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Coordinates: 52°00′0″N 9°31′0″W / 52.00000°N 9.51667°W / 52.00000; -9.51667
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{{short description|Mountain in Killarney, Ireland}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2021}}
{{Use Irish English|date=May 2021}}
{{Infobox mountain
{{Infobox mountain
| name = Torc Mountain
| name = Torc Mountain
| other_name = ''Sliabh Torc''
| native_name = {{Native name|ga|Sliabh Torc|paren=omit}}
| photo = Torc upper lake killarney.jpg
| photo = Torc upper lake killarney.jpg
| photo_caption = View from the summit of Torc Mountain looking westwards to the Upper Lake in the ''[[Black Valley]]''
| photo_caption = View from the summit of Torc Mountain looking westwards to the Upper Lake in the ''[[Black Valley]]''
| elevation_m = 535
| elevation_m = 535
| elevation_ref = <ref name="mountainviews1"/>
| elevation_ref = <ref name="mv">{{cite web |url= http://mountainviews.ie/summit/383 |title= Mangerton Area / Torc Mountain |author= <!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date= |website= MountainViews |publisher= [[Ordnance Survey Ireland]] |accessdate=June 26, 2015}}</ref>
| prominence_m = 300
| prominence_m = 300
| prominence_ref =<ref name="mv" />
| prominence_ref = <ref name="mountainviews1"/>
| listing = [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]], [[Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins|Arderin]]
| listing = [[Marilyn (hill)|Marilyn]], [[Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins|Arderin]]
| location = [[County Kerry|Kerry]], [[Ireland]]
| location = [[County Kerry]], Ireland
| range = [[Mountains of East Kerry|East Kerry]]
| range = [[Mangerton Mountain Group]]
| coordinates = {{coord|52|00|0|N|9|31|0|W|type:mountain_scale:30000}}
| coordinates = {{coord|52|00|0|N|9|31|0|W|type:mountain_scale:30000|display=inline,title}}
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey Ireland|OSi]] ''Discovery'' 78
| topo = [[Ordnance Survey Ireland|OSi]] ''Discovery'' 78
| map = island of Ireland
| map = island of Ireland
Line 18: Line 20:
| map_caption =Location in Ireland
| map_caption =Location in Ireland
| grid_ref_Ireland = V955839
| grid_ref_Ireland = V955839
| translation = mountain of wild boar
| type =
| language = [[Irish language|Irish]]
| age =
| age =
|type = Green sandstone & purple siltstone, (Glenflesk Chloritic Sandstone Formation)<ref name="mountainviews1">[https://mountainviews.ie/summit/383/ MountainViews: Torc Mountain]</ref>
| last_eruption =
⚫
| easiest_route = ''Old Kenmare Road''
| first_ascent =
| period = [[Devonian]]<ref name="mountainviews1"/>
⚫
| easiest_route =
}}
}}
'''Torc Mountain''' ({{lga|Sliabh Torc|mountain of wild boar}}),<ref name="peak">{{cite web|url= http://www.mountaineering.ie/_files/Paul%20Tempan%20Irish%20Mountain%20Placenames%20-%20Feb%202012.pdf|title=Irish Hill and Mountain Names|publisher=MountainViews.ie|author=Paul Tempan|date=February 2012}}</ref> at {{convert|535|m|ft}}, is the 329th–highest peak in [[Ireland]] on the [[Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins|Arderin]] list. It is a popular mountain for hill walkers as it has a stone/boarded path from its base at [[Torc Waterfall]] to its summit, which has views of the [[Lakes of Killarney]].<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks">{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote=Route 46: Torc Mountain. [..] From the main Torc Waterfall car-park, follow the signs for A wide footpath leads through the woods to a viewpoint beneath the main falls where the Owengarrif River plunges over a series of rocky walls on its way to Muckross Lake. The cascade is acclaimed as one of the finest waterfalls in Ireland and is popular with tourists during the summer months.}}</ref>
'''Torc Mountain''' ({{lga|Sliabh Torc|mountain of wild boar}}),<ref name="peak">{{cite web|url= http://www.mountaineering.ie/_files/Paul%20Tempan%20Irish%20Mountain%20Placenames%20-%20Feb%202012.pdf|title=Irish Hill and Mountain Names|publisher=MountainViews.ie|first=Paul|last=Tempan|date=February 2012}}</ref> at {{convert|535|m|ft}}, is the 329th–highest peak in [[Ireland]] on the [[Lists of mountains in Ireland#Arderins|Arderin]] list. It is a popular mountain for hill walkers as it has a stone or boarded path (using [[Railway ties|railway sleepers]]) from its base at [[Torc Waterfall]] to its summit, which has views of the [[Lakes of Killarney]].<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks">{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote=Route 46: Torc Mountain. [..] From the main Torc Waterfall car-park, follow the signs for A wide footpath leads through the woods to a viewpoint beneath the main falls where the Owengarrif River plunges over a series of rocky walls on its way to Muckross Lake. The cascade is acclaimed as one of the finest waterfalls in Ireland and is popular with tourists during the summer months.}}</ref> Torc Mountain is part of the [[Mangerton Mountain Group]] range in [[County Kerry]], Ireland.


