Slieve Donard
| Slieve Donard | ||
|---|---|---|
 The Mountains of Morne with Slieve Donard in the center |
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| height | 849 m | |
| location | County Down , Northern Ireland | |
| Mountains | Morne Mountains | |
| Notch height | 825 m | |
| Coordinates | 54 ° 10 '48 " N , 5 ° 55' 14" W | |
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| particularities | highest mountain in Northern Ireland | |
The Slieve Donard ( Irish : Sliabh Dónairt < Sliabh Domhanghairt ) is the highest mountain in Northern Ireland at 849 m . It is located in County Down on the east coast near the town of Newcastle . The mountain is the easternmost of the Morne Mountains , its summit is only three kilometers from the coast. Belfast is 50 km away from the summit .
The hike up to the summit can be described as easy, even if the path is eroded in some places. Worth seeing is the Morne Wall , a 35 km long dry stone wall that was built around the mountain range to enclose the headwaters. On the Slieve Donard, the wall runs along the western and northern shoulders.
The mountain is named after Saint Domangart (also known as St. Donard ), a companion of Saint Patrick of Ireland and patron saint of the village of Maghera. According to tradition, he built a church at the foot of the mountain and a chapel at the top. He is said to have died in 507.
On the summit lay the passage tomb which had gone out from Ballagh Beg .
