Overview
Lugnaquilla is not a pointed peak but a broad grassy dome – at 925 metres (3,035 ft) the highest ground in Ireland outside the mountains of Kerry, and the top of County Wicklow. It is high enough to count as a P600 and a Furth: an Irish or British hill that would rank as a Munro if it stood in Scotland.
The summit plateau is called Percy’s Table, after an 18th-century landowner, Colonel Percy. From it the ground falls away on every side – the Blessington Lakes to the north, the River Slaney valley to the south, the Irish Sea to the east, and, on a clear day, the mountains of Snowdonia across the water in Wales. Two great glacial hollows, the North and South Prisons, are bitten out of the flanks, and it is those, more than the rounded top, that make the mountain worth the climb.
Geologically it is ‘slate-capped and granite-rooted’: a cap of dark schist over a granite core that is the remnant of an ancient magma chamber. The summit stood clear of the ice as a nunatak during the last glaciation – an island of rock above the glaciers.
Trailheads and access
Lugnaquilla is free to climb, but it takes planning. No public transport reaches the trailheads – the nearest town with bus and rail is Rathdrum – so a car is essential for most walkers. There are two main approaches.
| Trailhead | Parking | Drive from Dublin | Key notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Glen of Imaal | Small car park behind Fenton’s Pub | ~70 mins via M50 & R755 | Start of the “Tourist Route”. Warning: crosses a live-fire artillery range – check firing times before setting out. |
| Baravore | Baravore car park, Glenmalure | ~80 mins via M50 & R115 | Access to Fraughan Rock Glen and the South Prison. The most popular start for the classic loop. |
| Glenmalure | Lay-by near the Glenmalure Visitor Centre | ~85 mins via M50 & R115 | Best for the full circuit taking in Arts Lough and both Prisons. |
Parking at the trailheads may carry a small charge (around €4). The road into Glenmalure can ice up in winter.
Routes
Two routes matter. The Glen of Imaal “Tourist Route” is the shortest and simplest; the Glenmalure Loop is longer, harder and the finer walk of the two – take it if the weather and your legs allow.
The Glenmalure Loop
The classic Lugnaquilla walk, about 15 km and five to six hours. Starting from Baravore or the Glenmalure Visitor Centre, it climbs through Fraughan Rock Glen, a hanging valley with a U-shaped profile carved by ice, up to Arts Lough, a corrie lake at 511 m that makes a natural rest stop. From there the ascent grows more exposed as you tackle the South Prison, a steep glacial bowl above the River Ow. The final pull leads to Percy’s Table, where a cairn and triangulation pillar mark the top.
Glen of Imaal approach
The shortest line, about 13 km and four to five hours from behind Fenton’s Pub, tackling the North Prison, a steep cwm opening onto the Glen of Imaal. Winter climbers like it for reliable snow and ice. The one catch is unmissable: the route crosses the Defence Forces’ live-firing range, closed when the red flags are up. Check the schedule on the Irish Defence Forces website, or by phone on 045 404653, before you set out.
Name and history
The name has been argued over for a long time. The modern reading is Log na Coille, ‘hollow of the wood’; the 19th-century antiquarian P.W. Joyce recorded it as Log na Coilleach, ‘hollow of the grouse cocks’. An older idea linking it to the god Lugh has largely been dropped.
The glens below have a harder history. In 1580 the valley of Glenmalure, on the eastern flank, was the site of an Irish victory over an English army; the broken ground made it a natural stronghold. After the 1798 Rebellion the United Irishman Michael Dwyer used the same country as a hideout, evading government troops for years – the terrain was so good at hiding people it was nicknamed “the last place God made”.
What to see
- North and South Prisons: the mountain’s defining features, two ice-carved cwms whose sheer walls and bowl shapes are the clearest record here of the last glaciation.
- Wildlife: peregrine falcons, ravens and mountain hares use the moorland and rocky slopes, and wild goats are regulars.
- Alpine flora: purple saxifrage and moss campion cling to the higher rock faces, with heather and gorse lower down.
- Neighbouring peaks: a short ridge walk from the summit links to Camaderry and Camenabologue for extended ridge-walking. See the guide to Camaderry.
Essential tips
- Check the artillery range: from the Glen of Imaal (Fenton’s Pub), verify the live-fire schedule for the range – it closes during firing.
- Weather changes fast: bring waterproofs, warm layers and a map and compass even in summer. The summit is fully exposed and often in cloud.
- Leave no trace: the alpine flora is slow-growing – stick to established paths, especially around the corries and Fraughan Rock Glen.
- Timing: start early. The Glenmalure Loop takes five to six hours, more in poor weather; leave plenty of daylight for the descent, as the rocky ground is slow in the dark.