Tipperary · Moderate · There and back

Galtymore by the Black Road

Up the Black Road, an old turf track, and across the bog to the cross and cairn on Galtymore, the top of Ireland's highest inland range.

Distance
10.5 km (6.5 mi)
Ascent
564 m
Time
About 4 h 15 min
High point
908 m
Grade
Moderate

Line © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL), checked by Global Adventurer.

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Galtymore by the Black Road
Unknown · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons

The walk

From the small car park at the road end north of the R639, follow the Black Road, an old turf track, north through two gates and round the side of Knockeenatoung. Stay on the track to the big cairn below Galtybeg, then cross the bog north-west on worn lines to the col between Galtybeg and Galtymore. Climb west along the ridge to the cross and cairn on the summit. Return the same way.

It is 10.5 km there and back with 564 m of ascent; allow about 4½ hours. The grade is Moderate: a long, steady track, then eroded bog and the open summit ridge.

There is no right of way: the Black Road and the hill are private farmland and commonage, walked by the landowners' goodwill. Keep to the track and leave gates as you find them. Sheep graze the hill, and a sign at the start reportedly asks walkers not to bring dogs. The bog has no waymarks: carry a map and compass for mist, and keep back from the cliffs on the north side of the ridge. Expect snow and ice in winter.

The free car park holds only four or five cars: park tightly and never block a gate or the lane. No bus comes here; Bus Éireann's Dublin to Cork route 245X stops in Cahir and Mitchelstown, each about 15 km away.

Route drawn by Global Adventurer along OpenStreetMap paths (© OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL), with figures worked out from it. Check the forecast and the ground on the day: paths change.

Good to know

  • Galtymore (918 m) is the highest point in Tipperary and Limerick and the summit of Ireland's highest inland range.
  • The Black Road was built to bring turf down from the bogs below Galtybeg.
  • Galtymore's north face drops in cliffs to Lough Curra; the top carries a cross and cairn.
  • The ridge is Old Red Sandstone conglomerate and the high ground is a protected Special Area of Conservation.

Summits on the way

  • Galtymore [Cnoc Mor na nGaibhlte] 918 m · passed close by

Getting there

Start: Black Road car park · Free parking. 52.33527, -8.15738

Directions to the start

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Places to stay nearby

Rooms in and around Tipperary: Booking.com → Expedia → Hotels.com →

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Paths change, and the weather decides the day. The line and figures come from OpenStreetMap and our own checks; take a map, check the forecast, and turn back if it isn't right.