Knockmealdown Mountains

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The Knockmealdowns viewed from the M8.

The Knockmealdown Mountains (Irish: Sléibhte Chnoc Mhaoldomhnaigh) are a mountain range located on the border of counties South Tipperary and Waterford in Ireland, running east and west between the two counties. The highest peak of the range is Knockmealdown, situated in County Waterford. On the western side of the summit, the range is crossed by a high pass through which runs the old mail coach road from Lismore to Clogheen.

Name

Knockmealdown has two interpretations of the Irish origins of its name, either Cnoc Mhaoldomhnaigh: Muldowneys' Hill or Cnoc Maol Donn: bald brown hill.

Mountain peaks

List of peaks in the Knockmealdown Mountains ordered by height:

• Knockmealdown (794 m)
• Knockmoylan (768 m)
• Knocknafallia (668 m)
• Sugarloaf Hill (663 m)
• Knocknagnauv (655 m)
• Knockshanahullion (652 m)
• Knocknalougha (630 m)
• Knockmeal (560 m)
• Crohan West (521 m)
• Farbreaga (518 m)

Folk song

This mountain range was celebrated in the folk song, "Kitty Bawn O'Brien" by Allister MacGillvary of Cape Breton, Nova Scotia. The song is a lover's lament for a young woman who emigrates from Ireland to Canada. Knockmealdown is mentioned in the first and the final stanzas, as follows:

Kitty Bawn O'Brien by Allister MacGillvary
A soft wind blowing sweet and warm.
From the peaks called Knockmeal Down.
The songbird signs his cheery notes above Black Water Sound.
From my heart all joys depart, no beauty can enthrall, my Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.
I met her at the Mallow Fair, where lovers sport and play.
I watched her feet trip lightly as a piper droned her way.
She sang a song so lilting there, her hands beneath her shawl, now Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.
I followed her to Waterford the day the ship set sail.
Her mother let the tears down fall, her father's cheeks were pale.
I kissed her there, I lost her there, now sadly I recall, my Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.
And far across the ocean wide a world from Knockmeal Down, my Kitty shines like silver in some far Canadian town.
She'll charm some French soldier there, I can't blame him at all, my Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.
A soft wind blowing sweet and warm, from the peaks called Knockmeal Down.
The songbird signs his cheery notes above Black Water Sound.
From my heart all joys depart, no beauty can enthrall, my Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal, my Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.

KITTY BAWN O'BRIEN (Allister MacGillivray)

Soft blow the winds both warm and sweet From the peaks called Knockmealdown, The songbird pipes its cheery note Above Blackwater Sound. But from my heart no joys depart No beauty can enthrall. My Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.

I met her at the Mallow Fair Where lovers sport and play. I watched her feet move lightly While the piper droned away; She san a song so lilting there, Her hands beneath her shawl. Now Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.

I followed her to Waterford The day the ship set sail. Her mother let the tear drops fall, Her father's face was pale. I kissed her ere I lost her there. And sorely I recall, My Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.

And far across the ocean wide, A world from Knockmealdown My Kitty shines like silver In some bold Canadian town. She'll charm some young French soldier there, To blame him I've no call. My Kitty Bawn O'Brien's gone to far off Montreal.

References

Waterford's Mountains on Facebook and Twitter for all the latest news,views and photos from the Knockmealdown,Comeragh and Monavullagh mountain ranges: https://www.facebook.com/pages/Waterfords-Mountains/133275260073399 https://twitter.com/#!/WaterfordsMount