== Naming ==
== Naming ==


The word Torc comes from the Irish translation of a "wild boar", and the area is associated with legends involving wild boars – Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that: "Wild boar is significant in Celtic mythology, being depicted on Celtic artefacts found in continental Europe, Ireland and Britain; it represents physical strength and heroic fighting skills".<ref name="peak"/> One legend is of a man who was cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar, but when his secret was revealed by a local farmer, he burst into flames and disappeared into the nearby ''[[Devil's Punchbowl (Kerry)|Devil's Punchbowl]]'' on [[Mangerton Mountain]] from which the Owengarriff River emerged to hide the entrance to his cave beneath the [[Torc Waterfall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kerrygems.com/kerry-gems-app/the-best-walks-in-kerry/torc-waterfall-walk/|title=Torc Waterfall Walk|publisher=Gems Publishing Limited|access-date=17 December 2017|quote=History to know: Torc waterfall derives its name from the Gaelic word ‘torc’ meaning a wild boar. According to legend, the waterfall was created by a man who had been cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar. He lived in a cavern beneath the cliffs of the mountain. His secret was discovered one night by a local farmer out looking for missing animals. The boar offered him great riches not to reveal his secret but became furious when his plight was revealed. In his anger, he is said to have burst into a ball of flame and disappeared into the Devils Punchbowl lake on nearby Mangerton Mountain. The lakewater burst forth and created the waterfall to hide forever the Boars cavern beneath the waterfall.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discoverireland.ie/getmedia/6ee4e83f-bf01-48d0-88f6-3e3ae70edcf4/KerryWalkingMaps.aspx|title=Loop 10: Torc Waterfall|publisher=Discover Ireland|access-date=17 December 2018|quote=Torc Waterfall – Mythical Landscapes}}</ref> There is also the story of how the legendary Irish warrior, [[Fionn MacCumhaill]], killed a magical boar on Torc mountain with his golden spear.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dias.ie/wp-content/uploads/webstore/celt/pubs/celtica/c21/c21-335.pdf|title=THE DEATH OF DIARMAID IN SCOTTISH AND IRISH TRADITION|publisher=[[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies]]|date=July 1990|author=Donald E. Meek}}</ref>
The word Torc comes from the Irish translation of a "wild boar", and the area is associated with legends involving wild boars – Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that: "Wild boar is significant in Celtic mythology, being depicted on Celtic artefacts found in continental Europe, Ireland and Britain; it represents physical strength and heroic fighting skills".<ref name="peak"/> One legend is of a man who was cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar, but when his secret was revealed by a local farmer, he burst into flames and disappeared into the nearby ''[[Devil's Punchbowl (Kerry)|Devil's Punchbowl]]'' on [[Mangerton Mountain]] from which the Owengarriff River emerged to hide the entrance to his cave beneath the [[Torc Waterfall]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.kerrygems.com/kerry-gems-app/the-best-walks-in-kerry/torc-waterfall-walk/|title=Torc Waterfall Walk|publisher=Gems Publishing Limited|access-date=17 December 2017|quote=History to know: Torc waterfall derives its name from the Gaelic word ‘torc’ meaning a wild boar. According to legend, the waterfall was created by a man who had been cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar. He lived in a cavern beneath the cliffs of the mountain. His secret was discovered one night by a local farmer out looking for missing animals. The boar offered him great riches not to reveal his secret but became furious when his plight was revealed. In his anger, he is said to have burst into a ball of flame and disappeared into the Devils Punchbowl lake on nearby Mangerton Mountain. The lakewater burst forth and created the waterfall to hide forever the Boars cavern beneath the waterfall.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.discoverireland.ie/getmedia/6ee4e83f-bf01-48d0-88f6-3e3ae70edcf4/KerryWalkingMaps.aspx|title=Loop 10: Torc Waterfall|publisher=Discover Ireland|access-date=17 December 2018|quote=Torc Waterfall – Mythical Landscapes}}</ref> There is also the story of how the legendary Irish warrior, [[Fionn MacCumhaill]], killed a magical boar on Torc mountain with his golden spear.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.dias.ie/wp-content/uploads/webstore/celt/pubs/celtica/c21/c21-335.pdf|title=THE DEATH OF DIARMAID IN SCOTTISH AND IRISH TRADITION|publisher=[[Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies]]|date=July 1990|first=Donald E.|last=Meek}}</ref>

