:Mullaghcleevaun Boggy Ridge.jpg|View from the south of Mullaghcleevaun

• {{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 }}
• {{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Dublin & Wicklow: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892019 | 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 = The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits | publisher = Cicerone | isbn = 978-1852841102 | year = 1993 }}

{{commons category|Mullaghcleevaun}}

• Wicklow Way
• Wicklow Round
• Wicklow Mountains
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of mountains of the British Isles by height
• 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/20/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Mullaghcleevaun
• [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 Leinster}}

{{IrishTrails}}

Category:Marilyns of Ireland

Category:Mountains and hills of County Wicklow

Category:Hewitts of Ireland

Category:Mountains under 1000 metres