From the high ground on Mount Gable you can see Lough Corrib and Lough Mask at once – the two big lakes the hill sits between, on the narrow neck of land that joins Connemara to south Mayo. Known locally as Binn Shléibhe and reaching 417.8 m (1,370 ft), it is a modest climb with an outsized view, about two kilometres west of the Gaeltacht village of Clonbur (An Fhairche) in County Galway.
The walk
This is really a linear walk along the Seanbhóthar (the old road) between Clonbur and Corr na Móna, running along the side of Binn Shléibhe with Lough Corrib below. The route is generally easy, with one steep climb at each end; some walkers turn it into a loop of around 8.5 km, though that is not a signed or official circuit. From the small car park – room for five or six cars, free – the path climbs past the first stone ruin towards the open plateau, with Lough Coolin off to the side.
Up top there is no waymarking. You navigate by cairns and the lie of the land across peat bog and heather, so save it for a clear day and skip it in fog or low cloud. The ground can be genuinely marshy after rain – cotton grass is a fair warning of the softest patches – so wear boots you do not mind getting wet.
The ruins and the stories
The stone foundations on the lower slopes are the remains of a village abandoned around the famine years, the cottages clustered tight and angled to catch shelter and sun. The first ruin you reach was the home of ‘Maidhc Ned’, who – like so many from here – left for work in England; he appears in Dónall MacAmhlaigh’s 1960 book Dialann Deonaí. Older layers cling to the same ground: the Seanbhóthar is said to trace a route St Patrick took towards Maméan, and tradition puts the Firbolg on this hilltop before their legendary clash with the Tuatha Dé Danann at Moytura.
Practical tips
- Trail conditions: the plateau is peaty and can turn marshy, and there are no path markers on top, so it is best avoided in fog or heavy rain.
- Time and fitness: allow 2–3 hours for the full walk at an easy pace. The climbs at either end need a basic level of fitness; the middle is flat.
- Facilities: none on the hill, and the car park is small and free. Back in Clonbur there is a shop and a pub or two for supplies.
- Navigation: bring a phone map or a paper map; cairns mark the summit approach but little else does.
- Weather: Connemara’s weather turns fast, and there is little shelter up top. Pack a waterproof, layers and a snack.
Getting there and nearby
Clonbur sits on the N59 roughly halfway between Galway City and Oughterard. From Galway, drive west on the N59 for about 45 km, turn off at the Clonbur sign and follow the local road west for about two kilometres to the Mount Gable car park. Public transport is limited, so a car is the reliable option.
With extra time, the Clonbur Woods trail network – developed with Coillte – gives easy walking through native woodland, with views over Lough Mask and the ruins of Ballykine Castle. The Petersburg Outdoor Education Centre south of Clonbur runs gorge-walking and orienteering, boat tours depart on Lough Corrib, and the Quiet Man Museum in Cong covers the region’s film history.
If the wind is up or the cloud is down, skip the summit and walk Clonbur Woods at the foot of the hill instead – flat, sheltered native woodland with its own views over Lough Mask.