Mangerton (and Mangerton Mountain Group)
An Mhangarta
Mangerton (c) with the hanging lake of Lough Erhogh (c) and Mangerton North Top (r)
Highest point
Elevation	838.2 m (2,750 ft)[1]
Prominence	583 m (1,913 ft)[1]
Listing	Marilyn,Hewitt,Arderin,Simm,Vandeleur-Lynam
Coordinates	51°58′13″N9°29′04″W / 51.970308°N 9.484395°W /51.970308; -9.484395[1]
Naming
English translation	long haired (mountain)
Language of name	Irish
Geography
Mangerton (and Mangerton Mountain Group) Location in Ireland
Location	County Kerry,Ireland
Parent range	Mangerton Mountain Group
OSI/OSNI grid	V980807
Topo map	OSiDiscovery 78[1]
Geology
Rock age	Devonian[1]
Mountain type	Green sandstone & purple siltstone[1]
Climbing
Easiest route	Devil's Punchbowl

Mangerton orMangerton Mountain (Irish:An Mhangarta, meaning 'the long-haired (mountain)'), at 838 metres (2,749 ft), is the 19th-highest peak inIreland on theArderin list, and the 26th–highest mountain according to theVandeleur-Lynam list. Mangerton is the tallest mountain in theMangerton Mountain Group, also called theMangerton Mountains or the Mountains of EastKerry, a range that includes five other major mountains that have a height above 2,000 feet (610 m). Mangerton's western slopes lie within theKillarney National Park. On Mangerton's north-western face lies a deepcorrie lake called theDevil's Punchbowl, which is a popular scenic destination for hill walkers; although the mountain is often overlooked by walkers due to the proximity of its more scenic and accessible neighbour,Torc Mountain. The far northern slopes of Mangerton was the site of an important 13th-century battle between theMac Cárthaigh (Gaelic forces), and theFitzGeralds (Norman forces), known as the "Tooreencormick battle site".

Irish academic Paul Tempan notes in theIrish Hill and Mountain Names database that Mangerton is most likely a translation ofIrish:An Mhangarta, meaning "the long-haired".^[2] Tempan discussed the possibility that an alternative interpretation of Irish:An Mhangartach may be worth considering, as it could be the noun Irish:mangart with the suffixach. Tempan notes P. S. Dinneen'sFoclóir Gaedhilge agus Béarla—Irish-English Dictionary (1927), defines Irish:mangart as "movement" or "shaking". Thus the adjective (not listed in any dictionary) could mean "moving", "shaking", or "quaking", which could refer to the physical movement of Mangerton bog prevalent on the southern slopes, or could be understood figuratively as meaning "vacillating" or "fickle".^[2][3]

Mangerton's flat boggy summit plateau includes the satellite summits ofMangerton North Top 782 metres (2,566 ft) andGlencappul Top 700 metres (2,300 ft), and its "horseshoe-shaped"massif includes the summit ofStoompa 705 metres (2,313 ft).^[4] The Horses' Glen (or Glencappul), and theDevil's Punchbowl carve deep hollows, orcorries on the north-west and north-east sides of Mangerton's massif, but the southern flanks form a huge plateau, one of the most extensive areas of mountain wilderness in Ireland, where herds ofred deer andsika deer still roam.^[2]

There are threelochs that flow from Managerton's corries into theHorse's Glen (or Glencappul), namely the lowest, Lough Garagarry (Loch Garaigre), the middle, Lough Mannagh (Loch Meáin) and the Lough Erhogh, which is a hanging glacial lake set into a corrie on Mangerton's north-east face.^[4]

TheDevil's Punchbowl (Irish:Poll Ifrinn),^[a] at 670 metres (2,200 ft) on Mangerton's north-west face is a deep oval-shaped corrie filled by a loch in its base that drains into theOwengarriff River from whichTorc Waterfall is formed, before finally flowing into theLakes of Killarney below.^[1][4] Mangerton's western slopes lie within the Killarney National Park.^[7]

Mangerton Mountain's height andtopographic prominence, qualifies it to meet the British IslesMarilyn classification, as well as theArderin,Simm andHewitt classifications.^[8] Mangerton Mountain ranks as the 10th-highest mountain in Ireland on theMountainViews Online Database,100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the prominence threshold is over 100 metres (e.g. higher mountains with sub-100-metre prominences are excluded).^[9][10]

