Diamond Hill (Ireland)

Diamond Hill
Binn Ghuaire
Diamond Hill from Connemara National Park visitor centre.
Highest point
Elevation	442 m (1,450 ft) [1]
Prominence	277 m (909 ft) [1]
Listing	Marilyn
Coordinates	53°32′53.93″N 9°54′52.20″W / 53.5483139°N 9.9145000°WCoordinates: 53°32′53.93″N 9°54′52.20″W / 53.5483139°N 9.9145000°W [1]
Naming
Translation	Guaire's peak (Irish)
Geography
Diamond Hill County Galway, Ireland
OSI/OSNI grid	L67272
Climbing
First ascent	ancestral
Easiest route	Hike

Diamond Hill (Irish: Binn Ghuaire, meaning "Guaire's peak")^[2] is a large hill south-east of Letterfrack in County Galway, Ireland.

Geography

Diamond Hill from Kylemore Lough.

Diamond Hill in October 1987.

The summit - August 2013

The 442-metre (1,450 ft) high hill stands in a prominent position between the Ballinakill harbour (West) and the Twelve Bens range (East).

The top of the hill hosts a large cairn. It offers a view on a long stretch of Irish Atlantic coast, the Twelve Bens and the isles of Inishboffin and Inishark.^[3]

Name

The English meaning of Binn Ghuaire is Guaire's peak; Guaire Aidne (died 663) was a king of Connacht. The hill was also known as Bengooria, an anglicized form of the Irish name.^[4]

Access to the summit

The walk which leads from the National Park visitor centre (Letterfrack) up to the summit does not require any special hiking hability, but is advisable wearing a proper outdoor clothing and being reasonably well trained.^[5] The complete signposed walk is composed of a lower Diamond Hill Walk (3 km long) and an Upper Diammond Hill Walk (3.7 km long) which reaches the summit.^[6] Diamond Hill is a popular walking destination and attracts both Irish hikers and foreign tourists.^[3]

Conservation

Diamond hill and its surrounding area is part of the Connemara National Park.

See also

• List of Marilyns in Ireland

References

1. "Twelve Bens Area". MountainViews. Ordnance Survey Ireland. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
2. "Binn Ghuaire". Placenames Database of Ireland. Dublin City University. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
3. Christopher Somerville (August 28, 2010). "Walk of the week: Diamond Hill, Connemara, Co Galway". Irish Independent. Dublin. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
4. Paul Tempan (February 2012). Irish Hill and Mountain Names (PDF). Mountaineering.ie. Mountaineering Ireland. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
5. "Guided Walks from Walk Connemara". Walk Connemara. Paul Phelan. Retrieved February 6, 2015.
6. Connemara National Park Trails (PDF). Connemara Natrional Park. Connemara National Park. Retrieved February 6, 2015.