Knockmore (Clare Island) [An Cnoc Mor]

About Knockmore (Clare Island) [An Cnoc Mor]

Rising from the Atlantic as the highest point of Clare Island, this Marilyn delivers a rugged, maritime ascent over steep, often pathless slopes. The summit feels genuinely remote, offering a perspective of the Mayo coastline and the distant peaks of the Twelve Bens that few mainland hills can match.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish An Cnoc Mór, meaning 'The Great Hill'. While it stands at a modest 462 metres, its dominance over the surrounding island landscape and its sheer drop into the Atlantic to the west make the title feel entirely earned.
• •Between 1909 and 1911, the slopes of Knockmore were a primary focus of the Clare Island Survey. Led by naturalist Robert Lloyd Praeger, this was the first major biological survey of a specific area ever carried out in the world.
• •The hill forms the backdrop to the ancestral home of the 16th-century 'pirate queen' Grace O’Malley (Granuaile), whose tower house stands near the island's harbour.
• •From the summit, you can look east across the drumlins of Clew Bay to the distinctive cone of Croagh Patrick, or north towards the jagged cliffs of Achill Island and the remote Nephin Beg range.
• •Despite being a relatively short climb, the hill is technically guarded by a moat; unless you are a particularly gifted swimmer, your ascent must begin with the ferry crossing from Roonagh Pier.