Wales from Ireland
Snowdon in North Wales, from Howth, Co Dublin. Picture Credit: Niall O’Carroll
I couldn’t resist sharing this wonderful picture that appeared in yesterday’s Irish Independent. On what must have been an exceptionally clear day it shows the mountains of Wales including Snowdon, which had been snowed on, from Howth in County Dublin. The picture was taken from the Ben of Howth, which is about 171m above sea level, giving a view over local houses across the Irish Sea.
The distance from Howth to Snowdon is about 140 km as the crow flies, so it’s surprising that the mountains appear so clearly. On the other hand a colleague from Dunsink Observatory sent me this:
… the Welsh mountains are distinctly visible, particularly that ridge of hills which runs S. W. to point Braich-y-pwll, and bounds Caernarvon bay …
That quote is from Henry Ussher, founding astronomer of Dunsink Observatory, writing in the first paper of The Transactions of the Royal Irish Academy in 1787.
If you fly into Dublin from the East, the flight path takes you almost directly over Howth with Malahide to your right. It’s a very historic place, well worth a visit if you’re in the Dublin area.
P. S. Thanks to Geraint Jones for this view in the other direction. Looking in the opposite direction from Mynydd Parys: Bethel Hen chapel in Llanrhuddlad, Ynys Môn, with the summit of Kippure (with the transmitter on top), south of Dublin, on the border with Co. Wicklow, 134 km away. Taken from Mynydd Parys.
Picture Credit: Geraint Jones
In the Dark 
January 16, 2021 at 11:08 am
That’s marvellous!
January 16, 2021 at 11:18 am
I suspect that that photo was taken with an extreme telephoto lens some way back from Howth. I have walked up Snowdon on a day when visibility was excellent and could not see Ireland try as I might.
January 16, 2021 at 11:23 am
According to the Irish Independent article, it was “taken from the Ben of Howth, an elevated position of around 171m, giving a view over local houses across the Irish Sea” using the “10x zoom capability of his Panasonic Lumix DMZ-TZ100 camera”. That’s actually a fairly normal compact camera but at maximum zoom.
January 18, 2021 at 10:31 am
wow..that is fantastic!
January 7, 2022 at 11:28 pm
You do realise that if the curvature of the Earth is 8″ per mile as we have been told then it would be impossible to see Snowdon from Howth? Great photo by the way
January 9, 2022 at 12:20 am
The peak of Snowdon is about 1km above sea level. From this altitude the horizon distance is well over 100km. Also, the Ben of Howth is 171m above sea level. The Flat Earth Society can go back to bed.
January 9, 2022 at 10:07 am
But is way more than the peak that is visible and Snowdon is closer to 140 km than 100km away. I am not a member of the flat earth society, I am just pointing out that something does not add up. If you add the height of both Snowdon and Howth together you get 1256m. Which would mean you could see roughly the horizon 130km away. You should not be able to see the peak let alone the whole range.
April 3, 2022 at 11:02 am
The flat earth society exist in a time before beds were invented or needed. They are single celled organisms