Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop

Walking Trail · Kerry

Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop is a 4.8 km moderate waymarked loop in Kerry, starting near Knightstown.

Distance
4.8 km
Climb
184 m
Shape
Loop
Time
3 hours

Grade

Activity Grade Difficulty Time
Walking Moderate Moderate 3 hours

Getting there

Starts at Knightstown Church carpark, near Knightstown.

Directions to the trailhead

Trailhead coordinates
51.92337, -10.28749
Irish Grid reference
V 42706 77016
Ordnance Survey sheets
Discovery Series Sheet 83

The National Trails Register's own latitude and longitude fields are empty for all 1,186 trails on it. This trailhead comes from Sport Ireland's separate Trailheads dataset, matched to this trail on its register ID.

About the trail

The Cullum's Cup Loop follows the shore road in Knightstow, up McCormack’s Road (Grassed road) for 200m on main road and then the hill side path to the top of Kilbeg Mountain, where Cullum' Cup is located. The Cup was erected in 1888 on the instructions of John Edward Cullum, then superintendent of Valentia Observatory, to serve as a base for an electrical anemometer, which was connected by copper wire to a recording apparatus in the observatory. From here you have 360 degree views of the Iveragh Pennisula. Views include Cahersiveen, River Ferta, Portmagee Channell, Portmagee village, Skellig Michael, Bray Head, Blasket Islands, Dingle pennisula, Valentia Lighthouse, Glanleam estate, Beginish Island, Valentia harbour, Renard Point and Knightstown.

Waymarking
White arrows

Who manages it

South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd

Email | [email protected]

Conditions and closures change. The operator is the authority on both, not this page.

Trails nearby

Measured trailhead to trailhead, in a straight line.

Common questions

How long is the Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop?

4.8 km, recorded as a loop on Sport Ireland's National Trails Register. It climbs 184 m in total. Sport Ireland estimates 3 hours.

How hard is the Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop?

Sport Ireland grades it Moderate. Grades are set against national criteria, so they are comparable with other registered trails.

Where does the Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop start?

Starts at Knightstown Church carpark, near Knightstown. The trailhead is at 51.92337, -10.28749 (Irish Grid V 42706 77016).

Who manages the Cullum's Cup Kilbeg Loop?

South Kerry Development Partnership Ltd. They are the authority on current conditions and closures, not this page.

More in Kerry

Trail data from the Sport Ireland National Trails Register, licensed under CC BY 4.0. Trailhead coordinates from the companion Trailheads dataset. Snapshot taken 2026-08-13.