Tonelagee, Mountain summit in County Wicklow, Ireland.
Tonelagee is a 817-metre summit in the central Wicklow Mountains, the third-highest peak in the range after Lugnaquilla and Mullaghcleevaun. Its massif includes the subsidiary tops of Stoney Top (714 m) to the north and Tonelagee NE Top (668 m) to the east, with the heart-shaped corrie lake of Lough Ouler lying between them. The summit stands at the southern end of a boggy central ridge running from Sally Gap via Mullaghcleevaun.
The summit's Irish name, Tóin le Gaoith, meaning 'backside to the wind', was recorded by placename scholar Paul Tempan, who noted the same element in Tandragee, County Antrim. A cross-inscribed standing stone stands between Stoney Top and the summit, and the walking route from Glenmacnass passes a mica-schist standing stone.
Tonelagee comes from the Irish Tóin le Gaoith, usually translated as 'backside to the wind'. The scholar Paul Tempan noted that the same element appears in other Irish placenames such as Tandragee in County Antrim, though what they share about wind is unclear. Between Stoney Top and the summit stands a cross-inscribed standing stone of mica-schist.
Hikers can reach the summit through several different trails from nearby car parks and mountain passes. Winter visits require extra preparation due to potentially snow-covered paths and slippery conditions.
Tonelagee's summit holds a cross-inscribed standing stone, noted by Irish academic Paul Tempan between Stoney Top and the top; the walking route from Glenmacnass also passes a mica-schist standing stone on the corrie rim. The name Tóin le Gaoith, 'backside to the wind', also appears in Tandragee, County Antrim.
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