== Geography ==
Torc Mountain is part of the [[Mangerton Mountain Group]] which is a [[massif]] to the south of [[Killarney]] that includes 26 other named peaks with a height above {{convert|100|m|ft}}.<ref name="collins">Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, {{ISBN|978-1-84889-164-7}}</ref> Torc sits in the north-west corner of the massif and immediately west of Torc Mountain is the subsidiary summit of '''Torc Mountain West Top''' {{convert|470|m|ft}}.<ref name="dillon"/><ref name="jimryan"/> Torc's height and [[topographic prominence|prominence]], qualifies it on the British Isles [[Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles#Marilyns|Marilyn]] classification,<ref name="dobih">{{cite web|url=http://www.hills-database.co.uk/downloads.html|title=The Database of British and Irish Hills|date=2018|first1=Chris|last1=Cocker|first2=Graham|last2=Jackson|publisher=[[Database of British and Irish Hills]]}}</ref> as well as the [[Lists of mountains and hills in the British Isles#Arderins|Arderin]] classification.<ref name="collins"/>


== Hill walking ==
== Hill walking ==
{{see also|Lists of long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland#Boarded mountain paths}}
[[File:Panorama_from_Torc_Mountain_(7)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_777047.jpg|thumb|View westwards into the ''[[Black Valley]]'', with the wooden railway "sleeper" boardwalk visible at left.]]
[[File:Panorama_from_Torc_Mountain_(7)_-_geograph.org.uk_-_777047.jpg|thumb|View westwards into the ''[[Black Valley]]'', with the wooden railway "sleeper" boardwalk visible at left.]]
⚫
Torc is popular for hill walkers as it can be accessed from a marked stone-step path its base at [[Torc Waterfall]], which then becomes a small road (the ''Old Kenmare Road'') from the top of Torc Waterfall to the mountain itself, and then finishes with a track of wooden railway "sleepers" over the underlying bogland to its summit at {{convert|535|m|ft}}.<ref name="jimryan">{{cite book|first=Jim|last=Ryan|title=Scenic Walks in Killarney|isbn=978-1848891463|date=1 October 2012|publisher=Collins Press|quote=Walk 11: Torc Waterfall Circuit}}</ref> The route can thus be completed without full hiking boots, and requires no special navigational skills.<ref name="jimryan"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theidyll.com/torc-mountain/|title=Torc Mountain|publisher=The Idyll|first=Grace|last=Harding|date=21 January 2017|quote=The combination of rocky path and sleepers will take you all the way up the summit. So unlike other mountains in Kerry, you won’t need any navigation skills.}}</ref>

