Piaras Mor

About Piaras Mor

Situated on the dramatic spine of the Brandon range, this sharp sandstone peak is a highlight of the high-level traverse between Brandon Peak and Masatiompan. It offers a rugged, alpine character, providing grandstand views across the Pater Noster lakes in the valley below and out towards the jagged outlines of the Blasket Islands.

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Did You Know?

• •The name translates from Irish as 'Big Pierce', dedicated to Piaras Feiritéar, a 17th-century chieftain, poet, and folk hero who was a leader in the Kerry sector of the Irish Confederate Wars.
• •The hill is a key summit on the Brandon ridge walk, a spectacular horseshoe route that overlooks the deep glacial troughs and vertical sea cliffs of the northern Dingle Peninsula.
• •Looking west from the summit, walkers can see the 'Pater Noster' lakes—a sequence of glacial tarns including Lough Duff and Lough Nalacken that resemble a string of prayer beads when viewed from above.
• •The terrain consists primarily of Old Red Sandstone, which creates the characteristically steep, tiered rock steps and narrow ridges found throughout the Brandon massif.
• •Despite being named 'Big Pierce', the summit is significantly lower and less imposing than its immediate southern neighbour, Brandon Peak, suggesting the 17th-century locals were perhaps being generous with their naming.