Lists of mountains in Ireland

A topographic map of Ireland

These are lists of mountains and mountain ranges in Ireland. They include landforms sometimes called hills. Those within Northern Ireland, or on the border, are marked with an asterisk, while the rest are within the Republic of Ireland. Where mountains are ranked by height, the definition of the "topographical prominence" (or "relative height", or "drop", or "re-ascent"), used to classify the mountain (e.g. the change in elevation required between neighbouring mountains), is noted.^{[lower-alpha 1]} In British Isles definitions, a height of 600 metres (1,969 ft) is required for a "mountain", whereas in Ireland, a lower threshold of 500 metres (1,640 ft) is advocated.

The lowest minimum prominence threshold of any definition of an Irish mountain is 15 metres (49 ft) (e.g. the Vandeleur-Lynam), however most definitions, including the UIAA criteria, do not consider prominences below 30 metres (98 ft) as being mountains (e.g. must at least be an Arderin or a Hewitt). Many British Isles definitions consider a peak with a prominence below 150 metres (492 ft), as being a "top", and not a mountain (e.g. must be a Marilyn). A popular definition of an Irish mountain requires a minimum prominence of 100 metres (328 ft) (e.g. a HuMP), and is the basis for the 100 Highest Irish Mountains.

Definitions

Mweelrea from Doo Lough in Connemara. Mweelrea is the highest Provincial Top in Connaught, the highest County Top in Mayo, the 5th highest Irish P600 mountain, the 14th highest Irish Marilyn mountain, the 16th highest Irish MountainViews mountain, the 26th highest Irish Arderin/Hewitt mountain, and the 34th highest Irish Vandeleur-Lynam/Nuttall mountain. It is not a Furth (or Irish Munro), and therefore not a Real Munro.

There is no consensus on the definition of "mountain", but in Great Britain and Ireland it is often taken to be a summit over 2,000 ft, or more latterly, 600 m.^[1][2][3][4] There is less consensus about the topographical prominence requirement (e.g. the change in elevation required between neighbouring mountains), which can vary between 30–150 m (98–492 ft).^[2] Prominence is even strongly debated regarding UIAA classification of Himalayan mountains.^[5][6] In the alps, the UIAA requires a prominence of over 30 m to be a "peak" and over 300 m to be a "mountain".^[7]

The lowest threshold of prominence in the British Isles is 15 metres (49 ft). The only definition in which prominence is not used, is where topographic isolation is used (e.g. the use of "sufficient separation" for Munros). Most British Isles definitions no longer categorise prominences below 30 metres (98 ft) (e.g. no new Nuttalls and Vandeleur-Lynams), and peaks with a prominence between 30–150 metres (98–492 ft) are now defined as tops rather than mountains. In Ireland, a prominence of 100 metres (328 ft) is a threshold for a mountain.

The term "Dillon" is used to describe any of the 212 Irish summits in Paddy Dillon's well-regarded Irish 2010 climbing guidebook: "The Mountains of Ireland". All of Dillon's summits are over 2,000 ft (610 m), and almost all have a prominence above 30 m (98 ft).^[22]

List of The 10 Highest Macgillycuddy's Reeks

The Macgillycuddy's Reeks range contains Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohil 1,038.6 m (3,407 ft), and the Reeks is the highest range of peaks in Ireland. However, many of its peaks do not meet all classification criteria for a "mountain" (e.g. particularly the 100–150 m (330–490 ft) in elevation change from neighboring mountains), and many are not in the 100 Highest Irish Mountains.^[23] Regardless, the range contains ten of the thirteen Scottish Furths in Ireland, and given its importance, and as an important example of complexity of mountain classification, the ten highest Reeks are listed below:

List of 100 Highest Irish Mountains

This is the influential MountainViews^{[lower-alpha 9]} 100 Highest Irish Mountains list,^[23] which was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins.^[15] It combines Paul Tempan's 2012 research into Irish mountains and Irish mountain names.^[34] The list requires a prominence of over 100 m (328 ft), a compromise between the Real Munro-Marilyn criteria of 150 metres, and the Hewitt-Arderins criteria of 30 metres.^[21] It is a widely used list,^[35] and it contains all of the 5 Real Munros, and all of the 25 P600s, recognised in Ireland.

List of 273 Irish Vandeleur-Lynams

The broadest noted definition of an Irish mountain over 600 m (1,969 ft) is the Vandeleur-Lynam list, as it only requires a prominence of 15 m (49 ft), and is the Irish fully-metric equivalent of the England & Wales Nuttall.^{[lower-alpha 13]} The 100 Highest Irish Mountains from above, is a subset of this list (e.g. they are all Vandeleur-Lynams). For example, Mweelrea, the highest mountain in Connacht, is 16th on the 100 Highest Irish Mountains list, but 34th on the Vandeleur-Lynam list. MountainView's Online Database^{[lower-alpha 9]} of Vandeleur-Lynams was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins, and updated in 2015.^[15][36] In 2018, the MountainView Online Database listed 273 Irish mountains as meeting the Vandeleur-Lynam definition.^{[lower-alpha 14]}

List of 407 Irish Arderins

A noted definition of an Irish mountain over the lower height threshold of 500 m (1,640 ft), is the Arderins list, but which meets the minimum requirement for a "mountain" with a prominence above 30 m (98 ft), and is an Irish equivalent of the Hewitt (the highest 207 Arderins are the Irish Hewitts^{[lower-alpha 13]}). MountainView's Online Database^{[lower-alpha 9]} of Arderins was published by Collins Press in the 2013 book: A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins, and updated in 2015.^[15] In 2018, the MountainView Online Database listed 407 Irish mountains as meeting the Arderin definition.