Slieve Meelmore

About Slieve Meelmore

Rising prominently between Slieve Meelbeg and Slieve Bearnagh, this rugged Hewitt offers a classic Mourne experience. The historic Mourne Wall crosses its broad summit, marking a route that overlooks the deep trough of the Silent Valley. Its granite-strewn slopes provide a sense of scale and isolation common to this high range.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name comes from the Irish 'Sliabh Míol Mór', which is generally translated as the 'Big Mountain of the Hares'. Its neighbour, Slieve Meelbeg, translates similarly as the 'Little Mountain of the Hares'.
• •The summit is intersected by the Mourne Wall, a 22-mile dry stone structure built between 1904 and 1922. The wall was constructed to protect the water catchment area for the Silent Valley and Ben Crom reservoirs.
• •Walkers often approach the hill via the Trassey Track, a popular historic trail used by local quarrymen to reach the high granite peaks in the 19th and early 20th centuries.
• •From the 687m summit, you get a particularly clear profile of the jagged granite 'tors' on the neighbouring Slieve Bearnagh to the east, while to the north, the waters of Lough Neagh are often visible on a clear day.
• •Despite the name suggesting an abundance of hares, the only thing you are guaranteed to find at the summit is a very sturdy stone wall and a fair amount of wind.