Six hills stand guard over Belfast – ‘sleeping giants’ whose history goes back into the time of myths & legends and yet, are still important to us today.

The six hills of Belfast were created some 60 million years ago by lava eruptions that cooled into hard, dark basalt rock.

Carnmoney Hill stands at 207m above sea level. Its name comes from the Irish Carn Monaidh, ‘the cairn of the hill’.

Cave Hill is also known as Ben Madigan (after an ancient chieftain) and sometimes, also as Napoleon’s Nose - since the hill’s silhouette does somewhat resemble the French emperor’s profile. Cave Hill was established as a country park in 1992.

Though two separate hills, Divis and Black Mountain were sold to the National Trust as a single block. At 478m, Divis is the highest point in the Belfast Hills. Its name comes from Dubhais or ‘black ridge’.

Colin Glen comprises some 200 acres of scenic woodland, grassland and wildflower areas. A game reserve in the 1800s, it is today a leading outdoor adventure destination.

Ligoniel is in the north-west of Belfast. The name comes from Lag an Aoil, ‘hollow of the lime’ – a reference to its location in the limestone hollow of Wolf Hill, where the last wolf in Ireland is said to have been seen in 1692.

Slievenacloy, from Sliabhna Cloiche, ‘townland of the stone’, is today a nature reserve containing areas of grassland, meadow, rushes and heathland.

This diverse and beautiful landscape is currently managed by the Belfast Hills Partnership, which works to protect and record wildlife and restore protected areas. The Partnership also runs educational events on everything from bushcraft and orienteering to the archaeological history of the six hills.

Tá sé chnoc ina seasamh os cionn Bhéal Feirste - ‘fathaigh ina gcodladh’ a bhfuil stair acu sna miotas agus sna finscéalta, ach atá go fóill tábhachtach dúinne sa lá atá inniu ann.

Cruthaíodh sé chnoc Bhéal Feirste thart fá 60 milliún bliain ó shin, ó bhrúchtaí laibhe a d’éirigh fuar mar charraig chrua dhorcha bhasailt.

Tá Cnoc Charn Monaidh ina sheasamh 207m os cionn leibhéal na mara. Is é an chiall atá le Carn Monaidh sa Bhéarla ná ‘the cairn of the hill’.

Ainm eile ar Bhinn Uamha ná Beann Mhadagáin (ainmnithe as taoiseach ársa), agus corruair, tugtar Napoleon’s Nose air fosta - ó tharla go bhfuil scáthchruth an chnoic rud beag cosúil le leathaghaidh an impire Fhrancaigh. Bunaíodh Binn Uamha mar pháirc thuaithe sa bhliain 1992.

Cé gur dhá chnoc ar leith iad, díoladh Dubhais agus an Sliabh Dubh leis an Iontaobhas Náisiúnta mar bhloc amháin. Tá Dubhais 478m ar airde, an bhinn is airde i gCnoic Bhéal Feirste. Is é an chiall atá le Dubhais sa Bhéarla ná ‘black ridge’.

Tá thart fá 200 acra de choillearnach, féarach agus bláthanna fiáine i nGleann Chollann. Tearmann géim a bhí ann sna 1800í, tá sé ar na háiteanna is fearr fá choinne eachtraíochta amuigh faoin aer sá lá atá inniu ann.

Tá Lag an Aoil suite in iarthuaisceart Bhéal Feirste. Is é an chiall atá le Lag an Aoil sa Bhéarla ná ‘hollow of the lime’ - ó tharla go bhfuil sé suite sa log aolchloiche ar Chnoc an Mhic Tíre, deirtear gur ansin a chonacthas an mac tíre deiridh in Éirinn sa bhliain 1692.

Sa lá atá inniu ann, is tearmann dúlra ina bhfuil féarach, cluainte, luachair agus fraochlach é Sliabh na Cloiche, a chiallaíonn ‘mountain of the stone’ sa Bhéarla.

Tá an tírdhreach ilghnéitheach álainn seo á bainistiú Páirtíocht Chnoic Bhéal Feirste fá láthair, dream a oibríonn siad leis an fhiadhúlra a chosaint agus a thaifeadadh, agus leis na limistéir faoi chosaint a athbhunú. Déanann an Pháirtíocht réimse leathan d’imeachtaí oideachasúla a reáchtáil fosta, ó scileanna chun teacht slán san fhiántas agus treodóireacht go dtí stair seandálaíochta na sé chnoc.