Cloonacool

About Cloonacool

Rising above its namesake village in County Sligo, this Tump is a rugged representative of the Ox Mountains. The terrain is defined by thick heather and soft peat, offering a genuine sense of isolation. It serves as a quiet vantage point for looking across the Moy Valley towards the distant Nephin Beg range.

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Did You Know?

• •The name Cloonacool comes from the Irish Cluain na Cúile, meaning "the meadow of the corner" or "secluded meadow," likely referring to the sheltered land at the foot of the hill where the River Moy flows.
• •Geologically, the hill belongs to the Ox Mountains (Sliabh Gamh), a range composed of ancient Precambrian metamorphic rocks that are among the oldest in Ireland.
• •From the summit, the view to the south-west is dominated by the vast Mayo landscape and the silhouette of Nephin, while the north-east looks back across the desolate, wind-scoured moorland of the central Sligo plateau.
• •The ascent is largely pathless, requiring walkers to navigate a mosaic of blanket bog and deep heather that remains remarkably quiet even during the height of the summer walking season.
• •Attempting to cross the boggy plateau in a straight line is an excellent way to discover exactly how deep the Sligo peat can be; local wisdom suggests that a detour of half a mile is often faster than a hundred yards of "direct" heather-bashing.