Croaghaun (Irish: Cruachán) is a mountain on Achill Island in County Mayo, Ireland. At 688 metres (2,257 ft), it has the highest sea cliffs in Ireland[2] as well as the third highest sea cliffs in Europe (after Hornelen, Norway and Cape Enniberg, Faroe Islands).
| Croaghaun | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 688 m (2,257 ft)[1] |
| Prominence | 688 m (2,257 ft)[1] |
| Parent peak | None |
| Listing | P600, Marilyn, Hewitt |
| Naming | |
| English translation | little stack |
| Language of name | Irish |
| Geography | |
  Croaghaun Location in Ireland | |
| Location | County Mayo, Ireland |
| Parent range | Achill Island |
| OSI/OSNI grid | F553060 |
Geography
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Croaghaun is the most westerly peak of Achill Island, and its highest mountain. Its cliffs lie on the northern slope of the mountain. The cliffs at Croaghaun can only be seen by hiking around or to the summit of the mountain, or from the sea. They are part of a sequence of sheer rock faces which start south of Keem Bay and loop around the uninhabited north-west of the island, by Achill Head and Saddle Head, and east to Slievemore, occasionally dropping vertically into the waters of the Atlantic Ocean.
Nature
editThe Croaghaun cliffs are home to two families of peregrine falcons (RTÉ, 2008). September and October are the best time to see the fastest creatures on Earth here, as they teach their young to fly. Metamorphic, quartz-laden gems may be observed, along with Mediterranean heathers and the waters of the Atlantic. It is common to see schools of bottlenose dolphins and basking sharks, once a source of revenue for Achill Island (BBC, 2009). Porpoises are found in large numbers. Orcas, humpback whales, and other whales have been sighted.[3]
See also
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Media related to Croaghaun at Wikimedia Commons
References
edit- ^ a b "Achill & Corraun Area NW: Croaghaun Subarea". Mountainviews. Croaghaun.
- ^ Clarke, Harold (1970). Ireland in Color. New York: Viking Press, p. 108. ISBN 978-0-670-40093-5.
- ^ Majella Loftus (24 September 2008). "World's largest animal spotted off Achill Island". Western People. Archived from the original on 27 September 2011. Retrieved 4 April 2011.
A RARE sighting of a blue whale, the planet's largest living animal, was recorded off Achill Island last week.