Djouce

About Djouce

Rising prominently above the Powerscourt Estate, this distinctive Wicklow peak offers a classic, accessible climb. Its broad, heather-clad slopes are bisected by the railway sleepers of the Wicklow Way, leading to a windswept summit with clear views of the Great Sugar Loaf and the deep, dark waters of Lough Tay.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Diúis, likely meaning a 'fortress' or 'stronghold'. This refers to the mountain’s commanding position on the eastern edge of the Wicklow Highlands, where it stands as a natural bulwark overlooking the surrounding glens.
• •A memorial stone to J.B. Malone, the landscape historian who pioneered the Wicklow Way, is located on the southern shoulder. The site offers a famous perspective of Lough Tay, often called the 'Guinness Lake' due to its dark peaty water and the imported white sand beach at its northern end.
• •In August 1946, an Air France Douglas C-47 crashed near the summit in thick fog. Remarkably, all 21 people on board survived the impact, though it took several hours for local rescue parties to locate the wreckage on the boggy slopes.
• •Much of the ascent from the south follows a trail of repurposed railway sleepers. These are essential for crossing the deep blanket bog that covers the plateau, protecting the fragile peat from the high volume of walkers this Marilyn attracts.
• •From the summit cairn, the view to the north is dominated by the rounded bulk of War Hill, separated from Djouce by a shallow col, while the Irish Sea is visible to the east beyond the quartzite peak of the Great Sugar Loaf.
• •The summit plateau is so reliably blasted by Atlantic weather that locals suggest if you can successfully pour a cup of tea without it horizontalizing, you have found a rare moment of Wicklow calm.