Mweelrea

The geology of what is known as the Mweelrea Formation is very different from that of the Twelve Bens, on the other side of Killary Harbour. At a summary level, the Mweelrea Formation consists of Ordovician period sandstones originally deposited on large alluvial fans, and distally‐equivalent alluvial plains and delta fans. Interbedded with these sandstones are tufts, being ash deposits from Ordovician period volcanos.{{cite journal|journal=Geological Journal|author=David M. Williams |title=The stratigraphy and sedimentology of the Ordovician Partry Group, southeastern Murrisk, Ireland | date=April 1984 | volume=9 | issue = 2 | pages=173–186 |doi=10.1002/gj.3350190206 |author-link=David Williams (geologist, born 1898) }}{{cite book| title=The geology around Killary harbour, Co. Galway : Field Series No. 3| author=David M. Williams | date=1984 | publisher=The Irish Geological Association | url=http://geoschol.com/more/iga_field_guide_killary_harbour.pdf| author-link=David Williams (geologist, born 1898) }}

Mweelrea, and its subsidiary peaks, form the southern half of the "horseshoe-shaped" massif of the Mweelrea Mountains, which are bounded by Killary Harbour, Ireland's deepest fjord, to the south, and Doo Lough to the north.

The valley in the centre of this "horseshoe" is the townland of Glenconnelly ({{langx|ga|Gleann Choinnile}}).{{cite web|url=https://www.logainm.ie/en/36966|publisher=Irish Placenames Database|title=Gleann Choinnile: Glenconnelly|access-date=19 August 2019}} Two deep corries lie at the head of the Glenconnelly valley, below Mweelrea's southeast face; the southerly corrie contains Lough Lugaloughan, while the northerly corrie contains Lough Bellawaum; both are drained by the Sruhaunbunatrench River, which empties into the Bundorragha River, which itself flows into Killary Harbour.

Mweelrea at {{convert|814|m|ft}}, is the highest mountain in massif, and is the provincial top for Connacht.{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote="Route 29: Mweelrea"}}{{cite book | last1 = Dillion | first1 = Paddy | title = The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits | publisher = Cicerone | isbn = 978-1852841102 | year = 1993 | quote="Walk 53: Mweelrea, Ben Bury, Ben Lugmore}} Mweelrea's prominence of {{convert|779|m|ft}} qualifies it as a Marilyn, and it also ranks it as the 16th-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}}

Northeast of Mweelrea is Ben Bury (or {{langx|ga|Ucht an Chreagáin}}, meaning "breast of the little crag"; it is also known as "Oughty Craggy"), at {{convert|795|m|ft}}, and whose prominence of {{convert|60|m|ft}} qualifies it as a Vandeleur-Lynam (it is the 43rd-highest Vandeleur-Lynam in Ireland).

Further east around the "horseshoe" lies the long high summit ridge of Ben Lugmore (and its subsidiary peaks), that is only slightly lower than Mweelrea at {{convert|803|m|ft}}, and its northeast face forms the headwall of the cliff-lined Lug More {{langx|ga|Coum Dubh}} corrie.

Southwest of Mweelrea is the southern arm of the "horseshoe", which is both lower and less sustained than the northern side. It includes the Mweelrea SE Spur at {{convert|495|m|ft}} (sometimes called "point-495" in guidebooks), and finishes with the isolated Teevnabinnia ({{langx|ga|Taobh na Binne}}, meaning "side of the peak"), whose height is only {{convert|379|m|ft}}, but whose prominence of {{convert|214|m|ft}} qualifies it as a Marilyn. West of Mweelrea lie the County Mayo beaches of Uggool Beach and Silver Strand.

