The Big Gun

File:The Big Gun and Cnoc na Peiste (Knocknapeasta).jpg (right)]]

The Big Gun is in the eastern section of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks in County Kerry, Ireland's highest mountain range.{{cite book | last1 = Ryan | first1 = Jim | title = Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1905172337 | year = 2006 }} It is on a narrow rocky arête between the mountains of Cnoc na Péiste {{convert|988|m|ft}} to the southwest, and Cruach Mhór {{convert|932|m|ft}} to the north, and is considered as offering some of the most exposed and serious hill walking in Ireland (equivalent to The Bones on the nearby Beenkeragh Ridge).{{cite web|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/travel/walks-the-big-gun-is-a-blast-on-the-reeks-ridge-co-kerry-1.2237383|title=Walks: The Big Gun is a blast on the Reeks Ridge, Co Kerry|publisher=Irish Times|first=John|last=O'Dwyer|date=6 June 2015|quote=Intimidating looking pinnacles now bar the way to the Big Gun, but generally the handholds are sound and surprisingly quickly you will be standing on the tiny summit. Regarded as the most difficult to reach of Ireland’s major mountaintops, it offers the comforting thought that the crux of the route is now behind.}}{{cite web|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/climber-dies-after-falling-from-mountain-ridge-229032.html|title=Climber dies after falling from mountain ridge between The Big Gun and Conc na Peiste|first=Anne|last=Lucey|date=22 April 2013|publisher=Irish Examiner|quote=The man who is believed to have travelled extensively around Ireland was crossing the Coimin na Peiste Ridge — a steep rocky ridge — on the eastern tip of Carrauntoohil with a companion when he fell. He was not roped, but experienced climbers often traverse the ridge without a rope, according to members of the Kerry Mountain Rescue Team. The fall occurred between Cnoc na Peiste and The Big Gun at about 2pm on Saturday.}}

Because of its positioning, The Big Gun is usually climbed as part of a horseshoe, or loop-walk, of the eastern section of the Reeks, starting and ending from the Hag's Glen. It is also climbed as part of the even longer MacGillycuddy's Reeks Ridge Walk, which often starts at The Big Gun's eastern end, from Kate Kearney's Cottage in the Gap of Dunloe.{{cite web|url=https://www.hiddenirelandtours.com/day-excursions/day-walks-and-hikes/corran-tuathail-and-the-mcgillycuddy-reeks/|title=The Ridge of the Reeks|publisher=Hidden Ireland Tours|first=Con|last=Moriarty|date=2018|quote=Simply, the finest mountain traverse in Ireland with 7 summits over 3000 ft. From Kate Kearney’s Cottage, in the Gap of Dunloe, to Doire na Féinne and Loch a’ Chúis}}

The Big Gun is the 378th-highest mountain peak in Britain and Ireland on the Simm classification.{{cite web|url=http://www.hills-database.co.uk/downloads.html|title=The Database of British and Irish Hills|date=2018|first1=Chris|last1=Cocker|first2=Graham|last2=Jackson|publisher=Database of British and Irish Hills}} It is regarded by the Scottish Mountaineering Club ("SMC") as one of 34 Furths, which is a mountain peak above {{convert|3000|ft|0|abbr=on}} in elevation, and meets the other SMC criteria for a Munro (e.g. "sufficient separation"), but which is outside of (or furth) Scotland;[http://www.smc.org.uk/Hillwalking/HillKeyFacts.php Mountains – Key Facts. The Munros, Corbetts, Grahams, Donalds & Furths] at www.smc.org.uk. Accessed on 5 Feb 2013. which is why The Big Gun is sometimes referred to as one of the 13 Irish Munros.{{fact|date=June 2021}}

The Big Gun's prominence qualifies it to meet the Arderin classification, and the British Isles Simm and Hewitt classifications. The Big Gun does not appear in the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, as the prominence threshold is over {{convert|100|m|0|abbr=on}}.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, {{ISBN|978-1-84889-164-7}}

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{{commons category|MacGillycuddy's Reeks}}

{{commons category|The Big Gun}}

• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of mountains of the British Isles by height
• List of Furth mountains in the British Isles

{{reflist}}

• [https://mountainviews.ie/summit/858/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website]
• [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
• [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 Munster}}

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Category:Mountains and hills of County Kerry

Category:Furths

Category:Mountains under 1000 metres