Overview
Hungry Hill (Irish: Cnoc Daod) is the highest of the Caha Mountains, a 685m (2,247ft) mass of shale and crag at the western end of the Beara Peninsula. (MountainViews, which keeps the Irish hill lists, puts it slightly lower at 682m and ranks it the 142nd-highest summit in the country and the third-highest point in Cork.) The summit sits on the Cork side of the county boundary, marked by a cairn and a trig pillar, with standing stones scattered on the slopes to the south-east. Below its eastern face, the twin lakes Coomadavallig and Coomarkane spill over the Mare’s Tail. It is not a hill to underestimate: there’s no path to the top, and it draws hillwalkers precisely because it’s a proper mountain day.
The Mare’s Tail is often billed as the highest waterfall in Ireland or Britain, but that claim doesn’t really stand up – Powerscourt’s 121m drop is the officially recognised highest in Ireland. It’s a fine cascade all the same, and, like everything on this mountain, at its best after heavy rain.
Name, history and folklore
The Irish name Cnoc Daod translates roughly as ‘hill of the tooth’ or ‘hill of the jaw’, which suits a peak this jagged and notched. Older anglicisations include Knockdhead and Knockday. Local tradition speaks of the Bun Daods, a family who once lived at the base of the mountain and tended the standing stones on the south-eastern flank.
The English name carries a darker note. Asked why it’s called Hungry Hill, locals have long said the mountain is ‘hungry for bodies’ – a warning born of its technical ground and quick-changing weather. That mood caught Daphne du Maurier, who used the peak as the title and setting of her 1943 novel, in which it metaphorically swallows successive generations of the Broderick family, loosely drawn from the Irish ancestry of her friend Christopher Puxley. Irish folklore also plants the character Daniel O’Rourke at the foot of the hill. Wreckage from a wartime plane crash still lies on the slopes.
Walking the summit
Hungry Hill is not a casual stroll. The terrain is trackless in places, with steep shale outcrops, narrow rock bands and boggy plateaux. Two routes are favoured, and the second is the sensible pick for most people.
The south-west horseshoe
This is the celebrated one, and the harder: roughly 13 km and 7 to 8 hours, graded hard. It starts at the junction of the R572 and a minor road about 300 m east of Rossmackowen Church, between Adrigole and Castletownbere. A track leads into Coomnagapple Glen, past Park Lough, before you turn up the end of the south-west spur. Keeping left of the larger outcrops avoids needless scrambling; the ground steepens to a high crag skirted by a narrow track, then eases onto the ridge and the summit cairn. The descent needs careful route-finding – the shoulder is broad rather than a clean ridge, so hold the centre line and use the small stone heaps that mark safer passages through the rock.
The Healy Pass approach
For a less exposed start, take the route from the top of the Healy Pass on the R574, where you can park beside the road. It makes for the end of the northern spur, which sidesteps the cliffs of the south-west face and gets you up with no real rock clambering. It’s still a hard hill walk on steep, boggy ground, but it’s the one to choose when the weather window is tight or the tops are greasy.
Navigation and safety
- Visibility is critical: the south-west horseshoe should never be attempted in mist. Navigation errors are common when you can’t follow a direct line, and the rock turns dangerously slippery when wet.
- Essential gear: sturdy boots, waterproofs, a headtorch and a reliable map (OSI Discovery Sheet 84) with a compass. Mobile signal is unreliable along the ridge.
- Weather: summit winds can be sharp even in summer. Pack a windproof layer and aim for a clear morning between late spring and early autumn.
- Route discipline: the terrain doesn’t allow straight-line walking. Two people side by side will drift onto different micro-routes, so stick to the ridge line and use stone markers where you can see them.
Parking and access
For the south-west horseshoe, park at the junction of the R572 and the minor road about 300 m east of Rossmackowen Church, between Adrigole and Castletownbere. For the Healy Pass route, there’s parking beside the road at the top of the pass on the R574. Public transport to Beara is sparse: most walkers drive from Glengarriff or Castletownbere, and the buses between them don’t stop at the trailheads.
Where to stay and nearby
The family-run Hungry Hill Lodge & Campsite in Adrigole is the handiest base, a couple of kilometres from the Rossmackowen start, with camping pitches, self-catering rooms, a stone cottage, a log cabin and glamping pods. Check the site for seasonal opening and check-in times, and note that dogs are welcome on the campsite on a lead but not inside the accommodation.
Beyond the hill, the Beara Peninsula is good cycling country – the signposted Beara Way Cycling Route runs 138 km – and Adrigole harbour is a sheltered spot for kayaking and sea swimming. Further west, the Allihies Copper Mines preserve a well-kept 19th-century mining complex.
Practical information
Hungry Hill is a free, open-access mountain with no admission fee or formal hours. The ground is unsuitable for wheelchair users and suited only to experienced hillwalkers comfortable navigating steep, exposed terrain on their own. Tell someone your route and expected return time before you set off, carry a whistle, check the Met Éireann forecast for the Beara area, and keep your map dry.
Pick a clear morning, and you’ll get the views out to Fastnet Rock, Cape Clear and the Skelligs that make the slog worthwhile. If the cloud is down on the tops, save it for another day.