Knockboy [An Cnoc Bui]

About Knockboy [An Cnoc Bui]

Standing as the highest point in County Cork, this broad, peat-clad summit marks the spine of the Shehy Mountains. It offers a wild, often boggy experience for walkers seeking isolation, rewarding the effort with expansive views over Bantry Bay and the rugged, saw-toothed profiles of the neighbouring Caha Mountains.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish An Cnoc Buí, meaning 'the yellow hill', which most likely refers to the distinctive hue of the molinia grasses and sedges that cover its slopes.
• •While it serves as the county top for Cork, the summit is actually shared with County Kerry, straddling the border between these two southwestern counties.
• •The most popular approach is from the Priest’s Leap to the west, a mountain pass famously named after a legendary escape where a priest supposedly leaped his horse over the range to evade pursuit.
• •From the summit trig pillar, the view north is dominated by the MacGillycuddy's Reeks, while the long fingers of the Beara and Sheep's Head peninsulas are visible stretching into the Atlantic to the southwest.
• •The summit plateau is a labyrinth of peat hags and mire; it is the sort of terrain where a walker’s progress is measured less in miles per hour and more in how many times they successfully avoid a knee-deep soaking.