Letterbreckaun

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title: "Letterbreckaun" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["marilyns-of-ireland", "hewitts-of-ireland", "mountains-and-hills-of-county-galway", "mountains-under-1000-metres"] description: "Mountain in Galway, Ireland" topic_path: "geography/ireland" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Letterbreckaun" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Mountain in Galway, Ireland ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox mountain"]

Field	Value
name	Letterbreckaun
photo	File:Letterbreckaun From Inagh Valley.jpg
photo_caption	West face of Letterbreckaun, Inagh Valley
elevation_m	667
elevation_ref
prominence_m	322
prominence_ref
listing	100 Highest Irish Mountains, Marilyn, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam
other_name	"Binn Bhriocáin"
translation	Brecan's peak
language	Irish
location	County Galway, Ireland
range	Maumturks
coordinates
coordinates_ref
map	island of Ireland
map_relief	yes
map_caption	Location in Ireland
grid_ref_Ireland	L8565255093
topo	OSi Discovery 37
geology	Pale quartzites, grits, graphitic top bedrock
easiest_route	Via pass of Maumahoge or the pass of Maam Turk
::

| name = Letterbreckaun | photo = File:Letterbreckaun From Inagh Valley.jpg | photo_caption = West face of Letterbreckaun, Inagh Valley | photo_size = | elevation_m = 667 | elevation_ref = | prominence_m = 322 | prominence_ref = | listing = 100 Highest Irish Mountains, Marilyn, Hewitt, Arderin, Simm, Vandeleur-Lynam | other_name= "Binn Bhriocáin" | translation = Brecan's peak | language = Irish | location = County Galway, Ireland | range = Maumturks | coordinates = | coordinates_ref = | map = island of Ireland | map_relief = yes | map_caption = Location in Ireland | grid_ref_Ireland = L8565255093 | topo = OSi Discovery 37 | geology = Pale quartzites, grits, graphitic top bedrock | easiest_route = Via pass of Maumahoge or the pass of Maam Turk Letterbreckaun () is one of the Maumturk Mountains of Connemara in County Galway, Ireland. At 677 m, it is the second-tallest of the Maumturks, the 129th–highest peak in Ireland on the Arderin list, and 159th–highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam list. Letterbreckaun is in the middle sector of the long north-west to south-east spine of the Maumturks.

Naming

The anglicised name "Letterbreckaun" comes from the or Leitir Breacáin meaning "Brecan's hillside", and is also the name of a townland on the slope of the mountain. Saint Brecan is a saint associated with Galway county, and is said to be the successor to Saint Enda of Aran.

Geography

Letterbreckaun lies at the northern end of the central sector, of the long north-west to the south-east central spine of the Maumturks range, in the Connemara National Park; when viewed from the west, the peak has a distinctive "pyramidal" shape, in contrast to the rounded shapes of the neighbouring peaks.

To the south, Letterbreckaun is connected by a long winding quartzite rocky ridge to Knocknahillion at 607 m; the ridge itself includes the two minor peaks of Barrlugrevagh 558 m and Knocknahillion North Top 541 m, and after Knocknahillion, descends to the col of Maumahoge ().

To the north of Letterbreckaun is the subsidiary summit of Letterbreckaun NE Top 603 m, whose prominence of 28 m qualifies it as an Arderin Beg. Further north, the slopes of Letterbreckaun drop into the sharp and steep "v-shaped" col of Maam Turk (, meaning "pass of the boar"), from which the entire range bears its name. Paul Tempan notes that the "holy well" marked on the OS maps at Maam Turk was noted by Irish historian Ruaidhrí Ó Flaithbheartaigh in 1684, saying: "There is a well in memorie of St. Fechin at Mam-tuirk". Further north from the col of Maam Turk is the minor peak of Maumturkmore, which then crosses the "Col of Despondency" to the grassy sandstone and siltstone massif of Leenaun Hill.

Letterbreckaun's prominence of 322 m qualifies it as a Marilyn, and it also ranks it as the 82nd-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the minimum prominence threshold is 100 metres.

Hill walking

The easiest way summit Letterbreckaun is a 6-kilometre 2-3-hour route via the pass of Maam Turk; however, because of its positioning on the high rocky central spine of the central Maumturk range, it is also summited in a longer 14-kilometre 5–6 hour loop-route starting at the col of Maumahoge in the south, climbing Knocknahillion and then along a winding 2-kilometre rocky ridge to the top of Letterbreckaun, before descending via the "v-shaped" col of Maam Turk.

Letterbreckaun is also climbed as part of the Maamturks Challenge, a 25-kilometre 10–12 hour walk over the full Maumturks range (from Maam Cross to Leenaun), which is considered one of the "great classic ridge-walks of Ireland", but of "extreme grade" due to the circa 7,600 feet of total ascent.

Since 1975, the University College Galway Mountaineering Club, has run the annual "Maamturks Challenge Walk" (MCW), and mans a checkpoint on the summit of Letterbreckaun.

Gallery

File:Maumturks from summit of Benbaun.jpg|Letterbreckaun (centre, distance) viewed from Benbaun File:South slopes of Letterbreckaun.jpg|South face of Letterbreckaun from ridge with Knocknahillion File:Lough Inagh, Letterbreckaun (left) and Knocknahillion (right) from Inagh Valley.jpg|Looking north to Letterbreckaun (left), and Knocknahillion (right), across Lough Inagh File:Knocknahillion and Binn Bhriocain, Maumturks, Ireland.jpg|Letterbreckaun behind Knocknahillion, viewed from Binn idir an dá Log File:Letterbreckaun (in cloud).jpg|Letterbreckaun (right, in cloud) with the v-shaped pass of Maam Turk (left)

Bibliography

References

References

1. "Letterbreckaun". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
2. Paul Tempan. (February 2012). "Irish Hill and Mountain Names". MountainViews.ie.
3. Simon Stewart. (October 2018). "Arderins: Irish mountains of 500+m with a prominence of 30m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
4. Simon Stewart. (October 2018). "Vandeleur-Lynams: Irish mountains of 600+m with a prominence of 15m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
5. Mountainviews, (September 2013), "A Guide to Ireland's Mountain Summits: The Vandeleur-Lynams & the Arderins", Collins Books, Cork, {{ISBN. 978-1-84889-164-7
6. "Letterbreckaun". [[Placenames Database of Ireland]].
7. (2001). "Connemara: Collins Rambler's guide". Harper Collins.
8. (2014). "Ireland's Best Walks: A Walking Guide". Collins Press.
9. Paul Phelan. (2011). "Connemara & Mayo - A Walking Guide: Mountain, Coastal & Island Walks". Collins Press.
10. (September 2018). "Irish Highest 100: The highest 100 Irish mountains with a prominence of +100m". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
11. "The Maumturks Challenge". [[University College Galway]] Mountaineering Club (UCGMC).
12. Simon Stewart. "Maumturks Challenge Section 3: Maumahoge to Maumturkmore". [[MountainViews Online Database]].
13. "Maaumturks Challenge: The Route". [[University College Galway]] Mountaineering Club (UCGMC).

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