Ben Bulben
Ben Bulben's northern side on a cloudy day.
Elevation	526 m
Location	Sligo,  Ireland
Range	Dartry Mountains
Coordinates	54°22′N 8°28′W / 54.367°N 8.467°W / 54.367; -8.467
Topo map	OSi Discovery 16
OSI/OSNI grid reference	G692463
Listing	Marilyn

Ben Bulben (alternatively spelt Benbulben or Benbulbin) (Irish: Binn Ghulbain [GE]) is a large rock formation in Ireland. It is a Ben (the Irish name for a large, glacier-carved rock). It is located in the Irish county of Sligo, known unofficially as Yeats Country.^[1][2]

[edit] Etymology

"Ben Bulben", "Benbulben", and "Benbulbin" are all anglicizations of the Irish name "Binn Ghulbain". "Binn" is the word most often used for "peak" or "mountain", while "Ghulbain" means either "Gulban(’s)" or "jaw-shaped". The two most common translations are "Gulban’s peak" and "jaw-shaped peak."

[edit] Geology

[edit] Formation

A snow-capped view of Ben Bulben, seen from Streedagh Strand, near Grange.

Ben Bulben was formed during the Ice age, when large parts of the Earth were under glaciers. It was originally merely a large ridge, however the moving glaciers cut into the earth, leaving a distinct formation, now called Ben Bulben.^[2][3]

[edit] Rock composition

The steeper sides of Ben Bulben are composed of large amounts of Dartry limestone on top of smaller amounts of Glencar limestone. The smoother sides are composed of Ben Bulben shale. These rocks formed in the area approximately 320 million years ago.^[2]

Ben Bulben, viewed from The Hill in Sligo Town

[edit] Climbing

If climbed by the north face, it is a dangerous climb. That side bears the brunt of the high winds and storms that come in from the Atlantic Ocean. However, if climbed by the south side, it is an easy climb, due to the fact that side slopes very gently. Upon reaching the summit, the climber is rewarded with a magnificent view of Yeats Country.^[2]

[edit] Flora and fauna

Ben Bulben hosts a unique variety of plants, possessing some organisms found nowhere else in Ireland. Many are arctic-alpine plants, due to the mountain's height, which allows for cooler temperatures than is normal.^[2] These plants were deposited when the glaciers that created Ben Bulben melted. Insects, wild hares,^[2] and foxes^[2] inhabit Ben Bulben.

[edit] In Irish history

Another view of Ben Bulben's northern side, this time from a farther distance.

[edit] Celtic legends

Ben Bulben is the setting of many Celtic legends. It is said to be the dwelling of the Fianna, a band of warriors who lived in the third century. One example is a story in which the warrior Diarmuid Ua Duibhne (Diarmund) is tricked by the giant Fionn mac Cumhaill (Finn McCool) into fighting an enchanted boar, which later kills the warrior by piercing his heart with its tusk. The mountain is said to be Diarmuid and Grainne's resting places. Also, in the 6th century, St. Columba led 3,000 soldiers up Ben Bulben to fight for the right for the saint to copy from a Psalter he had borrowed from St. Finnian.^[4]

[edit] Irish Civil War

In September 1922, during the Irish Civil War, an Irish Republican Army column, including an armoured car were cornered in Sligo. The car was destroyed by another armoured car belonging to the Irish Free State's National Army , and six of the IRA soldiers fled up the Ben Bulben's slopes. In the end, all were killed, allegedly after they had surrendered. They are known as the "Noble Six".

Ben Bulben's northern side.	Another photograph of the northern side.	As seen from the south.	Bun Bulben, with Sligo Bay in the foreground.
An eastern view.	A section of the north face of Ben Bulben.	The summit of Ben Bulben.	A snowy Ben Bulben, seen from Streedagh Strand.

[edit] Aircraft wreck

It is said that an American World War II aircraft crashed on top of Ben Bulben. To this day, some of its remains can allegedly be found on the mountain.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] Sinn Fein slogan campaign

In the 1970s and 1980s, Sinn Fein had engaged in a slogan campaign around the theme Brits out of Ireland. Roads and walls throughout the 26 counties had been marked with these slogans as was Benbulben in 1977. It was marked first with 'Brits Out' (180 ft long and 25 ft high) and then later with the less offensive slogan 'H-Block'.

[edit] Under Ben Bulben

The famous poem, Under Ben Bulben, (written by W. B. Yeats, after whom Yeats Country is named), is basically a description of Yeats Country. It describes the sights that he saw in Yeats Country. The following is an excerpt from Under Ben Bulben:

[edit] References

[edit] See also

Wikimedia Commons has media related to: Ben Bulben

• List of mountains in Ireland
• Wiktionary definition of a ben

[edit] External links

• Climbing Benbulben
• Ben Bulben statistics
• An image of Ben Bulben with a small caption
• Tourist information
• An essay on the Ben Bulben in Yeats' poetry
• Information, pictures and a panorama of Ben Bulben
• A second site detailing Ben Bulben in Yeats' poetry
• Hiking the Benbulben and the old coal mine
• Sinn Fein Anti British Slogans 1977

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