Coomacarrea is the highest of the Glenbeigh hills at 772m, and the thing to understand before you go is that it has no path, no waymarks and almost no shelter on top – just a small pile of rocks marking the summit and a broad, grassy plateau that turns featureless the moment cloud comes down. The Irish name Com an Charria, ‘hollow of the stag’, is about the deep corries gouged into its northern face, and those corries are the catch: the ground drops away steeply and dangerously to the north, exactly where a walker lost in mist tends to drift.
This is a hill for people who can navigate. If that’s not you, the honest advice is to admire it from below – the Ring of Kerry road west of Glenbeigh runs right under its slopes towards Cahersiveen, and the Fertha River that drains the mountain carves the fertile valley you drive through into town. The reward up top, on a settled day, is one of the best viewpoints on Iveragh: Skellig Michael out on the Atlantic, Dingle Bay to the north, and the MacGillycuddy Reeks filling the eastern skyline.
Getting up it
There are two sensible ways onto the summit.
- The Coomasaharn Horseshoe. The standard summit walk circles the corrie around Coomasaharn Lake. Drive about 4.5km west of Glenbeigh on the Ring of Kerry road, turn off at the sign for Coomasaharn Lake, take the right at the T-junction and the parking area is roughly 2.5km on. The loop takes in Coomacarrea and its neighbouring tops over grassy, boggy ground with sharp corrie edges.
- The full Glenbeigh Horseshoe. The big day: about 40.8km with 2,405m of ascent, starting from Glenbeigh village over Curra Hill and linking a long chain of summits – Drung Hill, Teeromoyle, Coomacarrea, Meenteog and on to Colly and Seefin. Reckon on 12 hours with breaks. It’s a serious undertaking and the central arête near the Teeromoyle ‘Tooth’ is exposed and not for poor conditions.
Either way the footing is grassy and peat-hag bog, slippery after rain, with little wind protection up high. Wear proper boots and pace yourself for the final pull across open grass to the cairn.
Navigation and practical detail
Coomacarrea is open hill with no fees, hours or facilities – carry everything you need for the day. The nearest village is Glenbeigh, with a lay-by for the horseshoe; public transport is thin, and Killarney (about 45km away) is the nearest rail.
- Summit: 772m; prominence 457m, which makes it a Marilyn (also a listed Hewitt). The bedrock is Devonian sandstone and slate, the corries scooped out by Ice Age glaciers.
- Grid reference: V611 825
- Maps: Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series Sheet 78 and Sheet 83
- Navigation: The route is faint at best. Bring map and compass and a GPS or phone with offline mapping, and download it in the village – signal drops in the upper corries.
Weather and safety
Atlantic weather crosses Iveragh fast, and the western flank takes the full force of it; clear skies can turn to driving rain and thick fog inside minutes, and the wind on the ridge is always stronger than it is in the valley. The north side is the real hazard – the ground is very steep, and in mist it is easy to walk towards the drop rather than away from it.
- Check the Met Éireann mountain forecast before you set out.
- Carry waterproofs, warm layers and an emergency bivvy.
- Take a physical map and compass, not just a phone.
- Tell someone your route and expected return.
- If visibility drops below about 100m, turn back rather than push for the top.
This is not a walk for casual day-trippers or young children.
Useful resources
- Glenbeigh Horseshoe route notes (MountainViews)
- High Point Ireland entry for Coomacarrea
- Coomacarrea on Wikipedia
Pick a stable high-pressure day and start before mid-morning, before the afternoon cloud builds on the tops – the difference between a Coomacarrea with the Skelligs laid out below you and a Coomacarrea of grey bog and zero visibility is entirely the forecast.