Knockbrinnea

About Knockbrinnea

Rising as a rugged northern spur of Beenkeragh, this high-altitude shoulder offers a dramatic vantage point over the Coomloughra Glen. The terrain is characteristically rocky and steep, typical of the Macgillycuddy's Reeks, providing an airy perspective of the ridge walk toward Ireland’s highest peaks.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Cnoc Broinne, meaning 'Hill of the Brink' or 'Hill of the Breast', a reference to its profile as a steep-sided shoulder projecting from the main Beenkeragh ridge.
• •It is most frequently visited as part of the Coomloughra Horseshoe, one of Ireland's premier ridge walks, serving as a significant high-point for those approaching the main Reeks from the west.
• •From the summit, you get a direct, vertiginous view down into the Coomloughra Glen, with the dark waters of Lough Eighter, Lough Coomloughra, and Lough Leah positioned nearly 500 metres below.
• •Despite its impressive height of over 850 metres, it is often overshadowed by its immediate neighbour, Beenkeragh, which stands as Ireland's second-highest mountain just a short, rocky scramble to the south.
• •It is an excellent place to stand and watch crowds bottlenecking on the more famous paths of Carrauntoohil, while you enjoy a much quieter, if equally windswept, piece of the Reeks.