Three Rock Mountain
| Three Rock Mountain | |
|---|---|
| Binn Trí Charraig / Sliabh Ruadh | |
 Masts on Three Rock Mountain | |
| Highest point | |
| Elevation | 448 m (1,470 ft)[1] |
| Coordinates | 53°14′43″N6°14′21″W/ 53.24528°N 6.23917°W[2] |
| Geography | |
  Three Rock Location in Greater Dublin  Three Rock Three Rock (island of Ireland) | |
| Location | Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown,Ireland |
| Parent range | Dublin Mountains |
| OSI/OSNI grid | O176231 |
| Topo map | OSI Discovery No. 50 |
Three Rock Mountain(Irish:Binn Trí Charraig;[3]archaic:Sliabh Ruadh[4]) is a mountain in Co Dublin, Ireland. It is 444 metres (1,457 feet) high[1]and forms part of the group of hills in the Dublin Mountains which comprisesTwo Rock,Three Rock,KilmashogueandTibraddenMountains.[5]The mountain takes its name from the three groups ofgraniterocks at the summit.[6]It was once believed that these features were man-made: for instance,Gabriel Berangerwrote of them in 1780, "I take them to be altars upon which sacrifices were offered […] the regularity which is observed in piling them convinces me they are the work of man, as they could not grow in that position".[7]In fact, the three outcrops aretors:natural geological features produced by the gradual process ofweathering.[6]Today, the summit is dominated by the manyradio masts and towersthat use the site to broadcast their signals across the Dublin area below.[8]The forestry plantations on the slopes consist mainly ofSitka spruce,Japanese larch,Scots pine,Monterey pineandlodgepole pine.[1]
Access and recreation
[edit]The views from the summit are extensive and have attracted visitors for many years.[9]The writer Weston St. John Joyce described the vista thus: "The view from this commanding height, 1,479 feet over sea-level, extends over a vast tract of mountain, sea, and plain, comprising, to the north, the blue waters ofDublin Bay,withClontarfandHowth,theNaulor Man-of-War hills, and theMourne Mountains;eastward,Kingstown,Dalkey,andKilliney,and then in succession the fertile vale of Shanganagh,Carrickgollogan,the Scalp,Bray Head,theSugar Loaves,and the slopes of Prince William's Seat. In clear weatherHolyheadand the Welsh mountains may frequently be discerned,Snowdonand theLlanberis Passbeing usually the most conspicuous, but occasionally the elongated outline ofCader Idrismay be observed some distance to the right ".[10]By way of contrast, Gabriel Beranger said of Three Rock, "The extensive summit of this mountain, the parched ground and its solitude, make it the most awful spot I had ever seen".[7]
Access to the mountain is possible via theCoillte-owned forest recreation areas ofTicknockand Kilmashogue.[1]The route via Kilmashogue follows theWicklow Wayhiking trail for part of the way.[11]Three Rock is also traversed by theDublin Mountains Wayhiking trail that runs betweenShankillandTallaght.[2]In 2007 a concept was submitted toDún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Councilto create a cableway from theSandyford Luas stopto Three Rock Mountain and to open up the views to touristic and easier access.[12]
Several local sports clubs take their name from the mountain such as theThree Rock Orienteering Clubhas mapped the area and runorienteeringcompetitions there since 1981[13]as well asThree Rock Rovers Hockey Club[14](field hockey) andThree Rock Roversassociation football club.[citation needed]
History
[edit]On the top of the central tor at the summit are four bowl-shaped depressions: these arebullaunswhich were used in early Christian times for grinding.[15]At one time, to the east of central tor was the remains of an abandonedpublic house.[15]
Close to the summit is the ruins of an old armyshooting rangewhich closed in the 1970s.[16]The targets were raised and lowered by 12 men using levers in a concrete dugout.[17]A red flag was raised along the forest road to alert visitors that firing exercises were in progress.[17]
The remains of severalhill forts,ring fortsand otherenclosuresare to be found on the slopes of the mountain though they have largely disappeared under the forestry plantations.[18][19]
During the nineteenth century, much of the lower slopes of Three Rock were covered with small quarries, especially around the village of Barnacullia, which supplied paving stones forDublin Corporationfor many years.[20]Close to Barnacullia was a cottage that was occupied for many years by theCountess Markieviczup until the 1916Easter Rising.[21]The children ofJames Connollystayed at the cottage during the week of the Rising.[21]During theIrish War of Independence(1919–21) the 6th Battalion of the Dublin Brigade established a camp at Barnacullia.[22]
Further down the slopes, near the Ticknock Road, is aholy well,known as Grumley's Well, reputed to cure eye ailments.[23]
Transmission site
[edit]The main transmission site on Three Rock is owned and operated by2RNa subsidiary of the Irish national broadcasterRTÉ,its 140-metre (360') cable-stayed mast is close to the peak, which is 448 metres (1470') aboveOrdnance Datum.
