Kirikee Mountain

Rising above the southern side of Glenmalure, this modest Wicklow summit offers a quieter alternative to its more famous neighbours. While heavily forested on its lower flanks, the open top provides a grandstand view of the rugged Lugnaquilla massif and the deep, glacial trough of the valley cutting through the landscape.

• •The name is an anglicisation of the Irish Coill an Chaoich, which translates as ‘Wood of the Blind Man’. While the ancient native oak woods are long gone, the name persists despite the commercial spruce plantations that now dominate the lower slopes.
• •The hill directly overlooks Glenmalure, a site of immense historical significance that served as a tactical vantage point for the 1798 rebel leader Michael Dwyer, who used this rugged terrain to evade capture by British forces for years.
• •From the summit, you can look directly west to see the massive granite bulk of Lugnaquilla, Ireland's highest peak outside of Kerry. To the north, the view extends across the valley to the ridge line connecting Mullacor and Lugduff.
• •A popular approach begins at the Shay Elliott memorial. The monument commemorates the first Irishman to wear the yellow jersey in the Tour de France and sits at the high point of the road pass between Glenmalure and Laragh.
• •Given the density of the surrounding commercial timber, the summit feels like a hard-won island of heather in a sea of Sitka spruce; it is one of the few places on the hill where you can actually see the sky and your boots at the same time.