Knockmore [An Cnoc Mor]

About Knockmore [An Cnoc Mor]

Rising from the southern edge of Achill Island, this rugged Marilyn provides a wild, coastal experience away from the island's more famous peaks. The terrain is characteristically boggy and trackless, leading to a summit with expansive views across Clew Bay towards the peaks of Murrisk and the vast Atlantic horizon.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish 'An Cnoc Mór', meaning 'The Great Hill', a title it earns by dominating the southern peninsula of Achill despite its modest elevation compared to the island's northern giants.
• •The summit offers a unique vantage point over the mouth of Clew Bay, providing a clear line of sight to the distinctive pyramid of Croagh Patrick and the smaller, rocky outcrops of Bill’s Rocks to the west.
• •On a day with good visibility, the view extends far beyond the immediate coastline to the jagged silhouettes of the Twelve Bens in Connemara, visible across the waters of the South Sound.
• •The hill serves as a vital landmark for marine navigation, marking the rugged transition for vessels moving from the open Atlantic into the slightly more sheltered waters between Achill and Clare Island.
• •Calling a 337-metre summit 'The Great Hill' on an island that boasts the massive 688-metre cliffs of Croaghaun suggests the original namers were strictly concerned with their own immediate neighbourhood.