Maumnascalpa

Benbrack () at , is the 251st–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale; while it does not have the elevation to be a Vandeleur-Lynam, it has the prominence to rank as a Marilyn.Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, Benbrack is situated on its own small massif to the north of the core Twelve Bens mountain range in the Connemara National Park in County Galway, Ireland. It is the 10th-tallest of the core ''Twelve Bens'', and is linked by a deep col to Muckanaght, which is itself attached by a high ridge to the tallest mountain of the Twelve Bens range, Benbaun at .

Naming

The name is most likely derived from the lumps of quartzite stones and boulders that are strewn across the summit of Benbrack.

Geography

Benbrack sits on its own small massif, with Benbaun and the large massif of the core Twelve Bens lying to the south, connected via a deep col called Maumnascalpa to the Bens of Muckanaght and Benfree ; to the north is Kylemore Lough (and Kylemore Abbey), and across the Lough is the massif of Garraun, which is part of the wider Twelve Bens/Garraun Complex Special Area of Conservation.

To the west of Benbrack, at the end of a long spur, is the subsidiary, and similarly named summit of Knockbrack at (, meaning "speckled hill"). To the north of Benbrack, is the other subsidiary summit of Benbaun, at , which can confused with the larger 729-metre Benbaun to the south, and therefore its other Irish language place name (meaning "knoll"), can be used instead.

Benbrack lies at the intersection of two major U-shaped valleys, with Glencorbet to the east, and Polladirk to the west (Polladirk can be viewed from a popular scenic viewpoint on the summit of Diamond Hill). To the northwest of Benbrack, is the small valley and river of Mweelin , around which Knockbrack, Benbrack and Benbaun (477 m) form a small horseshoe, popular with walkers.

Hill walking

The most straightforward route to climb Benbrack is a 5-kilometre 2.5-hour round-trip via its subsidiary peak of Benbaun, starting and ending at the car park in Kylemore Abbey (L747583); this route can be expanded into the 7-kilometre 3.5 hour ''Mweelin Horseshoe'', by descending via Knockbrack.

Benbrack is also climbed as part of the ''Glencorbet Horseshoe'', a 14-kilometre 6–7 hour circuit of Kylemore River, usually done counter-clockwise, which takes in the peaks of Benbaun (477 metres), Benbrack, Muckanaght (optional), Benfree, Benbaun (729 metres), and ending at Knockpasheemore.

Gallery

File:Polladirk Valley, Twelve Bens, Ireland.jpg, Polladirk Valley with Benbrack and Knockbrack to the left, as viewed from Diamond Hill
File:Col between Benbrack and Knockbrack - geograph.org.uk - 200986.jpg, Summit of Knockbrack as viewed from the col with Benbrack
File:View north west from summit of Benbrack - geograph.org.uk - 200889.jpg, View northwest to Killary Harbour, from the summit of Benbrack

Bibliography

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See also

*Twelve Bens
*Mweelrea, major range in Killary Harbour
*Maumturks, major range in Connemara
*Lists of mountains in Ireland
*List of Marilyns in the British Isles

References

External links

MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website
Benbrack

the largest database of British Isles mountains ("DoBIH")
Hill Bagging UK & Ireland
the searchable interface for the DoBIH

{{IrishTrails

Marilyns of Ireland
Mountains and hills of County Galway
Geography of County Galway
Mountains under 1000 metres