Overview
The Vee is a hairpin – a sharp V-shaped bend on the R668 where the road doubles back on itself to haul up over the Knockmealdown Mountains between Clogheen in County Tipperary and Lismore in County Waterford. It climbs to about 337 m (1,100 ft) at the gap – local tourism sites like to say 2,000 ft, but that’s the height of the flanking summits, not the road – above the corrie lake of Bay Lough, and from the top, on a clear day, the view stretches across the fertile Golden Vale to the Galtee Mountains, the Comeraghs and Slievenamon. It’s one of the best scenic drives in the southeast, and it doesn’t ask much of a detour to reach.
The Road & The View
The pass takes its name from that bend, which wraps the shoulder of Knockaunabulloga – whose corrie holds Bay Lough – as the road hauls up to the gap between Sugarloaf Hill and Knockshanahullion. The road as you drive it was engineered in 1847 as a famine relief scheme, and its line has changed little since. As the road winds up, the land falls away to the patchwork farms of the Golden Vale, with Clonmel, Cahir, Ardfinnan, Clogheen, Ballyporeen and even the Rock of Cashel picked out on a clear day. It’s a natural threshold between mountain and lowland, and a favourite pull-in for photographers.
History & Memorials
Long before it was a scenic drive, the gap was a working crossing for herders and traders moving livestock between Tipperary’s farmland and Waterford’s eastern valleys. The engineered road came out of the worst years of the Famine, built as relief work in 1847, and a signed Famine graveyard sits just outside Clogheen on the Lismore road.
A lone grave, a lake witch, and Johnny Cash
The summit carries some weight. A short walk from the road, the grave of Samuel Grubb (d. 1921), known locally as Grubb’s Monument, stands in a beehive cairn on the slope of Sugarloaf Hill. Grubb, a Quaker landowner from Castle Grace, asked to be buried upright so he could keep looking out over his estates in the valley below, and that is how he lies. Bay Lough beneath the hairpin has its own resident: the ghost of Petticoat Loose, a story we tell in full on the Bay Lough page. There’s lighter lore too: the American country star Johnny Cash is said to have driven over the Vee in 1959 and left inspired to write a song about the greens of the Irish countryside. During the War of Independence and the Civil War, the remoteness of the Knockmealdowns gave cover to volunteers, and the hills around the pass saw occasional skirmishes.
The Rhododendron Bloom
The Vee is known for the rhododendrons that wash colour across the slopes in late May and early June. They aren’t native – rhododendron is an invasive species that ecologists work to control – but for a few weeks the hillsides turn magenta, purple and pink against the green of the valley below. The exact timing shifts year to year with the weather: a cold, wet spring pushes the bloom back, while strong winds can strip it early. Autumn brings quieter ambers and russets to the surrounding woods, and winter can dust the tops with snow, though the road stays open year-round.
Cycling, Walking & Motorbiking
The Vee is a well-known climb for cyclists and motorcyclists, prized for its sustained gradients, sweeping curves and the reward at the top. From Clogheen it’s about 8 km of climbing at a steady 3–4 per cent; the Waterford approach is a little shorter and slightly sharper. It’s a solid effort either way – be ready for steep pitches, sudden fog, and a narrow road shared with walkers and slow-moving traffic.
Trails & Forest Walks
On foot, the pass is a gateway to a network of trails. Short walks lead off the roadside, and longer hikes climb toward Sugar Loaf Hill, Knockshanahullion and the ground above Bay Lough. The Vee Gap is also the start of the Tipperary Heritage Way, a 56 km waymarked trail that runs north to Cashel. KnockmealdownActive publishes maps and route notes for the area.
Practical Information
The Vee Pass is free to access and open year-round. Designated parking bays at the summit viewpoint let you stop safely without blocking the narrow mountain road – though the lay-bys are small and sit on sharp bends, so pull in fully and take care crossing to the viewpoints. The Loc8 code YYR-77-PP9 gives precise positioning for navigation devices.
- Best time to visit: Late spring for the rhododendron colour, though the timing varies with the weather. Early mornings or late afternoons give softer light for photography and lighter traffic.
- Road conditions: The R668 is well-maintained but has steep gradients and sharp bends. Wet or icy weather cuts visibility and traction; allow extra time and drive with care.
- Nearby stops: The drive pairs easily with the Cistercian Mount Melleray Abbey, the town of Cappoquin, or a riverside walk in Lismore. Heading back toward Tipperary, the medieval Cahir Castle and the River Suir angling trails are a short distance away. On the Tipperary slopes near Goatenbridge, a round-tower memorial marks where Liam Lynch, the anti-Treaty IRA commander, was fatally wounded in these hills in April 1923.
- Facilities: There are no shops or fuel on the pass itself. Stock up on water and snacks in Clogheen, Cahir or Lismore before setting out.
Park at the summit lay-by, walk the few minutes up to Grubb’s Monument for the best of the view, and give way to the cyclists grinding up the final bend – they’ve earned it.