Hillwalking & Mountaineering
Summit Ireland's peaks and ancient ridges
Ireland's mountains are small by alpine standards and serious in their own way: the weather changes fast, the ground is often bog, and navigation matters more than fitness. Carrauntoohil in Kerry is the highest point on the island at 1,038m. Lugnaquilla, at 925m, is the highest in the Wicklow Mountains and the nearest big hill to Dublin. Slieve Donard, 850m, tops the Mournes in Down. The Twelve Bens in Connemara give the most technical ridge walking. All are walkable year-round, but winter conditions on any of them need an ice axe, crampons and the skill to use both.
168 clubs across 29 counties
Listed by Mountaineering Ireland, reproduced as published. Pick a county to see them.
Where to go
Season: Year-round · Suits: Beginner to Advanced
Carrauntoohil
KerryIreland's highest mountain at 1,038m, in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks. The Devil's Ladder is the usual ascent; the Coomloughra Horseshoe is the better day out.
Mourne Mountains
DownGranite peaks packed into a small area, stitched together by the Mourne Wall. Slieve Donard at 850m is the highest in Northern Ireland.
Wicklow Mountains
WicklowThe closest range to Dublin and the busiest. Lugnaquilla is the high point at 925m; Glendalough is the honeypot and the Spinc loop the classic short walk.
Twelve Bens
GalwaySteep quartzite peaks in Connemara with real scrambling and almost no paths. The most committing hillwalking in the country outside Kerry.
Slieve Gullion
ArmaghThe highest point in Armagh at 573m, at the centre of the Ring of Gullion, a ring dyke of surrounding hills. A summit passage tomb and views into four counties.
1,030 waymarked trails for hillwalking & mountaineering
From Sport Ireland's National Trails Register, by county. Every one has a verified start point.
About hillwalking & mountaineering in Ireland
From the MacGillycuddy's Reeks to the Mourne Mountains, Ireland's uplands offer everything from gentle hillwalks to serious scrambling. Navigate bog, rock, and ridge with views that stretch to the Atlantic horizon.
Common questions
What is the highest mountain in Ireland?
Carrauntoohil in the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, County Kerry, at 1,038 metres. Lugnaquilla in Wicklow (925m) and Slieve Donard in the Mournes (850m) are the highest points in Leinster and Northern Ireland respectively.
What's the difference between hillwalking and mountaineering?
Hillwalking stays on ground you can walk up, even where it's steep and pathless. Mountaineering adds terrain where you use your hands, a rope, or winter equipment such as an ice axe and crampons. Most Irish peaks are hillwalks in summer and mountaineering days in winter.
What age can children start hillwalking?
There is no minimum, and Mountaineering Ireland describes hillwalking as a sport that can be started very early. What limits a child is the route rather than the birthday: distance, ascent, exposure to weather and how much daylight is left. Pick a short, low, well-tracked hill and be willing to turn back. Worth knowing that most Mountaineering Ireland clubs run adult programmes, because club activity involving under 18s requires safeguarding structures including a Children's Officer and Garda vetting.
Do I need a guide to climb Carrauntoohil?
Not legally, but the Devil's Ladder is loose, eroded and easy to lose in cloud, and mountain rescue teams are called to it regularly. If you can't navigate on a compass in poor visibility, go with a guide or a club.
What should I bring on an Irish hillwalk?
Waterproof jacket and trousers, boots with ankle support, warm layers, food and water, a map and compass you can actually use, and a charged phone. Weather on Irish hills changes within the hour, and phone signal is unreliable above the valleys.
Find a centre
No governing body publishes a provider list for hillwalking & mountaineering, so we have no accredited centres to name. The full directory holds 76 adventure centres, many of them multi-sport.