Surrounding Mangerton are25 other peaks with an elevation above 100 metres (330 ft) in a range known as the Mangerton Group (or Mangerton Mountains). The range is bounded by the "square" road system surrounding Mangerton, being theN71 to the north and the west side, theN22 to the east side, and the narrowR569 road fromKenmare to the N22 viaKilgarvan on the south side. Most notable areDromderalough (650 metres (2,130 ft)), and its slightly higherDromderalough North-East Top (654 metres (2,146 ft)), as well asCrohane (650 metres (2,130 ft)), andKnockbrack (610 metres (2,000 ft)). It also includes the tourist peak of Torc Mountain 535 metres (1,755 ft) in the north-west corner.^[10]

Mangerton's flat boggy summit plateau means that it can get overlooked when guidebooks of Ireland's best walks are compiled, particularly given its proximity to the rocky ridges and summits of theMacGillycuddy's Reeks; sometimes even nearby Torc Mountain is recommended instead.^[11] However, Mangerton's scale, summit views and deep corries are well regarded, and its proximity to Killarney town and ease of access are recognised by climbers.^[6]

The most direct route to the summit of Mangerton is via the 4–5 hour 10-kilometre (6.2 mi)Devil's Punchbowl Route.^[12] It starts from the concrete slab bridge (atV984847), and follows a worn track southwards up to theDevil's Punchbowl at 670 metres (2,200 ft), before reaching the Mangerton summit plateau via the west ridge of the Punchbowl, and then walking circa 300 metres across the plateau to the true summit of Mangerton itself, before returning via the same route (or taking the steeper eastern arete of the Punchbowl). The summit plateau of Mangerton can be difficult to navigate in poor or misty weather as there are few features.^[6][13]

A variation of theDevil's Punchbowl Route is the inclusion of Stoompa, in a 5–6 hour 13.5-kilometre (8.4 mi) route, that can either be done as an extension of theDevil's Punchbowl route (e.g. over and back from Mangerton's summit to Stoopma),^[4] or as a "horseshoe" or "loop-route" that starts up theDevil's Punchbowl on the westside but finishes by descending down the northern slopes of Stoompa on the eastside.^[14][15]

The far northern slope of Mangerton was the site of a battle in 1262 between theMac Cárthaigh (Gaelic forces, being theKingdom of Desmond) and theFitzGeralds (Anglo-Norman forces, being theGeraldines), following the rout at theBattle of Callann Glen near Kilgarvan the previous year.^[2] The battle site is marked on the ordnance maps and also by a commemorative stone monument, and is known as Tooreencormick (Irish:Tuairín Cormaic, meaning 'little field of Cormac')^[16] after CormacMacCarthy Reagh, who was killed during the clash (his brotherFínghin Mac Carthaigh had been killed at the Battle of Callann). Other notable knights including Gerald Roche, "the third best baron in Erin", were slain at Tooreencormick.^[17] Despite the losses, the battle is considered a MacCarthy success as the Anglo-Normans were kept out of South Kerry and West Cork (i.e. the Kingdom of Desmond), for the next three centuries.^[2][4][17]

In spite of such two-edged victories, the battle of Callann and Tuairin Cormaic, for good or for evil, effectually prevented the establishment of an Anglo-Norman rule in [The Kingdom of] Desmond. It is that owing to dissensions among the Irish tribes the earls of Desmond eventually ' overtopped them all ', but in the region from which they drew their title they had more of the character of a Celtic chief than of a feudal lord, and it was left to the more resolute Tudor statesman and ruthless Tudor generals to break down the clan-system there.

— Henry Orphan, Ireland under the Normans 1169–1216 (1911)^[17]

The MountainViews Online Database lists 26 Mangerton Mountain Group peaks more than 100 metres (330 ft) in height.^[1]

Wikimedia Commons has media related toMangerton Mountain.

• Lists of mountains in Ireland
• List of mountains of the British Isles by height
• List of Marilyns in the British Isles
• List of Hewitt mountains in England, Wales and Ireland

• Dillion, Paddy (1993).The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits. Cicerone.ISBN 978-1852841102.

• Fairbairn, Helen (2014).Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide. Collins Press.ISBN 978-1848892118.

• Ryan, Jim (2006).Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains. Collins Press.ISBN 978-1905172337.
• Stewart, Simon (2013).A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins. Collins Books.ISBN 978-1-84889-164-7.

• MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website Mangerton
• The Database of British and Irish Hills, the largest database of British Isles mountains ("DoBIH")
• Hill Bagging UK & Ireland, the searchable interface for the DoBIH
• Ordnance Survey Ireland ("OSI") Online Map Viewer

• Hewitts of Ireland
• Marilyns of Ireland
• Mountains and hills of County Kerry
• MacCarthy dynasty
• FitzGerald dynasty
• Mountains under 1000 metres

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