Galtee Mountains

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The Galtees seen from the M8, east of Mitchelstown

The Galtee Mountains (also Galty Mountains or Galtees, Irish: Na Gaibhlte ) are a mountain range in Ireland. The mountains extend across parts of counties Limerick, Tipperary and Cork in the province of Munster.

The name is probably a corruption of the Galtee Irish Sléibhte na gCoillte ( "Mountains of the Forests" ), an older name of the mountains in Irish.

The Galtee Mountains are Ireland's highest inland mountain range in the form of a high ridge that runs roughly from West to East. The mountains rise almost vertically from the surrounding plain, called the Golden Vale (Irish: machaire na Mumhan ). In particular, to the north to the Glen of Aherlow the mountains fall away steeply. The highest peak is the Galtymore (or Galteemore, Irish: Cnoc Mór na Gaibhlte Mór or nGaibhlte ) with 919 m. It lies on the border of Counties Limerick and Tipperary.

Further surveys of more than 700 m are:

• Lyracappul ( ir Ladhar to Chapaill, 825 m),
• Carrignabinnia ( ir Carraig na Binne, 822 m),
• Greenane ( ir An Grianan, 802 m),
• Galtybeg ( ir Gaibhlte Beag, 799 m),
• Temple Hill ( Cnoc an ir Teampaill, 785 m),
• Greenane West ( ir An Grianan Thiar, 786 m),
• Slievecushnabinnia ( ir Sliabh na Choi Binne, 766 m).

In the field of Galtees dairy farming has traditionally. Mitchelstown, embedded on the Cork side of the mountains, and Tipperary on the northern side and Cahir in the east are the major cities and economic centers of the region.

Geology

The Galtees were formed during the Caledonian fold after unification of the earth's continents of Avalonia, Baltica and Laurentia to Laurussia. The original, soft Silurian rocks eroded, the resulting compacted sand over several million years to hard - Old Red Sandstone, which forms the outer layer of the mountain. Inside the Silurian - core remained.

Two major periods of glaciation affected the area. The rounded peaks of the Galtees formed on the ice. The constant freeze -thaw cycles led to today's rocky, boulder- covered peaks. Glaciers formed on higher slopes basin (called cirques, called in Ireland Corries ) in which there are five cirque lakes, including Lough Curra ( hole Curra ) and Lough Bohreen ( hole Bóithrín ) in the vicinity of Galteemore and Lough Muskry ( hole Mhúscraí ) below the Greenane.