⚫
Torc Mountain is a popular mountain for hill walkers as it has a marked stone/boarded path from its base, at the [[Torc Waterfall]] attraction, to its summit at {{convert|535|m|ft}}; the final path to the summit follows a track of wooden railway "sleepers" over the underlying bogland.<ref name="jimryan">{{cite book|author=Jim Ryan|title=Scenic Walks in Killarney|isbn=978-1848891463|date=1 October 2012|publisher=Collins Press|quote=Walk 11: Torc Waterfall Circuit}}</ref> The route can thus be completed without full hiking boots, and requires no special navigational skills.<ref name="jimryan"/><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theidyll.com/torc-mountain/|title=Torc Mountain|publisher=The Idyll|author=Grace Harding|date=21 January 2017|quote=The combination of rocky path and sleepers will take you all the way up the summit. So unlike other mountains in Kerry, you won’t need any navigation skills.}}</ref>


[[File:Panorama from Torc Mountain (2) - geograph.org.uk - 777017.jpg|thumb|View northwards down to ''[[Muckross Lake]]'' and ''[[Lough Leane]]''.]]
[[File:Panorama from Torc Mountain (2) - geograph.org.uk - 777017.jpg|thumb|View northwards down to ''[[Muckross Lake]]'' and ''[[Lough Leane]]''.]]


The summit of Torc Mountain has views of the [[Lakes of Killarney]], the [[Black Valley]], the [[MacGillycuddy's Reeks]] and [[Muckross House]] and grounds.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks"/> The total route from the Torc Waterfall car-park (at {{gbm4ibx|V966847}}), to the summit of Torc Mountain and back is 8–kilometres and takes circa 3 hours.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks"/>
The summit of Torc has views of the [[Lakes of Killarney]], the [[Black Valley]], the [[MacGillycuddy's Reeks]] and [[Muckross House]] and grounds.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks"/> The route from the Torc Waterfall car-park (at {{gbm4ibx|V966847}}), to the summit of Torc Mountain and back is 8–kilometres and takes 3 hours.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks"/>


Hill walkers can avoid the circa 100 steps of Torc Waterfall and start instead from the upper Torc Waterfall car-park (at 55 metres, {{gbm4ibx|V967842}}), to complete the shorter 7.5–kilometre hour 2.5–hour route to the summit of Torc Mountain and back to the upper car-park.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks">{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote=Route 46: Torc Mountain. [..] From the main Torc Waterfall car-park, follow the signs for A wide footpath leads through the woods to a viewpoint beneath the main falls where the Owengarrif River plunges over a series of rocky walls on its way to Muckross Lake. The cascade is acclaimed as one of the finest waterfalls in Ireland and is popular with tourists during the summer months.}}</ref><ref name="dillon">{{cite book|url=|title=The Irish Coast to Coast Walk: Dublin to Bray Head|isbn=978-1852844332|author=Paddy Dillon|date=10 March 2005|page=156|quote=Day 21: Muckross to Black Valley}}</ref>
Hill walkers can avoid the circa 100 steps of Torc Waterfall and start instead from the upper Torc Waterfall car-park (at 55 metres, {{gbm4ibx|V967842}}), to complete the shorter 7.5–kilometre hour 2.5–hour route to the summit of Torc Mountain, via the ''Old Kenmare Road'', and back to the upper car-park.<ref name="Irelandsbestwalks">{{cite book | last1 = Fairbairn | first1 = Helen | title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1848892118 | year = 2014 | quote=Route 46: Torc Mountain. [..] From the main Torc Waterfall car-park, follow the signs for A wide footpath leads through the woods to a viewpoint beneath the main falls where the Owengarrif River plunges over a series of rocky walls on its way to Muckross Lake. The cascade is acclaimed as one of the finest waterfalls in Ireland and is popular with tourists during the summer months.}}</ref><ref name="dillon">{{cite book|title=The Irish Coast to Coast Walk: Dublin to Bray Head|isbn=978-1852844332|first=Paddy|last=Dillon|date=10 March 2005|page=156|publisher=Cicerone Press |quote=Day 21: Muckross to Black Valley}}</ref>


