Leenaun Hill

About Leenaun Hill

Overlooking the deep waters of Killary Harbour, this northern outpost of the Maumturks offers a rugged, often boggy ascent. The summit plateau provides a commanding perspective of the fjord below and the dark, imposing mass of Mweelrea across the water, marking a dramatic boundary between County Galway and County Mayo.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Leenaun is derived from the Irish An Líonán, meaning 'the filling-place' or 'the tide-trap,' a reference to the way the sea enters the fjord at the foot of the hill.
• •Standing at the northern tip of the Maumturk Mountains, the summit earns an exceptional view of the Twelve Bens to the south and the Sheeffry Hills across the border in Mayo.
• •The hill serves as the northern terminus for the Maumturks Challenge, a punishing 25km ridge walk that involves nearly 2,500 metres of total ascent across the entire range.
• •Despite being over 600 metres high, the hill often feels larger because the climb effectively begins at sea level from the shores of Killary Harbour.
• •The mountain provides a quintessential Connemara experience, where the transition from sea-level bog to quartzite summit is frequently accompanied by all four seasons of weather in a single afternoon.