Galtymore [Cnoc Mor na nGaibhlte]

Marking the border between Limerick and Tipperary, this broad sandstone giant dominates the skyline. While its southern slopes are gentle and heathery, the northern face drops dramatically into deep glacial corries. Reaching the iron summit cross involves a steady pull, rewarding walkers with a commanding perspective over the Golden Vale.

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc Mór na nGaibhlte, meaning 'Big Hill of the Galtees.' The term Gaibhlte is thought to relate to the word gabhail, referring to the forks or glens carved into the mountain range by glacial action and water.
• •A large white iron cross marks the summit, erected by local parishioners in 1975. It serves as a vital navigational landmark when the notorious Galty mists descend on the broad, often featureless summit plateau.
• •The most direct approach is via 'The Black Road' from the south. Despite the name, it is a rugged, stony track rather than a paved surface, providing a steady line of ascent that avoids the more technical sandstone cliffs of the northern face.
• •From the 917-metre peak, the view north spans the fertile 'Golden Vale' towards the Slieve Felim and Silvermine Mountains. On a clear day, the distant, serrated profiles of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks are visible to the southwest.
• •Local folklore claims that Saint Patrick banished Ireland's final serpent into the depths of Lough Dilheen, a dark corrie lake nestled directly below the summit cliffs. Legend says the creature will remain trapped there until the end of time.
• •For a mountain that straddles two counties, Galtymore is remarkably fair; it offers a long, lung-bursting slog to the residents of Tipperary and Limerick in equal measure, usually accompanied by the same horizontal rain.