The Mountain

In Togher , in the townland of Deanrock , there lies a geological natural feature known as " The Mountain ". This article will look at it's story which spans millions of years and thousands of miles , including what was there before , how it was formed and how the surrounding landscape changed over time.

Billy O'Brien - The Mountain - 2014

Today , the rocky limestone outcrop which is situated off Clashduv Road and Hazel Road and known affectionately by locals as The Mountain is one of the areas natural wonders. Before the blog delves into the story of The Mountain , it is first necessary to to uncover what was there before it even existed! In other words , what does it actually rest on. For that ( see graph below ) , a journey back in time and thousands of miles south reveals the answer. During the Ordovician Period ( 450 Million Years Ago ) , the region was hundreds of miles below the Equator and submerged in a shallow sea.

Location of Ireland circa 450 MYA
Note : Submerged in shallow sea

Granite rocks from higher levels of dry land were worn down by the elements into fine grains of sand which were then deposited at the site. A process called lithification over millions of years turned the sand into hard rock. They were helped by natural minerals such as silica , iron oxide or calcium carbonate which acted like a glue to hold everything together. This then became the sea floor for what was to come next!

Sandstone plain exposed from shallow sea

The Mountain hides many secrets in plain sight! It was originally twice the size extending out onto the present day access road off Clashduv Road and exponentially higher! However this will be explored in more detail later in the article. How the natural feature came into existence will now be examined. Many could be forgiven for believing that it is just a simple mass of rock. But that couldn't be further from the truth! It is in fact the remains of sea animals which swam in the ocean over 359 Million years ago! This occurred during the Carboniferous Period ( see graph below ). 

Location of Ireland circa 100 MYA
Note : Submerged in warm tropical sea

As they died , their skeletal remains ( Chrinoids , Corals and Brachiopods - see below ) drifted to the bottom of the sea and over millions of years were joined by more remains. These eventually solidified under enormous pressure to form limestone circa 360 - 330 Million Years Ago! Thus The Mountain was born! It was and is quite literally an open tomb! In other words a mass grave exposed from an ancient seafloor! What is seen today is only a fraction of its overall mass. A typical limestone outcrop resting on a sandstone base can be anywhere from 10 to 50 Metres deep! However , as the Island of Ireland was pushed further north by plate tectonics it entered a period of extreme heat which turned the landscape ( see below ) into an arid desert!

Illustration of shallow sea prior to forming limestone

Brachiopod in its natural environment

Crinoids in their natural environment

The Mountain when it was surrounded by desert
 ( Ai reconstruction )

Over many millions of years Ireland went from a sub-tropical climate to a more temperate one ( as it quite literally crashed into another landmass thus forming the Island of Ireland ) and this transformation which arrived at the end of the Neogene Period ( 2.58 Million Years Ago ) saw a prolonged period of intensive weathering culminating in the last Ice Age which gouged the entire landscape beyond all recognition and heavily wore down any exposed rock formations , including The Mountain which may have been hundreds of feet high. This would have taken place between 27,000 and 20,000 Years Ago and was known as the Last Glacial Maximum. As it retreated , this 1 Kilometre thick ice sheet ( which covered over 99% of Ireland ) scoured and polished anything that lay in its path giving us the feature more or less that we have today.

View from The Mountain during Last Ice Age
Glaciers retreating leaving meltwater
( Ai reconstruction )

In tandem with this massive erosion event was the ever changing landscape which The Mountain oversaw. When the Ice Sheet retreated , it left behind a deep depression leaving a flat valley floor. Countless ancient short lived streams quickly flooded this plain as a result of the colossal meltwater produced by the shrinking glaciers before settling into their present flows which mirrored the fault lines in the bedrock ( North to East ). Today , Togher contains a mere 3 main watercourses , Glenmore , Liberty/Tramore and Glasheen , which date back to the end of the last Ice Age making them at least 10,000 years old!
 

