Gearhane

About Gearhane

Sitting prominently on the northern ridge of the Brandon massif, this high, grassy shoulder offers a rugged ascent above the glaciated Pater Noster Lakes. It serves as a vital stepping stone for those traversing the spectacular high-level horseshoe between the sea-cliffs of Masatiompan and the towering, nearby summit of Mount Brandon.

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Did You Know?

• •The name is derived from the Irish An Géarán, which translates as ‘the sharp point’ or ‘the fang’, reflecting its profile when viewed from the lower glaciated valleys to the east.
• •From the summit, the view to the north is exceptional, looking directly down over the Sás Creek—a dramatic, horseshoe-shaped sea inlet guarded by near-vertical cliffs.
• •It forms a crucial part of the Brandon Ridge walk, one of Ireland’s finest high-level traverses, providing a clear vantage point over the string of Pater Noster lakes sitting in the deep corries below.
• •On a clear day, the vista extends beyond the Dingle Peninsula to the Magharee Islands, locally known as the Seven Hogs, which appear as jagged shards of rock in the Atlantic.
• •Despite being named ‘the fang’, anyone who has spent an hour wandering its broad, wind-scoured summit plateau in a thick Atlantic white-out might find the name somewhat more pointed than the terrain itself.