Kippure
| Kippure | |||
| County Dublin, County Wicklow | |||
|---|---|---|---|
 Kippure, southern slope | |||
| Range: | Wicklow Mountains | ||
| Summit: | 2,484 feet O112154 53°10’43"N, 6°20’10"W | ||
Kippure is a granite mountain that stands on the border of County Dublin and County Wicklow. Its summit reaches 2,484 feet, which is makes it the highest point in County Dublin, and though it is Dublin's county top, Wicklow has yet higher mountains of its own.
Kippure is popular for hill walking and outdoor leisure activity owing to its proximity to the city of Dublin, with its fine views over Dublin Bay towards Howth Head. It has convenient access and easy terrain.
The townland of Kippure is of 1,490 acres and occupies the western flank of the mountain. The ridge between the summits of Kippure and Seefingan defines the northern border of the townland, while the River Liffey in the valley below defines the southern border.
Ascent
Kippure is easily reached by the Military Road, which passes close to the summit, with a spur from the road to an RTÉ transmitter mast at the top.
Streams
The slopes of Kippure hold the sources of multiple watercourses, including tributaries that feed the River Liffey, which rises in the Liffey Head Bog on the western slopes of nearby Tonduff Mountain.
Radio and television transmissions
The summit of Kippure is the site of a television and radio transmitter mast, and is the oldest television transmitter site in the Republic of Ireland. It was first identified as a transmitter site as part of a Radio Éireann survey into potential FM radio transmitter sites in the mid 1950s. The Irish government Board of Works built an access road to the site in 1959, and by the summer of 1961 the mast was erected. Television trade test transmissions followed, consisting of slide views of Ireland, a testcard, and the music of Count John McCormack.
Its importance in radio and television transmission has diminished since the late 1970s with the opening of new transmitter sites at Three Rock Mountain in County Dublin, Clermont Carn in County Louth, and Cairn Hill in County Longford, which provide better reception in most areas previously served only by Kippure. Today Kippure transmits the four Irish television channels, the national radio stations, and some commercial radio stations.
