| Croaghaun | |
|---|---|
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| Elevation | 664 m (2,178 ft) |
| Location | County Mayo, Ireland |
| OSI/OSNI grid reference | F553058 |
Croaghaun (Irish: Cruachán) is a mountain in County Mayo, Ireland. It has the highest cliffs in Ireland and the third-highest sea cliffs in Europe at 668 m.
Croaghaun is the most westerly peak of Achill Island, and its second-highest mountain. Its cliffs lie on the northern slope of the mountain. Contrary to popular belief, the cliffs at Slieve League in County Donegal are not Ireland's, or Europe's highest as they stand at 595 metres (Ordnance Survey of Ireland, 2007). The cliffs at Croaghaun can only be seen by hiking around or to the summit of the mountain, or from the sea. The cliffs are part of a vast array of sheer rock faces which start south of Keem Bay and loop around the uninhabited northwest of the island, by Achill Head and Saddle Head and east to Slievemore, at places dropping vertically into the pounding waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The views from the top of the cliffs are nothing short of breathtaking and the unusual corries and unique rock types make this location a hiker's paradise. The most satisfying part of these cliffs lie in the fact that they are not reachable by car and you must either park at Keem beach and make the trek from there or park at the supply lake on the way to Keem bay, or go by boat (calm day highly recommended!) This location is one of the most untouched areas in the whole of Western Europe; and one of the secret gems. The Croaghaun cliffs are home to 2 families of [peregrine falcons] (RTE, 2008). September and October are the best time to see the fastest creatures on earth here, as they educate their young in the art of flight. At any time of the year, (weather dependant) you can enjoy the most westerly, most remote, most spectacular cliff scenery that anyone in the face of this earth can enjoy. Upon the cliff, one can observe the Irish metamorphic, quartz laden gems, the Meditteranean heathers and the crystal tropical waters of the Atlantic. It is common to see dolphins, mostly bottle nosed (in shoals)and of course the basking shark (BBC; 2008) a once local source of revenue for Achill Island (BBC; 2009) The porpoise is found in large numbers in this area. They are smaller than the typical bottle-nosed dolphin, but hunt in packs, and therefore, are highly efficient hunters (National Geographic, 2002) The Killer Whale (amongst many species of whale) have been sighted here over the years, along with the humpback.
References
Coordinates: 53°58′52″N 10°12′14″W / 53.981°N 10.204°W
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