The northerly views from the summit of Torc Mountain can be achieved by climbing the steep stone steps up the lower ''[[Torc Waterfall#Cardiac Hill|Cardiac Hill]]'', which is half-way up the slopes of Torc Mountain, and which can be accessed from the N71 Road, half a kilometre from the Torc Waterfall car-park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://killarneyguide.ie/cardiac-steps/|title=Cardiac Hill, Torc Mountain|access-date=22 December 2018|publisher=KillarneyGuide.ie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lovin.ie/counties/kerry/cardiac-steps-torc-mountain-walk-killarney|title=THIS UNASSUMING WALKING TRAIL HAS SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR VIEWS IN IRELAND|publisher=Lovin.ie|author=Seán Kenehan|date=24 November 2018}}</ref>
The northerly views from the summit of Torc Mountain can be achieved by climbing the steep stone steps up the lower ''[[Torc Waterfall#Cardiac Hill|Cardiac Hill]]'', which is half-way up the north facing slopes of Torc Mountain, and which can be accessed from the N71 Road, half a kilometre from the Torc Waterfall car-park.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://killarneyguide.ie/cardiac-steps/|title=Cardiac Hill, Torc Mountain|access-date=22 December 2018|publisher=KillarneyGuide.ie}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://lovin.ie/counties/kerry/cardiac-steps-torc-mountain-walk-killarney|title=THIS UNASSUMING WALKING TRAIL HAS SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR VIEWS IN IRELAND|publisher=Lovin.ie|first=Seán|last=Kenehan|date=24 November 2018}}</ref>

==Bibliography==

*{{cite book
| last1 = Dillion
| first1 = Paddy
| title = The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits
| publisher = Cicerone
| isbn = 978-1852841102
| year = 1993
}}

*{{cite book
| last1 = Fairbairn
| first1 = Helen
| title = Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide
| publisher = Collins Press
| isbn = 978-1848892118
| year = 2014
}}

*{{cite book| author=MountainViews (Simon Stewart)|year=2013 | title=A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: Vandeleur-Lynams & Arderins |publisher=Collins Books | isbn=978-1-84889-164-7}}

*{{cite book | last1 = Ryan | first1 = Jim | title = Carrauntoohil and MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains | publisher = Collins Press | isbn = 978-1905172337 | year = 2006 }}


==See also==
==See also==
Line 47: Line 77:
{{commons category|Torc Waterfall}}
{{commons category|Torc Waterfall}}
{{commons category|Owengarriff River}}
{{commons category|Owengarriff River}}
*[[Mountains of East Kerry]]
* [[Lists of mountains in Ireland]]
* [[List of mountains of the British Isles by height]]
*[[Torc Waterfall]]
*[[The Black Valley]]
* [[Torc Waterfall]]
* [[Mangerton Mountain Group]]
* [[The Black Valley]]


==References==
==References==
{{reflist}}
<references />


==External links==
==External links==
*[https://mountainviews.ie/summit/383/ MountainViews: The Irish Mountain Website], Torc Mountain
*[https://mountainviews.ie/mv/irl150setup.htm MountainViews: Irish Online Mountain Database]
*[http://www.hills-database.co.uk/downloads.html The Database of British and Irish Hills ], the largest database of British Isles mountains ("[[DoBIH]]")
*[http://www.hill-bagging.co.uk/ Hill Bagging UK & Ireland], the searchable interface for the [[DoBIH]]
*[http://maps.osi.ie/publicviewer/#V1,591271,743300,0 Ordnance Survey Ireland ("OSI") Online Map Viewer]
*[http://www.logainm.ie/ Logainm: Placenames Database of Ireland]
* [http://www.activeme.ie/guides/walks/torc-mountain-from-upper-car-park/ Torc Mountain Walking Route], Map and GPS information from the ''Activeme'' site
* [http://www.activeme.ie/guides/walks/torc-mountain-from-upper-car-park/ Torc Mountain Walking Route], Map and GPS information from the ''Activeme'' site


