Mount Leinster

Mount Leinster
Stua Laighean
Mount Leinster with its transmission mast
Highest point
Elevation	796 m (2,612 ft)
Prominence	725 m (2,379 ft)
Listing	Hewitt, Marilyn
Geography
Mount Leinster Location in Ireland
Location	Counties Wexford and Carlow, Ireland
Parent range	Blackstairs Mountains
OSI/OSNI grid	S826525

Mount Leinster (Irish: Stua Laighean) is a 796-metre-high (2,612 ft) mountain in the Republic of Ireland. It straddles the border between Counties Carlow and Wexford, in the province of Leinster. It is the fifth highest mountain after Lugnaquilla 925m, Mullaghcleevaun 849m, Tonelagee 817m, and Cloghernagh 800m in Leinster and the highest of the Blackstairs Mountains. A 2RN transmission site tops the peak with a mast height of 122 m.

The transmission station is a popular location for hang gliding and RC Glider enthusiasts to launch from. In 2003, a hang glider pilot died from injuries sustained in the crash landing of his flight launched from the mountain.^[1] There is a memorial at the peak of the mountain.

The mountain is most often climbed from the Nine Stones, a landmark point at the foot of Mount Leinster, about 8 miles east of Borris. From Borris there is a road to a visitor car park on the mountain. From there the steep 2RN access road leads to the summit. This road is closed to normal traffic and 2RN have now fenced off the transmitter mast from public access to prevent vandalism.

The Nine Stones and the car park lie on the saddle between Mount Leinster and the nearby Slievebawn (Sliabh Bán; 52°38′18.6″N 6°48′33.32″W; 520m). There are in fact ten stones. They are arranged in a line and the largest is about 50 cm high. The origin of the stones is uncertain.

Cycling: Mount Leinster has been used in stages of the Tour of Ireland and on many occasions in the The FBD Insurance Rás (Rás Tailteann). It may be climbed from the Borris side in County Carlow or the Bunclody side in County Wexford. Ascending from Borris the climb is 11 km long and has an average gradient of 6.9%. The last two kilometres are very tough reaching a gradient of almost 16%. Although the climb from Bunclody is slightly longer at 13 km its average gradient is 5.9%. The last kilometre of this climb is difficult with a gradient of 16.3%. The mountain is also used by The ML Syndicate (mountain biking club) who use the area for trail riding and MTB sporting events .^[2]

Transmitter

The Mount Leinster transmitting station is owned and operated by 2RN and at 796m ASL it is the highest transmission site in Ireland. It was one of the original five main Telefís Éireann television transmitting stations and opened on low power in December 1962, becoming fully operational on 12 June 1963 with a 625-line service on Channel F. VHF FM radio transmissions were added in 1966, with UHF television starting in 1996. The original mast was replaced in 2010 with a taller one of 122m in preparation for DTT transmissions. In common with all other 2RN sites, analogue television transmissions from Mount Leinster ceased on 24 October 2012. Today the station provides the Irish digital television service Saorview to a large area of South East Ireland, the transmissions can also be received on the West coast of Wales.^[3]

Current transmissions

Digital television

Frequency	UHF	kW	Multiplex
490 MHz	23	160	Saorview (Mux 1)
514 MHz	26	160	Saorview (Mux 2)

Analogue FM radio

Frequency	kW	Service
89.6 MHz	200	RTÉ Radio 1
91.8 MHz	200	RTÉ 2fm
94.0 MHz	200	RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
95.6 MHz	4	South East Radio
99.2 MHz	200	RTÉ lyric fm
101.4 MHz	200	Today FM
102.0 MHz	6	Beat 102 103
107.2 MHz	8	Newstalk

See also

• List of mountains in Ireland

Aircraft:- Rheims/Cessna F182

Registration:- G-BKGY

Pilot-In-Command:- N. R. Harper

Passengers:- 3 passengers – including Stephen Harris who held a PPL with an assistant flying Instructor rating

1 Male passenger

1 Female passenger

Injuries:- 4 Fatal

Intended Flight:- Birmingham – Kilkenny

Alternate Dublin.

The aircraft departed Birmingham at 0745 hrs GMT. At 0905 hrs GMT the aircraft contacted Shannon ATC and advised that he estimated Kilkenny at 0935 hrs GMT. At 0915 hrs GMT he advised Shannon that he was leaving 6,000 ft descending to 3,000 ft. At 0918 hrs GMT the pilot advised that he was ten miles east of the coast and passing through 4,000 ft. That was the last message received from G-BKGY.

At 21.00 the aircraft wreckage was discovered at Mt. Leinster, 30 ft from the summit which is 2,409 ft. There were no survivors.

References

1. Irish Examiner report, 1 May 2004. Retrieved 2008-07-21
2. http://www.climbbybike.com/climb.asp?Col=Leinster-Mount&qryMountainID=7208
3. UK Free TV. "Saorview Mount Leinster". UK Free TV. Retrieved 06/11/2012. Check date values in: |access-date= (help)

Other projects

Media related to Mount Leinster at Wikimedia Commons

Coordinates: 52°37′04″N 6°46′45″W / 52.617683°N 6.77904°W