Cuilcagh [Binn Chuilceach]

About Cuilcagh [Binn Chuilceach]

Dominating the border between Cavan and Fermanagh, this massive gritstone plateau is a landscape of two halves: rugged limestone karst and deep blanket bog. Most walkers now use the wooden boardwalk to protect the fragile terrain, leading to a summit with clear views over Lough Macnean and the peaks of Sligo.

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Did You Know?

• •The name derives from the Irish Binn Chuilceach, often translated as 'chalky peak.' While the summit is actually capped with dark sandstone and gritstone, the name likely refers to the pale limestone cliffs and outcrops that define the lower slopes.
• •It holds the unique distinction of being Ireland's only cross-border county top, serving as the highest point for both County Fermanagh in Northern Ireland and County Cavan in the Republic.
• •The mountain plays a vital role in Ireland’s geography as its southern slopes feed the Shannon Pot. Water disappears into the limestone underworld here before resurfacing a few miles away as the traditional source of the River Shannon.
• •To protect the rare blanket bog from erosion, a 1.6km wooden boardwalk—famously nicknamed the ‘Stairway to Heaven’—was installed on the northern approach. It culminates in a steep flight of steps that bypasses the most fragile peat sections.
• •From the summit cairn, the view extends across the lake-lands of Fermanagh to Lough Erne, while to the west, the distinctive flat-topped profile of Benbulbin in the Dartry Mountains is often visible on the horizon.
• •Despite being dubbed the 'Stairway to Heaven' by local tourism boards, the final wooden climb is more likely to lead you into a damp, grey Atlantic cloud than any celestial realm.