Walk Northern Ireland - Mountaineering Ireland
Walk Northern Ireland - Mountaineering Ireland
Walk Northern Ireland - Mountaineering Ireland
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Right: Neolithic burial chamber at the<br />
summit of Slieve Gullion<br />
Below: View to Slieve Gullion<br />
The Neolithic<br />
burial chamber<br />
at the southern<br />
summit is the<br />
highest<br />
remaining<br />
passage tomb<br />
in all of<br />
<strong>Ireland</strong>. It’s<br />
still possible<br />
to enter the<br />
tomb’s inner<br />
chamber<br />
in all of <strong>Ireland</strong>. It’s still possible to<br />
enter the tomb’s inner chamber,<br />
which lies directly beneath the<br />
modern trig point. With 360°<br />
views of the Mourne Mountains<br />
and Carlingford Lough, it’s not<br />
hard to understand why it was<br />
considered an honour to be buried<br />
in such an evocative place.<br />
The next focal point along the<br />
plateau is Calliagh Berra’s Lough.<br />
The pool is named in honour of a<br />
woman famed in local folklore for<br />
bewitching the giant Finn McCool.<br />
She tricked him into diving in to<br />
the lough, and when he surfaced<br />
his blonde hair had turned<br />
completely white. Legend has it<br />
that the same fate will befall any<br />
person who swims in the waters<br />
today. For walkers who make it<br />
past the lough intact, the reward is<br />
the mountain’s northern summit,<br />
which also holds an ancient cairn<br />
dating back to 1800 BC.<br />
It is possible to extend the route to<br />
make a longer circuit following a<br />
mixture of forest driveway and<br />
narrow country roads. This<br />
provides the opportunity to visit<br />
the picturesque Killevy Old<br />
Church, built on the site of a 5th<br />
century convent. St Bline’s holy<br />
well, at the top of a small boreen<br />
beside the church, is also well<br />
worth a visit.<br />
Slieve Gullion Forest Park,<br />
located on the mountain’s lower<br />
slopes, offers shorter walking<br />
options in the form of marked<br />
walk… Mountains<br />
trails through forestry and native<br />
woodland. The park’s Courtyard<br />
Centre provides a convenient start<br />
and finish point for most routes in<br />
the area.<br />
Slieve Gullion E5<br />
Starting Point: Slieve Gullion Courtyard,<br />
Killevy<br />
Distance: 12.5km, Ascent 500m<br />
Maps & Books: ‘Ring of Gullion Way: An<br />
Illustrated Guide to <strong>Walk</strong>ing the Ring of<br />
Gullion Way’. OSNI sheet: 29<br />
Facilities: Parking/toilets: Slieve Gullion<br />
Courtyard<br />
Safety<br />
Remember that if attempting a mountain<br />
or hill walk, you should be able to use a<br />
map and compass, and be suitably<br />
dressed and equipped for cold and wet,<br />
even in the summer. Check the weather<br />
forecast.<br />
discovernorthernireland.com<br />
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