Guide to Ireland's hills & mountains

Slievanea photo

Slievanea (‘mountain of the deer’), also known as Sliabh Mhacha Ré (‘mountain of the smooth plain’)

This convenient windbreak is near the summit of Slievanea at about 620 metres, easily accessed from the Connor Pass. The drystone walls of the shelter look as if they were once an Iron Age construction http://www.markhorrell.com/travel/ireland/southwest/dunbeg.html . Of the hills in the distance, on the left is Beennabrack 600m (Mhacha na gCab = plain of the beaks) with Ballysitteragh 623m (An Scraig, or Cnoc Bhaile ni Shé) behind and just to the right of it. Down to their right is the ridge which marks the Mullaghaveal Gap then rising up to Fallaghnamara 623 m (Folach na Marbh) and the Brandon ridge. It is said that some of the Dingle hills are unnamed, but many in this region seem to have both an Irish and an anglicised name and some, confusingly, boast a third – a problem both for map makers and mountaineers. Many names come from Celtic mythology in which for example the deer (in Slievanea’s name) is an important symbol – deer are said to “lure people into the realms of the Gods. The remains of several fulachta fia (venison-cooking pits) can be found around Lough Adoon” which lies immediately beneath the 900 foot cliffs which guard the ‘mountain of the deer’: [[259639]]

© D Gore and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence

Taken at: Slievanea, Central Dingle near

Date taken / added: 30th Nov 1992

More mountain photos from Central Dingle