Brandon Mountain

About Brandon Mountain

Standing as the highest peak in Ireland outside the MacGillycuddy’s Reeks, this massive sandstone ridge dominates the Dingle Peninsula. Whether ascending the ancient, grassy pilgrim path from the west or the dramatic, rock-walled corrie of the Pater Noster lakes to the east, it offers a truly Atlantic mountain experience.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc Bréanainn, meaning 'Brendan’s Hill.' It is named after Saint Brendan the Navigator, who legend says fasted on the summit for forty days before embarking on his seven-year sea voyage to find the 'Isle of the Blessed.'
• •The summit marks the end of the Cosán na Naomh (Saints’ Path), a medieval pilgrimage route. Unlike the more famous Croagh Patrick, the climb here is longer and higher, following a line of white marker stones that guide walkers up the gentler western slopes.
• •The eastern face provides a stark contrast to the west, featuring a massive glacial amphitheatre. This 'Great Glen' contains a series of tiered lakes known as the Pater Noster lakes, so named because they resemble the beads of a rosary.
• •The summit provides one of the finest coastal views in Europe. To the southwest, the Blasket Islands and the Skelligs are clearly visible, while looking north on a clear day reveals the distant, pointed silhouettes of the Twelve Bens in Connemara across the Shannon Estuary.
• •During World War II, the mountain's height and coastal position led to several aviation disasters. Remains from a German Focke-Wulf Condor and a British Wellington bomber are still located in the rugged coums, serving as a grim reminder of the peak's unforgiving Atlantic weather.
• •For those seeking spiritual enlightenment at the summit, the mountain frequently provides nothing but a dense, soaking mist, proving that Kerry weather has very little respect for a pilgrim’s itinerary.