Knockroe [Cnoc Rua]

Tucked onto the northern end of the Blackstairs range, this heathery Tump provides a rugged, quieter alternative to its more famous neighbours. The terrain can be boggy underfoot, but the 538-metre summit offers an uncrowded vantage point over the Barrow Valley and the sprawling patchwork of the Carlow lowlands.

• •The name comes from the Irish Cnoc Rua, meaning 'Red Hill'. This refers to the seasonal colour of the hillside's heather and bracken, which turns a rusty red in late autumn.
• •The summit offers a clear line of sight south toward the masts of Mount Leinster and westward across the River Barrow toward the isolated hump of Brandon Hill in County Kilkenny.
• •Often tackled as part of the wider Blackstairs Ridge walk, this Tump provides a sense of isolation that its busier, higher neighbours lack.
• •It is the sort of terrain where 'waterproof' boots are frequently revealed to be more of a polite suggestion than a technical reality.