Conavalla
Mountain in County Wicklow, Ireland
title: "Conavalla" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["mountains-and-hills-of-county-wicklow", "hewitts-of-ireland", "mountains-under-1000-metres"] description: "Mountain in County Wicklow, Ireland" topic_path: "geography/ireland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Conavalla" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0
::summary Mountain in County Wicklow, Ireland ::
::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| name | Clonavalla |
| native_name | ga |
| translation | head of the road or pass |
| language | Irish |
| photo | Wicklow Mountains National Park Glendalough Valley Upper Lake 07.JPG |
| photo_caption | Massif of Conavalla (centre) as seen from the shores of the Glendalough Upper Lake |
| elevation_m | 734 |
| elevation_ref | |
| prominence_m | 109 |
| prominence_ref | |
| listing | 100 Highest Irish Mountains, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam |
| location | County Wicklow, Ireland |
| range | Wicklow Mountains |
| coordinates | |
| map | island of Ireland |
| map_relief | yes |
| map_caption | Location in Ireland |
| topo | OSi Discovery 56 |
| type | Dark slate-schist, quartzite & coticule |
| grid_ref_Ireland | T023959 |
| :: |
| name = Clonavalla | native_name = ga | translation = head of the road or pass | language = Irish | photo = Wicklow Mountains National Park Glendalough Valley Upper Lake 07.JPG | photo_caption = Massif of Conavalla (centre) as seen from the shores of the Glendalough Upper Lake | elevation_m = 734 | elevation_ref = | prominence_m = 109 | prominence_ref = | listing = 100 Highest Irish Mountains, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam | location = County Wicklow, Ireland | range = Wicklow Mountains | coordinates = | map = island of Ireland | map_relief = yes | map_caption = Location in Ireland | topo = OSi Discovery 56 | type = Dark slate-schist, quartzite & coticule | grid_ref_Ireland = T023959 | easiest_route = Conavalla () at 734 m, is the 69th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin scale, and the 85th–highest peak on the Vandeleur-Lynam scale. The summit of Conavalla sits just off the main "central spine" of the Wicklow Mountains, as it runs from Kippure in the north, to Lugnaquillia in the south. Conavalla's large massif to the north-east is described as a "wet and boggy barren plain" whose various shoulders dominate the head of the Glendalough valley, and the upper east-side of the Glenmalure valley.
Naming
Irish academic Paul Tempan notes that the "pass" element of Conavalla's name likely refers to the various routes from the Blessington lakes area (e.g. the R756 road to the Wicklow Gap) in the west that crossed parts of Conavalla's boggy massif to get into the Glenmalure valley in the east (note that the Wicklow Gap can be used to access the neighboring Glendalough valley without having to cross Conavalla's massif). (see below).
Geography
Convalla is situated in the southern section of the Wicklow Mountains, and forms a horseshoe on a "boggy" massif, at the head of the Glenmalure valley, with its neighbours, Table Mountain 702 m, and Camenabologue 758 m.
Conavalla also sits in another broad horseshoe around the Glendalough valley, with the hydroelectric station at Turlough Hill 681 m, and the mountains of Camaderry 699 m, Lugduff 652 m, and Mullacor 661 m. Conavalla's large "boggy massif" dominates the head of the Glendalough valley stretching from its summit at the far-west side of the head of the valley, to Lough Firrib 650 m on the east-side. The massif also includes Three Lakes 620 m to the north of the summit of Conavalla.
Conavalla's prominence of 109 m does not qualify it as a Marilyn, but it does rank it as the 39th-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the minimum prominence threshold is 100 metres.
Art O'Neill
On Conavalla's northern slopes lies Art's Cross and Art's Plaque, dedicated to Art O'Neill, son of Shane O'Neill, who died of exposure in January 1592 helping Hugh Roe O'Donnell to escape from Dublin Castle to the stronghold of Fiach McHugh O'Byrne in the valley of Glenmalure. The escape is commemorated annually in the Art O'Neill Challenge, which crosses over Conavalla.
Bibliography
Gallery
File:Summit of Conavalla.jpg|Summit cairn File:Three Lakes Conavalla.jpg|Three Lakes File:Art's Cross, Wicklow.jpg|Art O'Neill's cross File:Conavalla.jpg|Summit from Table Mountain File:Lough Firrib, Wicklow, Ireland.jpg|Lough Firrib File:Conavalla Massif.jpg|Conavalla Massif
References
References
- "Conavalla". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
- Paul Tempan. (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names". MountainViews.ie.
- Simon Stewart. (October 2018). "Arderins: Irish mountains of 500+m with a prominence of 30m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
- Simon Stewart. (October 2018). "Vandeleur-Lynams: Irish mountains of 600+m with a prominence of 15m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
- Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, {{ISBN. 978-1-84889-164-7
- (1993). "The Mountains of Ireland: A Guide to Walking the Summits". Cicerone.
- (September 2018). "Irish Highest 100: The highest 100 Irish mountains with a prominence of +100m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
- Frank McNally. (14 January 2017). "Hardship for Art’s Sake – An Irishman’s Diary about the Art O’Neill Challenge". [[Irish Times]].
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