Overview
Tully Mountain is only 356 metres (1,168 ft) high, but it stands more or less alone on the north-west corner of the Renvyle Peninsula, north-west of Letterfrack, so the view off the top is out of all proportion to the climb. On a clear day it runs from the Twelve Bens west to the open Atlantic, north across to Mweelrea and Croagh Patrick in County Mayo, and out to Inishbofin and the smaller islands. It is close enough to the honeypot to be an antidote to it: you can see Tully from the summit of Diamond Hill in Connemara National Park, but almost nobody crosses over to climb it.
One thing to be clear about before you set off: there is no path. Locally the hill is also called Letter Hill (Cnoc Leitreach), and it carries Special Area of Conservation status for its blanket bog and heath.
The walk
There is no marked trail, no signpost and no waymarking of any kind. You park at Derryherbert Quay, pick your own line up the flank, and navigate by the ground in front of you and the summit above – so this is a hill for a clear day and a bit of map sense, not a stroll you can switch your brain off for. The ground is open bog and heather, wet and tussocky after rain, with peat hags to weave around, so wear boots that can take it.
It is short but steep: roughly 320 metres of climbing from near sea level, and most people are up and back in two to three hours depending on the ground and how long they linger at the top. The summit is marked by a small stone cairn, not a pillar, and there is nothing built up there to spoil the view. On the way up, look out for the court tomb and stone alignment on the lower ground around the hill – the peninsula was settled a very long time before the sheep arrived.
Landscape and wildlife
Tully is blanket-bog country, threaded with purple moor-grass, heathers and cross-leaved heath. In late spring and summer, meadow browns and small heath moths work the slopes while skylarks, meadow pipits and curlews call overhead. Stonechats sit up on the gorse; red grouse can burst out of the deeper heather. Merlin, Ireland’s smallest falcon, hunt the open ground, and peregrines work the coastal cliffs below on clear days. The SAC designation keeps the bog safe from drainage and turf-cutting, and the lack of a path keeps the numbers down – you will likely have the hill to yourself.
Practical information
Getting there The hill sits above Tully village on the Renvyle Peninsula. By car, take the N59 to Letterfrack, then the local road out to Renvyle and Tully. By bus, Citylink route 923 runs from Galway Coach Station to Letterfrack in about 1 hour 45 minutes, but check timetables at citylink.ie – the last return is usually early afternoon, and you would still have a fair walk to the hill. There is no marked trailhead; the start is simply the open ground above Derryherbert Quay.
Parking Park at Derryherbert Quay, near the harbour. Space is limited to a handful of cars, so arrive early on fine weekends. There are no machines, fees or opening hours.
What to pack
- Waterproofs (Atlantic weather turns fast)
- Boots with ankle support for wet, uneven bog
- A map or offline GPS – signal is patchy and there is nothing to follow on the ground
- A windproof layer for the exposed summit
- Water and something to eat
Safety The upper ground is exposed and the wet rock gets slippery; wind chill bites even in summer. It is climbable year-round, but in winter you may meet ice or snow and should be equipped for it. Stick to firm ground where you can, both for your ankles and to spare the bog.
Exploring further afield
Down at sea level, the harbour at Ballinakill Bay is a short walk from the quay and good for rock-pooling at low tide, and Trá na mBean (Ladies’ Beach), just south of the village, is a sheltered spot for a post-climb dip. Tully village also has Teach Ceoil, a traditional music house, and an equestrian centre if you fancy the coast on horseback. For a bigger day, the Connemara National Park trails over Benbaun and Benbrack give you rougher ground and inland views – and, from Diamond Hill, a good look back at Tully.
Save it for a clear day. On a low, hazy one you will get the bog and the climb but none of the view that is the whole reason to go up.