Shanlieve

About Shanlieve

Tucked away in the western Mourne Mountains, this broad, peat-covered Hewitt offers a wilder, quieter experience than the range's more famous granite peaks. Often climbed alongside neighbouring Eagle Mountain, its high plateau provides a stunning, unobstructed perspective over the undulating sprawl of the Mourne Plain towards the Irish Sea.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name Shanlieve comes from the Irish Sean-shliabh, meaning 'Old Mountain'. This likely refers to its rounded, weathered profile, which lacks the dramatic, jagged granite tors found on younger-looking neighbours like Slieve Bearnagh.
• •It forms a significant part of the high ridge in the Western Mournes, situated between the craggy bulk of Eagle Mountain and the steep, grassy slopes of Slieve Muck.
• •From the summit, the view south-east is particularly notable, looking directly down the length of the Silent Valley reservoir with the hulking mass of Slieve Binnian dominating the eastern horizon.
• •Standing at 627 metres, it is one of the Mournes' thirteen Hewitts—peaks in Ireland, England, or Wales over 2,000 feet with a 30-metre drop—marking it as a primary summit of the range.
• •Despite being the 'Old Mountain', it hasn't quite learned how to drain itself; the summit plateau is famously sponge-like, requiring a certain degree of acrobatic leaping between peat hags to keep your socks dry.