Slieve Beagh [Sliabh Beatha]

About Slieve Beagh [Sliabh Beatha]

This sprawling, peat-covered upland plateau straddles the border of Tyrone and Fermanagh. Characterised by vast blanket bog and hidden loughs, it offers a desolate, atmospheric walking experience. From the summit, look out over the Clogher Valley towards the distant Cuilcagh Mountains and the Sperrins to the north.

Key Statistics

Find It

Did You Know?

• •The name comes from the Irish Sliabh Beatha, meaning 'Mountain of Bith.' According to legend, Bith, son of Noah, was buried in a cairn on the summit after being refused entry to the Ark and fleeing to Ireland before the Great Flood.
• •The mountain features a spot known as the 'Three County Hollow,' a unique geographic point where the borders of Tyrone, Fermanagh, and Monaghan all converge.
• •While the true 380-metre summit lies on the Fermanagh-Tyrone border, a slightly lower point just to the east serves as the county high point for Monaghan.
• •The area is a significant habitat for the rare hen harrier; these birds of prey are often seen quartering the heather across the Slieve Beagh Way, which traverses the plateau.
• •Navigation on the plateau is famously challenging; in thick mist, the terrain is so consistently featureless that the trig pillar often feels like it's playing a game of hide-and-seek until you are virtually leaning against it.