Caoinkeen [An Caincin]

About Caoinkeen [An Caincin]

Tucked away in the Shehy Mountains on the Cork-Kerry border, this 692-metre peak offers a rugged, peat-heavy ascent for those seeking solitude away from busier trails. Its high summit provides a fantastic vantage point over the Borlin Valley and south towards the distant, silver waters of Bantry Bay.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish 'An Caincín', which translates as 'the little nose' or 'snout', a common topographical term for a sharp, protruding feature on a ridge or hillside.
• •The hill is frequently climbed as part of a high-level ridge walk starting from the Priest’s Leap, a mountain pass famous for being one of the highest and steepest motorable roads in Ireland.
• •From the summit, walkers can look directly west across the rugged skyline of the Caha Mountains and north toward the higher, bulkier mass of Knockboy, the highest point in County Cork.
• •Its classification as a Hewitt marks it as one of the significant Irish peaks standing over 2,000 feet, though it remains much less frequented than the neighbouring summits of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks.
• •Given the boggy nature of the Shehy high ground, the 'little nose' is a feature you are often more likely to find yourself face-down in than admiring from a distance.