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The Mourne Mountains (Irish: ''na Beanna Boirche'') , also called the Mournes or Mountains of Mourne, are a granite mountain range in County Down in the south-east of Northern Ireland. It includes the highest mountains in Northern Ireland and the province of Ulster. The highest of these is Slieve Donard at . The Mournes is an area of outstanding natural beauty and has been proposed as the first national park in Northern Ireland. The area is partly owned by the National Trust and sees a large number of visitors every year. The name ''Mourne'' (historically spelt ''Morne'') is derived from the name of a Gaelic clann or sept called the ''Múghdhorna''.〔Joyce, Patrick. ''The origin and history of Irish names of places''. 1869. p.128〕 ==The mountains== The Mournes are visited by many tourists, hillwalkers, cyclists and rock climbers. Following a fundraising drive in 1993, the National Trust purchased nearly of land in the Mournes. This included a part of Slieve Donard and nearby Slieve Commedagh, at the second-highest mountain in the area. The Mourne Wall is among the more famous features in the Mournes. It is a dry-stone wall that crosses fifteen summits, constructed to define the boundaries of the area of land purchased by the Belfast Water Commissioners in the late 1800s. This followed a number of Acts of Parliament allowing the sale, and the establishment of a water supply from the Mournes to the growing industrial city of Belfast. Construction of the Mourne Wall was started in 1904 and was completed in 1922. Some of the mountains have names beginning ''Slieve'', from the Irish word ''sliabh'', meaning ''mountain''. Examples are Slieve Donard, Slieve Lamagan and Slieve Muck. There are also a number of curious names: Pigeon Rock; Buzzard's Roost; Brandy Pad; the Cock and Hen; Percy Bysshe; the Devil's Coach Road; and Pollaphuca, which means "hole of the fairies or sprites". The Mournes are very popular as a destination for many Duke of Edinburgh's Award expeditions and those taking part in the mourne mountain challenge. The Isle of Man the mountains of the Lake and Snowdonia in Wales can sometimes be seen across the Irish sea from some parts of the Mournes on clear days. The mountains are also visible from parts of Dublin on clear days. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Mourne Mountains」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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