Ben Bulben, Co. Sligo - Michael ClarkeBen Bulben is a large rock formation in County Sligo, Ireland. It is part of the Dartry Mountains, an area sometimes called "Yeats Country".
Its name comes from the Irish: Binn Ghulbain. "Binn" is the word most often used for "peak" or "mountain", while "Ghulbain" means either "Gulban(’s)" or "jaw-shaped".
Ben Bulben from Duncliffe - Michael ClarkeBen Bulben was formed during the ice age, when Ireland was under glaciers. Originally it was a large ridge. The moving glaciers shaped it into its present distinct formation.
The steeper sides of Ben Bulben are composed of large amounts of Dartry limestone on top of smaller amounts of Glencar limestone. The smoother sides are composed of Ben Bulben shale. These rocks formed in the area approximately 320 million years ago. Barytes was mined at Glencarbury near Ben Bulben in the Dartry range between 1894 and 1979.
Ben Bulben hosts a unique variety of plants, possessing some organisms found nowhere else in Ireland. Many are arctic-alpine plants, due to the mountain's height, which allows for cooler temperatures than is normal. These plants were deposited when the glaciers that created Ben Bulben melted. Insects, wild hares, and foxes inhabit Ben Bulben.