Knockadullaun

Rising above the Blackwater Valley near Lismore, this modest hump serves as a southern sentinel to the main Knockmealdown range. Though the summit is partially hemmed in by forestry, the ascent offers clear perspectives across the Waterford farmlands toward the higher, heather-clad ridges of Sugar Loaf Hill and Knockmealdown.

• •The name is derived from the Irish Cnoc an Dulláin; while cnoc is a hill, dullán can mean a plug or stopper, perhaps reflecting the hill's blunt, rounded profile within the local landscape.
• •From the clearer southern slopes, walkers can spot the Victorian-Gothic spires of Lismore Castle and the winding silver ribbon of the River Blackwater.
• •It is classified as a Hump, meaning it has a drop of at least 100 metres on all sides, a feat that feels more impressive once you have waded through the surrounding forestry.
• •Navigating the dense Sitka spruce plantations requires a certain stoicism; it is the kind of hill where a compass is often more useful for finding your way out of the trees than for finding the actual summit.