Clermont Carn

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This article is about the mountain and transmitter. For the burial cairn, see Clermont Cairn.

Clermont Carn
Carnán Mhaighréid Náir
Clermont 2RN distant.jpg
Clermont Carn summit.
Highest point
Elevation510 m (1,670 ft)[1]
Prominence312 m (1,024 ft)[1]
Coordinates54°04′48″N 6°19′18″W / 54.080057°N 6.321564°W / 54.080057; -6.321564Coordinates: 54°04′48″N 6°19′18″W / 54.080057°N 6.321564°W / 54.080057; -6.321564
Naming
Language of nameIrish
Geography
Clermont Carn is located in island of Ireland
Clermont Carn
Clermont Carn
Location in Ireland
LocationLouth, Ireland
Parent rangeCooley Mountains
2RN transmission site on Clermont Carn

Clermont Carn (Irish: Carnán Mhaighréid Náir, meaning 'cairn of noble Margaret'),[1] also known as Black Mountain, is a mountain that rises to 510 metres (1,670 ft) in the Cooley Mountains of County Louth, Republic of Ireland. It is at the border with Northern Ireland. There is a 2RN transmission site on its summit.[2] The mountain's name refers to an ancient burial cairn on its summit, and to Lord Clermont of Ravensdale.[1]

Transmission site[]

This transmission site in County Louth, was opened in 1981 to provide UHF television coverage for the North East of the Republic of Ireland, counties Louth, Meath, and North county Dublin. However, with the site being less than 1 km (1000m) from the border it was clear that this transmitter would be used to provide RTÉ services into Northern Ireland. Initially the two channels RTÉ One and RTÉ2 were carried on Ch52 and Ch56 with TV3 (Ch66) and TG4 (Ch68) following later. In 1982, a 2M Amateur Radio Repeater was installed.[3] FM radio transmission was also added providing coverage of the five national channels to a wide area.

In 2002 a new cable-stayed mast 120m (400') tall was erected, this greatly improved coverage into Northern Ireland. The existing self-supporting tower was truncated, and is now only used for microwave links and the Amateur Radio Repeater.

DAB, digital radio broadcasting from Clermont Carn began in 2006 and Digital terrestrial television (DTT) trials started in 2008.

In common with all 2RN transmitters in Ireland, analogue television transmissions from this site ended on 24 October 2012,[4] but uniquely, Clermont Carn is the only main television transmitter in Ireland that is vertically polarised, and does not service any relay transmitters. Today the Irish digital television service Saorview is broadcast from here to a sizeable area including a large tract of Northern Ireland, with a good signal being received in Belfast and beyond. This overspill has been welcomed by the UK's Ofcom who have provided information for viewers in Northern Ireland about receiving TG4 and the RTÉ channels, both from within Northern Ireland on the UK's Freeview service, and via the Saorview overspill.[5]

Current transmissions[]

Digital television[]

Frequency UHF kW Multiplex Pol
642 MHz 42 160 Saorview 1 V
666 MHz 45 160 Saorview 2 V

Digital radio[]

Frequency Block kW Multiplex
227.36 MHz 12C 5 DAB Ireland Mux 1

Analog FM radio[]

Frequency kW Service
87.8 MHz 40 RTÉ Radio 1
95.2 MHz 40 RTÉ lyric fm
97.0 MHz 40 RTÉ 2fm
102.7 MHz 40 RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta
105.5 MHz 40 Today FM
107.9 MHz 0.3 Newstalk

Amateur radio[]

Frequency W Service
145.675 MHz (Output) 145.075 MHz (Input) CTCSS 110.9 Hz 15 EI2CCR 2m 12.5 kHz Repeater (Dundalk Amateur Radio Society www.ei7dar.com)


Gallery[]

  • View of site from the R132 road

  • Clermont mast and tower

  • Mast seen from the N1 road

  • Approach road to Clermont Transmission site from Northern side

  • Clermont links tower and new mast

  • Clermont transmitters viewed from South facing North

  • Clermont truncated mast

  • Closeup of the main transmitter mast

  • Clarmont compound.jpg

References[]

  1. ^ a b c d "Cooley Area - Clermont Carn". MountainViews.ie. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  2. ^ "RTÉ, Ireland's National Radio Broadcaster". Archived from the original on 26 May 2008. Retrieved 23 July 2008.
  3. ^ Dundalk Amateur Radio Society. "EI2CCR Repeater". www.ei7dar.com. Archived from the original on 27 August 2013. Retrieved 7 March 2013.
  4. ^ "Analogue consigned to broadcasting history". The Irish Times. 25 October 2012. Retrieved 12 June 2012.
  5. ^ Ofcom. "Digital Terrestrial TV Coverage Map of TG4 and RTÉ in Northern Ireland" (PDF). Ofcom. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 October 2012. Retrieved 6 November 2012.
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