Summary

Irish Mountains present a unique case study in the wide ranging cultural, historic, and physical aspects of geography in the region. Physically, both Wicklow Mountains and MacGillycuddy Reeks reveal the significance of Iapetus Suture and the ice age to the mountainous landscapes across the island of Ireland, revealing the development of drastic U-Shaped valleys that have become iconic to imagery of the region. We can also see how physical changes take place in Irish mountains over time – for example with the forestation of Wicklow mountains due to mining as an approach to curb land erosion, but also the more recent impacts of recreational tourism on Macgillycuddy reeks as it threatens to erode the land through heavily used footpaths.

Culturally, we can see the importance of mountains to religious life in Ireland, considering that Glendalough was once a site of pilgrimage attracting visitors from across Europe, and continuing to attract visitors to the Monastic city site today in honour of Saint Kevin. We can also see how both MacGillycuddy Reeks and Wicklow mountains were impacted by British colonial conflict; in Wicklow, Irish soldiers hid within the mountains, drawing on their knowledge of the region, to circumvent attacks, yet this ultimately led to colonial construction of a road in the Wicklow mountains for future access, permanently altering the landscape. In Macgillycuddy Reeks, cultural festivals such as Puck Fair are said to have emerged through British invasion in the region, again grounding these mountainous landscapes as key sites of power, control, and community belonging.

Larger bodies such as UNESCO, the EU, and government organizations have recognised the importance of these mountain landscapes, and efforts such as the EIP-AGRI have been enacted to protect these landscapes for the future. While Ireland may not have the world’s tallest mountains, this chapter has shown that mountain landscapes lend important insights relevant to our understandings of Irish physical, human, and cultural geographies.

References

Biodiversity of Wicklow County. 2008. “Wicklow’s Mountain Wilderness.” Accessed August 26, 2024.

• Original link: https://www.wicklow.ie/Portals/0/Documents/Arts%20Heritage%20&%20Archives/Heritage/Natural%20Heritage/About%20Natural%20Heritage/Introduction_to_Biodiversity_in_County_Wicklow.pdf
• Web archive link: https://web.archive.org/web/20250622214246/https://www.wicklow.ie/Portals/0/Documents/Arts%20Heritage%20&%20Archives/Heritage/Natural%20Heritage/About%20Natural%20Heritage/Introduction_to_Biodiversity_in_County_Wicklow.pdf

Dastrup, R. Adam. 2020. “5.6 Glacial Influence on Erosion and Deposition.” Physical Geography and Natural Disasters. Accessed August 26, 2024. Salt Lake: Salt Lake Community College.

• Original link: https://slcc.pressbooks.pub/physicalgeography/chapter/5-6/
• Web archive link:  https://web.archive.org/web/20250622214541/https://slcc.pressbooks.pub/physicalgeography/chapter/5-6/