Lugnagun

About Lugnagun

Rising above the 'Granite Village' of Ballyknockan, this modest Tump offers some of the finest westward perspectives in the Wicklow Mountains. Its grassy slopes provide a straightforward ascent, rewarding walkers with an expansive outlook over the silver waters of the Poulaphouca Reservoir and the rolling farmland of County Kildare beyond.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Lugnagun is derived from the Irish 'Log na nGon', which translates as the 'hollow of the hounds', likely a reference to historical hunting traditions in these western foothills.
• •The hill's lower slopes are home to the famous Ballyknockan quarries; since 1824, this golden-grey granite has been extracted to build Dublin landmarks such as the GPO, the Custom House, and Trinity College.
• •From the summit, you gain a distinct view of the Liffey valley being swallowed by the Poulaphouca Reservoir, with the distant peaks of the Slieve Bloom Mountains visible on the western horizon on clear days.
• •Walkers often combine a visit here with the nearby Sorrel Hill, following the boundary fences that mark the transition from the cultivated fields of the lakeside to the open moorland of the high Wicklows.
• •While the name promises a hollow of legendary hounds, the modern reality is that you are significantly more likely to be stared down by a local sheep than a mythical pack of hunting dogs.