Enjoying the hills

A proposed "Strategic Plan For The Development Of Outdoor Recreational Facilities in the area known as the South Dublin Hills" aims to link all existing and potential outdoor recreation components in the South Dublin Hills area over the 10 year period to 2017. The Strategic Plan is envisaged to include

1. A vision for outdoor recreation in 2012 and 2017


2. An account of the current status of outdoor recreation in the area


3. An inventory of outdoor recreation infrastructure and facilities currently in place


4. An audit of land that has potential for outdoor recreation use


5. Address opportunities for development


6. Address obstacles to development


7. A costed Action Plan with short, medium and long-term targets


8. Potential funding strategies

The plan will address the need to develop an integrated approach to the provision of outdoor recreation facilities and infrastructure; coordination of the aspirations of the different groups; urban development; transport; access; carrying capacity of the resource; education; conservation; management of the resource including a role for community involvement; security structures to deal with anti-social behaviour; marketing.

It is being commissioned by Coillte on behalf of themselves and various local authorities and interest groups.

• The power of one... background to the proposed Strategic Plan

Mountains on our doorstep

The Dublin mountains have recently come under the wing of a vet called Mark D'Alton. Clearfelling by Coillte, the Forestry Board, has recently led to the south Dublin hills sporting a hairless and, well, 'mangey' look. These felled plantations are Coillte's business, so periodic tree harvesting is inevitable. But D'Alton could see these mountains held more promise. Why should they merely be used as breeding sows for timber?

After all, Dublin's reluctant urbanites need somewhere to escape to on weekends and long summer evenings. And where are the mountain bike tracks we seek, the running routes we want, the walking ways we need...? Could we not work with Coillte to develop these hills as recreational nature parks? Is this not exactly what our fattened society needs - to see some green and work off some inches?

And so to D'Alton the Dublin Mountain Initiative was born. In late 2006, his group along with Coillte, some local authorities and the National Parks and Wildlife Service, posted a tender for development of "Strategic Plan For The Development Of Outdoor Recreational Facilities in the area known as the South Dublin Hills". The plan aims to link all existing and potential outdoor recreation components in the South Dublin Hills area over a 10 year period.

Many groups and individuals have willingly fostered D'Alton's novel Dublin Mountain Intiative. With so much support and sense, this pig may yet fly.

• Irish Mountain Running Association's coverage of Mark D'Alton's Dublin Mountain Initiative

Ireland vital statistics

Check out the Ordanance Survey of Ireland (OSI) website for facts and figures on Ireland's tallest mountains, longest rivers, largest lakes and physical dimensions:

• Kerry has 4 of Ireland's 8 highest mountains, ranging from the 951m Mount Brandon to 1038m Carrauntoolhil. At ninth position is Donegal's Errigal at 749m.
  
  
• Ireland's longest river is the Shannon (360km) followed by the Barrow (193km), the Suir (184km) and the Blackwater (168km).
  
  
• Northern Ireland claims Ireland's largest lake, namely Lough Neagh at 381 sq km. County Galway's Lough Corrib is second at176 sq km and Lough Derg (which straddles Counties Tipperary, Galway and Clare) third with 118 sq km. County Fermanagh's Lough Erne covers 112 sq km and Roscommon, Longford and Westmeath share Lough Ree at 105 sq km.
  
  
• Depending where you measure to and from, Ireland is 486km from top to tail and 275km wide.

Highest mountain in Ireland

Ireland's highest point is Carrantuohill in County Kerry. At 1038m high you'd need to stack eight and a half Carrantuohills to reach the height of Everest.