{{Mountains of Great Britain and Ireland|}}
{{Coord|52|00|N|9|31|W|region:IE_type:mountain|display=title}}
{{Mountains and hills of Munster|state=collapsed}}
{{Mountains and hills of Munster}}
{{IrishTrails}}
{{Lists of Marilyns}}


{{authority control}}
⚫
[[Category:Tourist attractions in County Kerry]]

⚫
[[Category:Mountains and hills of County Kerry]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:Torc Mountain}}
[[Category:Marilyns of Ireland]]
[[Category:Marilyns of Ireland]]
⚫
[[Category:Mountains and hills of County Kerry]]
⚫
[[Category:Mountains under 1000 metres]]

Latest revision as of 05:32, 13 May 2024

Torc Mountain
View from the summit of Torc Mountain looking westwards to the Upper Lake in the Black Valley
Highest point
Elevation535 m (1,755 ft)[1]
Prominence300 m (980 ft)[1]
ListingMarilyn, Arderin
Coordinates52°00′0″N 9°31′0″W / 52.00000°N 9.51667°W / 52.00000; -9.51667
Naming
Native nameSliabh Torc
English translationmountain of wild boar
Geography
Torc Mountain is located in island of Ireland
Torc Mountain
Torc Mountain
Location in Ireland
LocationCounty Kerry, Ireland
Parent rangeMangerton Mountain Group
OSI/OSNI gridV955839
Topo mapOSi Discovery 78
Geology
Rock ageDevonian[1]
Mountain type(s)Green sandstone & purple siltstone, (Glenflesk Chloritic Sandstone Formation)[1]
Climbing
Easiest routeOld Kenmare Road

Torc Mountain (Irish: Sliabh Torc, meaning 'mountain of wild boar'),[2] at 535 metres (1,755 ft), is the 329th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list. It is a popular mountain for hill walkers as it has a stone or boarded path (using railway sleepers) from its base at Torc Waterfall to its summit, which has views of the Lakes of Killarney.[3] Torc Mountain is part of the Mangerton Mountain Group range in County Kerry, Ireland.

Naming

[edit]

The word Torc comes from the Irish translation of a "wild boar", and the area is associated with legends involving wild boars – Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that: "Wild boar is significant in Celtic mythology, being depicted on Celtic artefacts found in continental Europe, Ireland and Britain; it represents physical strength and heroic fighting skills".[2] One legend is of a man who was cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar, but when his secret was revealed by a local farmer, he burst into flames and disappeared into the nearby Devil's Punchbowl on Mangerton Mountain from which the Owengarriff River emerged to hide the entrance to his cave beneath the Torc Waterfall.[4][5] There is also the story of how the legendary Irish warrior, Fionn MacCumhaill, killed a magical boar on Torc mountain with his golden spear.[6]

Geography

[edit]

Torc Mountain is part of the Mangerton Mountain Group which is a massif to the south of Killarney that includes 26 other named peaks with a height above 100 metres (330 ft).[7] Torc sits in the north-west corner of the massif and immediately west of Torc Mountain is the subsidiary summit of Torc Mountain West Top 470 metres (1,540 ft).[8][9] Torc's height and prominence, qualifies it on the British Isles Marilyn classification,[10] as well as the Arderin classification.[7]

Hill walking

[edit]
See also: Lists of long-distance trails in the Republic of Ireland § Boarded mountain paths
View westwards into the Black Valley, with the wooden railway "sleeper" boardwalk visible at left.

