Limelight on Slieve Snaght (Sneachta) by Hugh Doherty

The mountain in the distance is aptly named Slieve Snaght (Snow Mountain) and is 615 metres in height. It is situated north of Buncrana on the Inishowen Peninsula. At the first hint of Winter there will be a 'pepper dusting' of snow on its peak. When the peak is completely white capped, then shortly after that, the lowland areas can expect a snowfall (no need for any other kind of weather forecasters!).

Apart from being very pleasing to the eye, Slieve Snaght is in the 'Limelight' for a very historic reason. In August 1825, during the course of the Ordnance Survey of Ireland the surveyors were already in place on the top of Divis Mountain Belfast and were attempting to sight a 'survey pole' which had been erected on Slieve Snaght. This was part of their 'Triangulation of Mountains'; Knocklayd in County Antrim, Divis Mountain and Slieve Snaght. They succeeded in making the 40 miles connection with Knocklayd but typically they were confronted with 'haze and fogginess' and were unable to locate Slieve Snaght.

Lieutenant Thomas Drummand, a Scottish inventor and mathematician, was dispatched to Inishowen. He was aware that the burning of Calcium Oxide could be observed over long distances. He had camped for almost three months at over 2000 feet on Slieve Snaght and the mountain was by now covered in snow. On the night of 9th November 1825 he put his theory into practise and his 'Limelight' successfully made the 66 miles connection with the surveyors on Divis Mountain much to the relief of Lt Col Thomas Colby the Survey director. This enabled the Surveyors to proceed with triangulation of the rest of Ireland. They moved on to Slieve Donard in the Mournes, from where they could see the Wicklow hills and to Slieve League(Liag), in South West Donegal which they described as the wildest headland in the British Isles.

Limelight (also known as 'Drummond's light') went on to be used in the lighting of stages for Plays and thus the word 'Limelight' entered the English language and remains in use to this day. Someone in the public eye is still said to be "in the Limelight".
So, when you next find yourself basking in 'the limelight' just spare a thought for the determination and resolve of Thomas Drummand and his colleagues on that night in November 1825.

The Ordnance Surveyors endured great hardship on the mountains of Ireland but their perseverance has left us with a wealth of documented information, much of which would, otherwise, have been lost.

When I took this picture in mid September 2011, an ominous looking cloud was heading for Slieve Snaght and it resulted in a 'twister' in the Clonmany area.