This site, andCairn Hillin County Longford, were the firstUHFtelevision transmitters built by RTÉ to facilitate the introduction of their second television channel (RTÉ 2) in 1978. Both transmitters also helped improve television reception in their respective service areas. Since 1961 Dublin city had been served by theKippureVHF television transmitter in County Wicklow which did not cover some Eastern and Southern parts of the city very satisfactorily. A low-power VHF TV relay transmitter (now defunct) had broadcast from the links tower at the RTÉ campus in Donnybrook to serve most of the districts not reached byKippure.The original transmission tower on the site was superseded by the present 140m mast in 2002, but the tower remains as amicrowave linkfacility carrying service feeds for broadcast and telecoms.
Today the Three Rock transmitters provide the Irishdigital televisionservice,Saorview,toDublincity and county,[24]as well as FM andDAB radionetworks. Other masts at the site carry the majority of Dublin's local radio stations.
Current transmissions
[edit]Digital television
[edit]| Frequency | UHF | kW | Multiplex | Pol |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 546 MHz | 30 | 125 | Saorview1 | H |
| 570 MHz | 33 | 125 | Saorview2 | H |
FM radio
[edit]| Frequency | kW | Service |
|---|---|---|
| 88.5 MHz | 5 | RTÉ Radio 1 |
| 90.7 MHz | 5 | RTÉ 2fm |
| 96.7 MHz | 5 | RTÉ lyric fm |
| 92.9 MHz | 5 | RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta |
| 94.9 MHz | 1.5 | Classic Hits 4FM[25] |
| 98.1 MHz | 5 | Dublin's 98FM |
| 100.3 MHz | 12.5 | Radio Nova 100 |
| 101.8 MHz | 0.5 | Today FM[26] |
| 102.2 MHz | 2 | Q102 |
| 103.2 MHz | 1 | Dublin City FM[27] |
| 103.8 MHz | 5 | SPIN 1038 |
| 104.4 MHz | 5 | FM104 |
| 106.0 MHz | 10 | Newstalk |
| 106.4 MHz | 0.5 | Raidió Na Life[28] |
| 106.8 MHz | 0.5 | Sunshine 106.8 |
Three Rockrelay transmitters
[edit]| DTT Relay | County | Mux 1 | Mux 2 | kW | Pol |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Greenore | Louth | 41 | 44 | 0.2 | V |
| Greystones | Wicklow | 42 | 45 | 0.5 | V |
References
[edit]- ^abcd"Ticknock".Coillte Outdoors.Archivedfrom the original on 26 September 2021.Retrieved1 August2010.
- ^abDiscovery Series No. 50(Map).Ordnance Survey Ireland.
- ^"Three Rock Mountain".Placenames Database of Ireland.Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.Archivedfrom the original on 10 March 2016.Retrieved6 June2020.
- ^"Three Rock Mountain – Archival Records"(jpg).Placenames Database of Ireland.Department of Culture, Heritage and the Gaeltacht.Archivedfrom the original on 6 June 2012.Retrieved31 July2010.
- ^Healy, p. 105.
- ^abJoyce, p. 131.
- ^abJoyce, p. 132.
- ^Pearson, p. 304-305.
- ^Healy, p. 106.
- ^Joyce, p. 133-134.
- ^"Wicklow Way (Ticknock)".Coillte Outdoors.Archivedfrom the original on 29 November 2007.Retrieved1 July2010.
- ^"[Infrastructural-Development-Sandyford-to-Three-Rock]".Archived(PDF)from the original on 25 May 2015.Retrieved25 May2015.
- ^"Three Rock Orienteering Club".Archivedfrom the original on 17 January 2007.Retrieved1 August2010.
- ^"Three Rock Rovers Hockey Club".Archivedfrom the original on 28 November 2010.Retrieved1 August2010.
- ^abHealy, p. 109.
- ^Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, p. 13.
- ^abDún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council, p. 12.
- ^Healy, p. 108.
- ^Healy, p. 112.
- ^Pearson, p. 321.
- ^abHealy, p. 110.
- ^Healy, p. 111.
- ^Healy, p. 107.
- ^UK Free TV."Three Rock Transmitter".UK Free TV.Retrieved6 November2012.[permanent dead link]
- ^"GUIDE TO SUBMISSIONS: PROVISION OF A MULTI-CITY sound broadcasting service on the fm band".bci.ie.April 2007. Archived fromthe originalon 28 September 2007.
- ^Replaced 100.3 MHz from RTÉ NL site
- ^Previously 103.8 MHz
- ^Previously 102.2 MHz
Bibliography
[edit]- Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown County Council(2009).Did You Know...? Forgotten Aspects of our Local Heritage.Dublin: Dun Laoghaire Rathdown County Council.ISBN978-0-9557829-2-3.
- Healy, Patrick (April 2005).Rathfarnham Roads(PDF).Dublin: South Dublin Libraries.ISBN0-9547660-3-2.Retrieved7 August2010.
- Joyce, Weston St. John (1994) [first published 1912].The Neighbourhood of Dublin.Dublin: Hughes and Hughes.ISBN0-7089-9999-9.
- Discovery Series No. 50: Dublin, Kildare, Meath, Wicklow(Map) (6th ed.). 1:50,000. Discovery Series.Ordnance Survey Ireland.2010.ISBN978-1-907122-17-0.
- Pearson, Peter (1998).Between the Mountains and the Sea. Dún Laoghaire–Rathdown County Council.Dublin: O'Brien Press.ISBN0-86278-582-0.
