Mullaghmeen
{{short description|Highest mountain in County Westmeath, Ireland}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=March 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=March 2021}}
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Mullaghmeen
| native_name = {{Native name|ga|Mullach Mín|paren=omit}}
| photo = Mullaghmeen_Hills_Westmeath.jpg
| photo_caption = Mullaghmeen Hill viewed from Coole
| elevation_m = 258
| elevation_ref = [https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1050/ MountainViews: Mullaghmeen]
| prominence_m = 146
| listing = County top (Westmeath)
| translation = smooth summit
| language = Irish
| location = County Westmeath, Ireland
| range = Westmeath Hills
| coordinates = {{coord|53.762078 |N|7.289195|W|type:mountain_scale:100000|format=dms|display=inline,title}}
| map = island of Ireland
| map_relief = yes
| map_caption = Location in Ireland
| type = Undifferentiated limestone, (Visean Limestones (undifferentiated))
| topo = OSi Discovery 41
| grid_ref_Ireland = N469793
}}
Mullaghmeen ({{Irish place name|Mullach Mín|smooth summit}}),{{cite web|url= http://www.mountaineering.ie/_files/Paul%20Tempan%20Irish%20Mountain%20Placenames%20-%20Feb%202012.pdf|title=Irish Hill and Mountain Names|publisher=MountainViews.ie|author=Paul Tempan|date=February 2012}} at {{convert|258|m|ft}}, is the county top for Westmeath in Ireland, and is the lowest county top in Ireland. Mullaghmeen is located in the Mullaghmeen Forest, known for having the largest planted beech forest in Europe.
Geography
File:Mullaghmeen Forest Westmeath Ireland.jpg
Mullaghmeen lies in the northern tip of County Westmeath, just inside the border with County Meath, and looks into the northern Lough Sheelin, which forms the border with County Cavan. The hill is 16 km north of the town of Castlepollard. At {{convert|258|m|ft}}, the summit of Mullaghmeen is the highest point in County Westmeath, however, it is the lowest county top in Ireland. The soil of Mullaghmeen is limestone, and in 1936 the Department of Agriculture decided it would be suited to the planting of deciduous trees, and created the 400 ha Mullaghmeen Forest, the largest planted beech forest in Europe.{{cite web|url=https://www.coillte.ie/site/mullaghmeen-forest/|title=MULLAGHMEEN FOREST|publisher=Coillte|access-date=1 January 2019}}{{cite book|url=https://www.amazon.co.uk/Height-Nonsense-Ultimate-Irish-Road/dp/1848892659|title=The Height of Nonsense: The Ultimate Irish Road Trip|date=16 March 2016|author=Paul Clements|isbn=978-1848892651|publisher=Collins Press|pages=147-153}}
Hill walking
File:Summit of Mullaghmeen Hill Westmeath.jpg
Mullaghmeen is described as a difficult mountain to find, and while its summit is of modest height, it is well-regarded as part of one of the several 2–3 hour circa 6 mile forest loop-walks through the Mullaghmeen Forest.{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/go-walk-mullaghmeen-forest-co-westmeath-1.753812|title=Go Walk: Mullaghmeen Forest, Co Westmeath|publisher=Irish Times|author=Francis Bradley|date=25 April 2009|quote= This little nugget is in Mullaghmeen Forest, in north Co Westmeath, just beside the county border with Co Meath. The park has Europe’s largest planted beech forest and is also home to Sitka spruce, Scots pine, noble fir and a fine native tree collection.}} Most start at the car-park just beyond the entrance to Mullaghmeen Forest (at {{gbm4ibx|N479779}}) and take in the summit of Mullaghmeen as well as other landmarks, such as the Booley Hut, the Famine Garden, the Flax Pits, and the Woodland Arboretum.{{cite web|url=https://www.independent.ie/life/travel/ireland/walk-of-the-week-mullaghmeen-forest-co-westmeath-26681714.html|title=Walk of the week: Mullaghmeen Forest, Co Westmeath|publisher=Irish Independent|date=10 September 2010|author=Christopher Somerville|quote=There are woodland walks so boring you think you'll scream if you see another wretched conifer; and then there are woodland walks like those in Mullaghmeen Forest up in the northernmost tip of Co Westmeath.}}
See also
{{commons category|Mountains of County Westmeath}}
- Lists of mountains in Ireland
- List of Irish counties by highest point
- List of mountains of the British Isles by height
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References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1050/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website] Mullaghmeen
- [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
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20120829114800/http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,591271,743300,0 Ordnance Survey Ireland ("OSI") Online Map Viewer]
- [http://www.logainm.ie/ Logainm: Placenames Database of Ireland]
{{Mountains of Great Britain and Ireland|}}
{{Mountains and hills of Leinster}}