| The Sperrins | |
|---|---|
| Sliabh Speirín (Irish)[1] | |
 Looking towards Sawel and Dart mountains | |
| Highest point | |
| Peak | Sawel Mountain |
| Elevation | 678 m (2,224 ft) |
| Geography | |
 | |
| Sovereign state | United Kingdom |
| Constituent country | Northern Ireland |
| Counties | County Tyrone,County Londonderry |
| Range coordinates | 54°48′00″N7°04′59″W / 54.8°N 7.083°W /54.8; -7.083 |
| Geology | |
| Orogeny | Caledonian orogeny |
| Rock type(s) | Schist,quartzite,[2]granite,basalt,rhyolite |
The Sperrins orSperrin Mountains (Irish:Sliabh Speirín)[3] are a mountain range inNorthern Ireland. The range stretches fromStrabane andMullaghcarn in the west, toSlieve Gallion and theGlenshane Pass in the east, in the counties ofTyrone andLondonderry. The landscape is mostlymoorland andblanket bog. The region has a population of some 150,000 and is a designatedArea of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
It has a distinctiveglaciated landscape. The mountains mostly have rounded summits and the landscape is mainlymoorland andblanket bog. TheGlenshane Pass, part of the A6Belfast toDerry road, is in the mountains and has notoriously bad weather in winter.Sawel Mountain is the highest peak in the Sperrins, and the eighth highest inNorthern Ireland. Its summit rises to 678 m (2,224 ft). Another of the Sperrins,Carntogher (464 m), towers over the Glenshane Pass.[4]
Geologically, the Sperrins are formed mostly fromPrecambrianmetamorphic rocks, with some youngerOrdovician igneous rocks in the southern flank of the range. The Mountains are very sparsely populated and provide habitat for a diverse range of birds and mammals. Red fox, Sika Deer, Pine Marten and Red Squirrels are commonly found there alongside Peregrine Falcons, Buzzards and Sparrowhawks. Visiting Golden Eagles from the neighbouring reintroduced Donegal population have been sighted across the range from Strabane to Draperstown although no breeding population has yet been established. The Mountains also provide one of the last refuges of Red Grouse in Northern Ireland.
| Rank | Name | Irish name[5] | Height[6] | Prominence[6] |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Sawel Mountain | Samhail Phite Méabha ("likeness ofMéabh's vulva") | 678 m (2,224 ft) | 657 m (2,156 ft) |
| 2 | Mullaghclogha | Mullach Clocha ("summit of the stone") | 635 m (2,083 ft) | 207 m (679 ft) |
| 3 | Mullaghaneany | Mullach an Ionaidh ("summit of the wonder") | 627 m (2,057 ft) | 302 m (991 ft) |
| 4 | Meenard | Mín Ard ("high mountain pasture") | 620 m (2,030 ft) | 85 m (279 ft) |
| 5 | Dart Mountain | An Dairt ("the lump") | 619 m (2,031 ft) | 89 m (292 ft) |
| 6 | Mullaghasturrakeen | Mullach an Starraicín ("summit of the steeple") | 581 m (1,906 ft) | 46 m (151 ft) |
| 7 | Mullaghclogher | Mullach Clochair ("summit of the stony patch") | 572 m (1,877 ft) | 127 m (417 ft) |
| 8 | Oughtmore | Ucht Mór ("big mountain breast") | 569 m (1,867 ft) | 104 m (341 ft) |
| 9 | Spelhoagh | Speilg Chuach ("cuckoo rock") | 568 m (1,864 ft) | 20 m (66 ft) |
| 10 | Mullaghdoo | Mullach Dubh ("black summit") | 568 m (1,864 ft) | 20 m (66 ft) |
| 11 | Carnanelly | Carnán Aichle ("little cairn of the lookout") | 562 m (1,844 ft) | 307 m (1,007 ft) |
| 12 | Mullaghmore | Mullach Mór ("big summit") | 550 m (1,800 ft) | 235 m (771 ft) |
| 13 | Mullaghcarn | Mullach Cairn ("summit of the cairn") | 542 m (1,778 ft) | 377 m (1,237 ft) |
| 14 | White Mountain | Sliabh Bán ("white mountain") | 537 m (1,762 ft) | 42 m (138 ft) |
| 15 | Slieve Gallion | Sliabh gCallann ("mountain of the heights") | 528 m (1,732 ft) | 333 m (1,093 ft) |
| 16 | Crockbrack | Cnoc Breac ("speckled hill") | 526 m (1,726 ft) | 151 m (495 ft) |
| 17 | Mullaghcarbatagh | Mullach Carbadach ("boulder-strewn summit") | 517 m (1,696 ft) | 32 m (105 ft) |
Sperrin was the name of a proposedUnited Kingdom constituency in theSixth Periodic Review of Westminster constituencies.[7]
Mountains and hills ofUlster | ||
|---|---|---|
| Antrim Hills |  | |
| Belfast Hills | ||
| Blue Stacks | ||
| Derryveagh | ||
| Inishowen | ||
| Keenaght Hills | ||
| Mournes | ||
| Sperrins | ||
| Southwest Donegal | ||
| Others | ||
 | ||
Areas marked † are proposed | ||
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
 | This article related to the geography ofCounty Tyrone,Northern Ireland is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
 | This article related to the geography ofCounty Londonderry,Northern Ireland is astub. You can help Wikipedia byexpanding it. |