As the highest mountain in Connacht, Mweelrea is climbed in "Four Peaks Challenge" formats, being the highest mountains in the four provinces of Ireland.{{cite web|url=https://outsider.ie/challenges/nikki-bradley-4-peaks/|title=Interview: Nikki Bradley on her Upcoming Four Peaks Challenge|publisher=Outsider Magazine|date=9 July 2018}}

The fastest and most straightforward way to summit Mweelrea is via the 8–kilometre 3-hour Silver Strand Route.{{cite web|url=https://mountainviews.ie/track/1461/?PHPSESSID=tug1kkkoma59v3ok7dumc2q967|title=Mweelrea: Silver Strand Route (Start at L76288 68802)|publisher=Mountainview.ie|quote=This is the easiest and quickest way to get to te top of Mweelrea, but it's mostly just a bog walk. I did it in just under 3 hours. You can park where the track leaves the road, or add in the road walk and park at the beach at the end of the road. The track to open land is marked with a cul de sac sign and there are no fences once you get through the gate. Care should be taken on the upper section of the walk and should not be attempted in high winds or when the cloud base comes in due to cliffs near the summit.}}

A longer route is the 13-kilometre 6-hour round trip via the Lug More (or {{langx|ga|Coum Dubh}}) corrie and the valley of Glen Glencullin that take in the summits of Ben Bury and Ben Lugmore. A notable feature known as The Ramp is used, which crosses the headwall of this corrie at mid-way, from east to west in an upward slope; reaching the ridge of Ben Lugmore at a col with Ben Bury. While this route is direct, caution is advised in properly finding The Ramp, as the corrie has extensive cliffs.{{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 27: Mweelrea"}}

Mweelrea is also climbed as part of the 15-kilometre 6-7 hour Mweelrea Horseshoe, which is described by a notable Irish guidebook as one of "the top three" in Ireland. The circuit starts and ends at the Delphi Mountain Resort, and takes in all the peaks of the massif of Mweelrea, including Ben Lugmore (and its subsidiary peaks), Ben Bury, Mweelrea and the Mweelrea SE Spur (or point 495-metres).

While the main rock-climbing on the Mweelrea massif is on the northeastern slopes of Ben Lugmore (see here), there are long Grade 1 and 2 scrambles on the northeastern slopes of Mweelrea/Ben Bury.{{cite web|url=http://wiki.climbing.ie/index.php/Mweelrea/_Ben_Bury_Scrambles|title=Mweelrea/Ben Bury Scrambles|publisher=Irish Climbing Wiki|access-date=20 August 2019}}

The Lough Bellawaum corrie, Mweelrea's northeastern corrie, also has a number of winter-climbs, the most notable of which are Blue Route (Grade II/III, 270 m), and Red Route (Grade III, 305 m).{{cite web | url= http://wiki.climbing.ie/index.php/Winter_climbing_Connemara/South_Mayo_group | title=Winter climbing Connemara/South Mayo group | publisher= Irish Climbing Wiki | access-date=18 August 2019}}

File:Mweelrea (back left), and Ben Lugmore (centre), from summit of Ben Gorm.jpg|Mweelrea (back left), and Ben Lugmore (centre), viewed from the east on the summit of Ben Gorm

File:Lough Bellawaum, Mweelrea, Mayo, Ireland.jpg|Mweelrea and the corrie lake of Lough Bellawaum, as viewed from Ben Lugmore

File:Mweelrea & Ben Lugmore from massif of Leenane Hill.jpg|Mweelrea massif as viewed from Leenaun Hill, with Mweelrea (back left), Ben Lugmore (back, right) and Teevnabinnia (centre, front)

File:Mweelrea Mountain from Renvyle.jpg|Mweelrea viewed from the south in Renvyle

File:Mweelrea from the East.jpg|Mweelrea eastern summit ridge as viewed from Ben Bury

• {{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|Mweelrea Mountains}}

• Maumturks, major range in Connemara
• Twelve Bens, major range in Connemara
• List of Irish counties by highest point
• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles
• List of P600 mountains 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/34/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Mweelrea
• [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|}}

{{British hills}}

{{Irish provinces highest mountains|}}

{{Mountains and hills of Connacht}}

{{Irish Rock Climbing}}

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