Many a song has been written about Ireland’s majestic mountains This short tour will give you a little flavour of just a few of Ireland’s favourite mountain haunts.

North & WEst Mountain Tour

Day 1

‘Where the mountains of Mourne sweep down to the Sea’.

The best place to start your mountain quest - the Mourne Mountains stretch for 15 miles across the northern Ireland countryside in Co. Down. Excellent climbing, walking and cycling countryside with roads that encircle the hills some of which are 2,00 feet high. Towering highest is Slieve Donard nearly 3,000 feet above the sea at Newcastle.

Stay a couple of days in Newforge Country House. Newforge is a small traditional country house situated near Craigavon a house that depicts a sense of belonging to a bygone era.

 

Day 2

Moving northwards to just south of Belfast drive along the slopes of the White Mountain, just 3 miles from Lisburn and where you will find the remains of Castle Robin, dating from around the 16th century, Nearby Hilden the north’s only ‘real ale’ brewery welcomes visitors. The goal today is to get to the very north of Ireland to overnight at Bushmills Inn, close to the Giant’s Causeway and home to one of the finest Irish whiskey distilleries.

The Giant’s Causeway (The Formorian’s Stepping Stones) is a truly magnificent rock formation on the west side of Benbane Head, now a World Heritage Site and is one of the world’s outstanding geological curiosities. Today’s mountain is the prominent isolated mass of Knocklayd (1,695 feet). The circuit of the mountain makes an interesting tour of about 17 miles. On the lower slopes of the hill you will find the ruins of an ancient church known as Gob an Saer’s Castle.

Day 3

The next day’s journey will take you through the Derry countryside with the Sperrin Mountains as background. The Sperrins (with gold in the hills) offer lots of mountains to visit. Driving around the basaltic cliffs of Binevenagh Mountain (1,260) near Coleraint, you will find an interesting terrain for the botanist, ornithologist and entomologist.
Further south towrds Maghera you will see the slopes of Carntogher Mountain with its s tone circle called Slaghtneil. Between Carntogher and Glenshane Mountain the road from Maghera to Derry climbs steeply to 1,000 feet to enter the famous Glenshane Pass. Beyond the pass the road descends the Roe valley to Dungiven. Close by is your place of rest tonight – the small but beautiful Ardtara Country House near Upperlands, Co. Derry.

Day 4 & Day 5

Travel south to Co.Sligo, the perfect territory for walking thanks to its contrasting scenery and many curiosities. There are 2 mountain walks - Knocknarea, a moderate climb and Benbulben, which is a bit tougher.

Knocknarea Mountain (452m) is six miles from Sligo town and offers a relatively easy walk of about 45-60 minutes. There is a notice in the car park which explains the route. Knocknarea has a mound of stones at the top, reputedly the tomb of Connaught's legendary Queen, Maeve. From the top are views of Donegal, the Ox mountains, Sligo Bay and Mayo.

Benbulben (527m) has a striking table top profile and is one of Ireland's most famous mountains. It features prominently in Irish legend and more recently has been associated with W.B. Yeats, who is buried nearby. For your visit to the Sligo region we recommend Coopershill House.

 

Day 6

From Sligo travel west to Mt. Croagh Patrick (also spelled Croach Patrick), a mountain near the town of Westport in County Mayo, Ireland. Each year, as many as one million pilgrims and visitors make the trek to the top to pray or just enjoy the spectacular view.

Known in Irish Celtic as Cruach Phádraig and colloquially as "the Reek," Mt. Croagh Patrick has been a sacred site since ancient times. Before the arrival of Christianity, the Celtic people regarded the mountain as the dwelling place of the deity Crom Dubh.

Neolithic art can still be seen on a rock outcropping known as "St. Patrick's Chair" along the path to the top, and a Celtic hill fort was recently uncovered at the base of the mountain. According to Christian tradition, St. Patrick went up the sacred mountain at festival time in 441 AD. After fasting at the summit for 40 days, he banished all the snakes and demons from Ireland.

The site quickly became an important place of Christian pilgrimage. A stone oratory dating to between 430 and 890 AD was recently discovered on the summit.

For you climb of Croagh Patrick we recommend staying in Enniscoe House. Enniscoe enjoys outstanding views of the spectacular wild and unspoilt landscape this region is renowned for - enjoy its open peaceful spaces and its friendly, welcoming people.

 

Southern Mountain Tour

Day 1 & 2

Kerry

With eighty of the mountains in the southwest of Ireland over 2000 feet high there is an abundance of superb mountain walking in this part of the country. Both the Dingle and Iveragh peninsulas offer facilities along with the opportunity to explore their mountain ranges. 

A suggested three day walk on the Iveragh Peninsula will take you up the craggy, seldom frequented Knocknagantee. This is followed by a crossing over Mullaghanattin and the MacGillycuddy Reeks, the latter includes Ireland's highest mountain, Carrauntoohill. The walk moves on to Cloghane and Mount Brandon, where there is a string of "paternoster lakes" and fine Atlantic views. 

Ireland's Blue Book has two beautiful properties in the region, The Park Hotel Kenmare and Carrig Country House.