| Djouce | |
|---|---|
.jpg) Djouce (l) and White Hill (r). Note Djouce's boardwalk path on White Hill | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 725 m (2,379 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 200 m (660 ft)[1] |
| Listing | 100 Highest Irish Mountains,Marilyn,Hewitt,Arderin,Simm,Vandeleur-Lynam |
| Coordinates | 53°07′51″N6°14′26″W / 53.13083°N 6.24056°W /53.13083; -6.24056 |
| Naming | |
| Native name | Dioghais (Irish) |
| English translation | 'Fortified height' |
| Pronunciation | English:/ˈdʒaʊs/JOWSS Irish:[ˈdʲəuʃ] |
| Geography | |
  Djouce Location in Ireland | |
| Location | County Wicklow, Ireland |
| Parent range | Wicklow Mountains |
| OSI/OSNI grid | O1785810360 |
| Topo map | OSiDiscovery 56 |
| Geology | |
| Mountain type(s) | Dark blue-grey slate, phyllite & schist Bedrock[1] |
| Climbing | |
| Easiest route | Wicklow Way, from the south (via White Hill /J.B. Malone memorial), or east (viaMaulin), on theboarded mountain path |
Djouce (Irish:Dioghais, meaning 'fortified height')[2] at 725 metres (2,379 ft), is the 74th–highest peak inIreland on theArderin scale,[3] and the 91st–highest peak on theVandeleur-Lynam scale.[4][5] Djouce is situated in the northeastern section of theWicklow Mountains, and dominates the views of the Wicklow Mountains fromRoundwood toNewtownmountkennedy.[2] Djouce is one of a few Irish mountains for which the IrishOffice of Public Works (OPW) maintain aboarded mountain trail, usingrailway sleepers, from its base to a point close to its summit; making the mountain even more accessible to the public, but while also protecting the underlying bog and soil from human erosion.[1][6] Djouce is popular with hill walkers, and it lies along the 131-kilometreWicklow Way; on its southern slopes at a scenic viewpoint is theJ.B. Malone memorial stone, dedicated to the creator of the Wicklow Way.
According to Irish academic Paul Tempan, Djouce is sometimes referred toDowse in historical sources.[2] Tempan notes that the old Irish word for "dígas" is high or lofty, but that while a "Sliab Digsa" is mentioned in theMetrical Dindshenchas, the second word is interpreted as a woman's name; potentially showing the meaning of "dígas" was unclear even at the time of the Metrical Dindshenchas (12th-century).[2] The OSI Map uses the termDjouce Mountain.[2]
TheRiver Dargle rises on the northern flank of the mountain, close to the source of theRiver Liffey in theFeatherbeds; they rise either side of the catchment boundary, the Liffey flowing west and the Dargle flowing east.Powerscourt Waterfall, one of the highest waterfall in Ireland, lies on its eastern slope.[6][7]
Djouce overlooks to the west the highlands around theSally Gap; to the east theRoundwood / Calary Bog plateau. It also overlooks thecorrie lake ofLough Tay to the southwest. It is bounded to the west by theR115; to the south by theR759 and to the west by theR755.[7]
Its southern and eastern flanks are heavily forested, up to and above the 2,000 feet contour, mainly withSitka spruce plantations. As these trees are clear-felled (when they mature), a policy of the reinstatement of native tree species is being pursued, either through planting or natural regeneration.[8]
Djouce's southern shoulder is calledWhite Hill 630 metres (2,070 ft), and to the north of Djouce, across a small saddle isWar Hill 686 metres (2,251 ft)[8]
Djouce'sprominence of 200 metres (660 ft) qualifies it as aMarilyn, and it also ranks it as the 42nd-highest mountain in Ireland on theMountainViews Online Database,100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the minimum prominence threshold is 100 metres.[5][9]
Djouce is a popular destination for hillwalkers due to its accessibility and views offered.[a][8][11]
The main route to the summit of Djouce is via theBoardwalk path that was created by the OPW in 1997–1999 using old railway sleepers, and since upgraded, to protect the ground and bog from human erosion.[11][12][13] This route starts from theBallinastoe Wood car-park, or the adjacentJ.B. Malone car-park (off theR759 road). The first objective is the scenic point at theJ.B. Malone memorial stone which overlooksLough Tay with views across toLuggala (or Fancy Mountain).[11] The boarded path then rises up to White Hill, before taking a ninety-degree turn northwards to the summit slopes of Djouce. At this point, the boarded path takes another ninety-degree turn eastwards along theWicklow way (following this path leads toPowerscourt Waterfall andEnniskerry, alternative starting points for Djouce),[13] however, climbers on Djouce leave the boardwalk to take a stone and gravel path to the summit. The route from the car-park and back is 7-kilometres and can be completed without special hiking shoes and requires minimal navigational skills (due to the existence of the paths throughout the route).[11][12]
Alternative versions aim to create a "loop route" by avoiding the direct return to the boarded path on the descent of Djouce, and instead, walking over the bogland to get to forest paths in Ballinastoe Wood that return to the car-parks; other routes expand on this "loop route" by also taking inWar Hill 686 metres (2,251 ft) to the north of Djouce to create a longer 15-kilometre "loop-route".[8][11]
The future of boarded mountain paths and trails in Ireland was put in doubt when a climber, Teresa Wall, successfully sued theNational Parks and Wildlife Service (NPWS) in the Circuit Court for Euro 40,000 in 2016 for an injury sustained in on the Djouce boarded walk (she required seven stitches after tripping on the boardwalk and cutting her knee near theJ.B. Malone memorial stone); however, her award was overturned in February 2017 following a High Court appeal by the NPWS, which rejected her arguments that a "trip hazard" is the same whatever the location.[14][15][16]
On 12 August 1946, aJunkers Ju 52/3m, carrying a group of 21girl guides on a French government-funded trip to meet Irish girl guides, crashed into the upper south-western slopes of Djouce mountain in very poor weather.[17][18] The crash completely ripped the engines from the plane, and thus thefuselage did not catch fire; all of the 27 passengers on board survived the crash, although some had severe injuries.[17][19]
Walk 1:White Hill, Djouce Mountain, War Hill
Because of its attractions it is in 2015 the fourth most logged summit on MountainViews (after Carrauntoohil, Lugnaquillia and Slieve Donard).
Route 60: Djouce and War Hill
In a significant judgment concerning the nature of the duty of care of landowners to hillwalkers, Mr Justice Michael White found contributory negligence by Teresa Wall in relation to her fall. He rejected her arguments that a trip hazard is the same whatever the location.
Ms Wall, of Rathingle Cottages, Swords, claimed she tripped and fell after her foot snagged in a hole on a railway sleeper that was part of a boardwalk near the JB Malone memorial on the Sally Gap to Djouce trail on August 6th, 2013.
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