Torc is popular for hill walkers as it can be accessed from a marked stone-step path its base at Torc Waterfall, which then becomes a small road (the Old Kenmare Road) from the top of Torc Waterfall to the mountain itself, and then finishes with a track of wooden railway "sleepers" over the underlying bogland to its summit at 535 metres (1,755 ft).[9] The route can thus be completed without full hiking boots, and requires no special navigational skills.[9][11]

View northwards down to Muckross Lake and Lough Leane.

The summit of Torc has views of the Lakes of Killarney, the Black Valley, the MacGillycuddy's Reeks and Muckross House and grounds.[3] The route from the Torc Waterfall car-park (at V966847), to the summit of Torc Mountain and back is 8–kilometres and takes 3 hours.[3]

Hill walkers can avoid the circa 100 steps of Torc Waterfall and start instead from the upper Torc Waterfall car-park (at 55 metres, V967842), to complete the shorter 7.5–kilometre hour 2.5–hour route to the summit of Torc Mountain, via the Old Kenmare Road, and back to the upper car-park.[3][8]

The northerly views from the summit of Torc Mountain can be achieved by climbing the steep stone steps up the lower Cardiac Hill, which is half-way up the north facing slopes of Torc Mountain, and which can be accessed from the N71 Road, half a kilometre from the Torc Waterfall car-park.[12][13]

Bibliography

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

See also

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torc Mountain.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Torc Waterfall.
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Owengarriff River.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c d MountainViews: Torc Mountain
  2. ^ a b Tempan, Paul (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names" (PDF). MountainViews.ie.
  3. ^ a b c d Fairbairn, Helen (2014). Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848892118. Route 46: Torc Mountain. [..] From the main Torc Waterfall car-park, follow the signs for A wide footpath leads through the woods to a viewpoint beneath the main falls where the Owengarrif River plunges over a series of rocky walls on its way to Muckross Lake. The cascade is acclaimed as one of the finest waterfalls in Ireland and is popular with tourists during the summer months.
  4. ^ "Torc Waterfall Walk". Gems Publishing Limited. Retrieved 17 December 2017. History to know: Torc waterfall derives its name from the Gaelic word 'torc' meaning a wild boar. According to legend, the waterfall was created by a man who had been cursed by the Devil to spend each night transformed into a wild boar. He lived in a cavern beneath the cliffs of the mountain. His secret was discovered one night by a local farmer out looking for missing animals. The boar offered him great riches not to reveal his secret but became furious when his plight was revealed. In his anger, he is said to have burst into a ball of flame and disappeared into the Devils Punchbowl lake on nearby Mangerton Mountain. The lakewater burst forth and created the waterfall to hide forever the Boars cavern beneath the waterfall.
  5. ^ "Loop 10: Torc Waterfall". Discover Ireland. Retrieved 17 December 2018. Torc Waterfall – Mythical Landscapes
  6. ^ Meek, Donald E. (July 1990). "THE DEATH OF DIARMAID IN SCOTTISH AND IRISH TRADITION" (PDF). Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies.
  7. ^ a b Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, ISBN 978-1-84889-164-7
  8. ^ a b Dillon, Paddy (10 March 2005). The Irish Coast to Coast Walk: Dublin to Bray Head. Cicerone Press. p. 156. ISBN 978-1852844332. Day 21: Muckross to Black Valley
  9. ^ a b c Ryan, Jim (1 October 2012). Scenic Walks in Killarney. Collins Press. ISBN 978-1848891463. Walk 11: Torc Waterfall Circuit
  10. ^ Cocker, Chris; Jackson, Graham (2018). "The Database of British and Irish Hills". Database of British and Irish Hills.
  11. ^ Harding, Grace (21 January 2017). "Torc Mountain". The Idyll. The combination of rocky path and sleepers will take you all the way up the summit. So unlike other mountains in Kerry, you won't need any navigation skills.
  12. ^ "Cardiac Hill, Torc Mountain". KillarneyGuide.ie. Retrieved 22 December 2018.
  13. ^ Kenehan, Seán (24 November 2018). "THIS UNASSUMING WALKING TRAIL HAS SOME OF THE MOST SPECTACULAR VIEWS IN IRELAND". Lovin.ie.
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