The Mountain surrounded by a swamp
( Ai reconstruction )

As time wore on , the meltwater slowed and the valley floor became stagnant which encouraged the appearance of water lilies , sedges and reeds in the shallow water. The Post Glacial Period ( c. 9,000 Years Ago ) saw the valley floor develop into a peaty fen as a result of the decomposition of these plants. This mass of nutrient rich ground ushered in the Wet Woodland Intrusion ( c. 6000 B.C. ) when it became solid enough to support Alder , Willow and Birch trees. The dense canopy took over the valley floor of Togher. The vantage point if seen from The Mountain would have been a huge swamp woodland as far as the eye could see! An event known as the Raised Peat Accumulation ( c. 3000 – 1000 B.C. ) saw the trees die off due to the acidity of the groundwater.
 

The Mountain surrounded by bog formation
( Ai reconstruction )

In its place grew Sphagnum moss which thrived in the acidic conditions. It quite literally soaked up all of the groundwater to form a dome-like structure or raised bog for miles around. By the time of the arrival of our ancestors towards the end of the Bronze Age ( c. 1200 B.C. ) they were forced to construct a causeway ( An Tóchar - Togher ) nearby to traverse the dangerous uneven ground to secure a footing onto the higher land , thereby giving the region its name! As the Millennia wore on  , the area succumbed to human intervention when much of the land was drained for agricultural use.

OS map 1830 showing track over The Mountain

The legacy of a bog near The Mountain persisted right up to the 1970s when it was back-filled to form the modern day park that exists today. Sadly The Mountain has been subject to modern human intervention over the last 2 Centuries. At one point , the owners of Clashduff house had a cattle track hammered through the centre of The Mountain to gain access to another field. This would have facilitated the movement of cattle and also farm hands with horse and cart delivering manure and feed ( see map above ). 

OS map 1880 - vertical lines indicating uneven terrain

Aerial photo 1951

Once the land was CPO'd in 1967 , a French explosives expert was hired by Cork Corporation to quite literally blow up The Mountain. However after several attempts , it was deemed too dangerous to continue given the close proximity to neighboring housing schemes. Nonetheless much of The Mountain was now permanently gone. In its place a shadow of its former self now stood like a silent sentinel over the growing Neighborhood. Once the planned complete demolition was cancelled , the builders tore down the stone wall exposing for the first time to the general public , The Mountain , which would not have been visible from the main road outside.

September 1968 - View of The Mountain
in background behind boy and trees

Aerial photo 1971 - * Note : Fencing along brow of outcrop

Aerial photo 1971 - Frontal view of The Mountain
from Clashduv Road

Aerial photo 1971 - Alternate view showing builders offices

The photos below from different timelines show the footprint of The Mountain over successive years as it quietly disappears from view as outlined in the closing paragraphs of this article.

Early 2000s - * Note worn track on right

Circa 2005 - Note encroachment by ground cover at rear

Circa 2010 - Note coverage of top soil and grass to rear

3d view of The Mountain showing its full length

* In more modern times , tons of topsoil were deposited to cover over the sharper more craggier parts of the base of The Mountain. This can be seen nowadays in the upward curve of the grassy base which has succeeded in hiding about half of the west face of the limestone outcrop , the whole of which was visible to children of the 1970s and 1980s. The exposed greatest length of The Mountain in modern times from north to south is 198ft while its greatest exposed width from west to east is 57ft. As demonstrated by the photos below soil coverage and introduction of bushes and trees have served to soften its appearance. In more modern times The Mountain is flanked to its north and east by Hazel Road , to its west by Elm Road and to its south by Clashduv Road.

 

 

1973 local protest concerning driving test centre
* Note : original height of The Mountain in background

North Face - * Note : rough grass covering outcrop

South Face - * Note : introduction of bushes & trees

West Face - Most iconic view from Elm Road

East Face - Car Park on Hazel Road
* Note : rough grass covering outcrop

 

Conclusions :

While it is commendable from a health and safety view that this natural feature has been softened so as not to endanger children , it is felt that another approach can be taken. This could take the form of re-exposing the limestone outcrop and erecting a gated fence around its perimeter. School tours could be undertaken by interested parties including tourists ( this is a golden opportunity ) and a storyboard stand put in place showcasing its fascinating geological history as detailed in this article. From a shallow tropical sea to a desert to glaciers to swamp and bog , The Mountain has witnessed it all!

Ai construction of gated fence

Acknowledgements :

 

media.hhmi.org

https://www.fossilera.com
https://www.manospondylus.com 
https://dalesrocks.org.uk