MountainViews: Info on Camlough Mountain Sliabh gCuircín (423m) in area Cooley/Gullion

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Cooley/Gullion Area Slieve Gullion Subarea

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Maximum height for area: 589 metres

Summits in area: 13

OS Map(s): 28, 29, 35 for all tops

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Camlough Mountain Hill	Armagh County
Sliabh gCuircín A name in Irish	(Language)
(poss. Ir. Sliabh gCuircín [PDT], 'mountain of the (cock's) comb')
Height: 423 metres	OS 1/50k Mapsheet: 29 for top
Grid Ref: J04951 25301	Latitude: 54.166011 Longitude: -6.393921
ITM: 704877 825306	Prominence: 288m Isolation: 5.5km
Summit situated in the townland of Cross. Had an army base on the summit, dismantled around 2001. The second element of Slieve Girkin is suggestive of cuircín, 'crest' or 'comb', which would fit well with the crinkly appearance of the summit when Camlough Mountain is the 728th highest summit in Ireland. Camlough Mountain is the second most northerly summit in the Cooley/Gullion area. Camlough Mountain is the second highest point in county Armagh. Our data has reached 100% of the goal for this summit. (Details)

COMMENTS for Camlough Mountain

MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Camlough Mountain in area Cooley/Gullion, County Armagh, Ireland

Picture: Looking to the Mournes from the summit of Camlough Mountain Expand pics.

Army Dreamers

Short Summary created by Peter Walker 10 Nov 2012 Relatively recent history has liberated Camlough Mountain from the bonds of the military: some metallic paraphernalia remains high on its slopes but if one puts that aside it's a cracking little eminence set in splendid country.

Start from the minor road across the hill's southern flank at (054 239 (Point A)); a couple of cars can be cautiously slipped onto verges hereabouts. Follow the road (locked gate, so no vehicular access) leading straight into the forest: once under the leafy canopy it darts back and forth drunkenly in an attempt to mitigate the steepness of the slope. Just below the level of the conspicuous masts (at roughly (056 246 (Point B)) ) there is what looks like a large parking area on the left; at this point take a wide track also on the left that almost doubles back on the road. This soon bends round to meet the masts, and if you hug the right hand side of the first enclosure a track of sorts can be picked up heading towards the summit, clearly visible across a bit of a dip.

Said track is boggy and uneven and may well be lost if not followed diligently, but it should lead you to a final short pull through a ruined fence to the summit and its crowning cross. It is a magnificent viewpoint with the nearby masts a relatively minor eyesore when compared to Carlingford and Cam Loughs, Slieves Foye and Gullion, the Mournes, and the lowlands.

Point A: J054 239

Point B: J056 246

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Comment Rating (4.00)

Picture: Camlough Mt and Lake seen from Slieve Gullion Expand pics.

by tsunami 12 May 2007 Whilst being an enjoyable viewpoint on its own, Camlough can be combined with Slieve Gullion to make a very enjoyable days walk. Start at the Three Steps pub in Dromintee and take the road opposite for the Slieve Gullion Drive. Follow the drive against the flow of traffic and head for the top car park. From here you take the standard route up to the summit of Slieve Gullion as described on it's pages. Follow the ridge to Calliagh Beara's lough and the North Cairn before descending south easterly. The descent takes you down to St Monina's Well and down the track to Killeavey Old Church. From the church follow the road downhill for a bit and turn left at the crossroads. Along the Keggal road you get to take in the view along Camlough Lake. At the picnic site head right onto the steep slope of Camlough Mountain and simply head upwards. The first summit is Keggal Mountain and the summit of Camlough is straight ahead. The sunnit area is surrounded by a shallow gully (again showing why the army were so comfortable here).There are generally no access difficulties on the upper side of the mountain road so your descent should take you either side of the summit into the gully and around to face over Camlough village. Descend straight down keeping to the right of the obvious maintained land and onto the mountain road. take Gordon's Lane down the remainder into Camlough and call into Emmet Quinns for a well deserved drink. Not a walk which will appeal to the purists on this site due to some country road walking, but nonetheless an excellent and rewarding exploration of South Armagh with some stunning views.

(Comment Rating 4.58) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

Picture: Cooley Mtns from Camlough Expand pics.

Calm on Camlough

by gerrym 11 Sep 2010 Used the high forest entrance (054239 (Point A)) which has parking at side of road. The forest road certainly makes an impression running straight as a die with walls at either side, wondering if there is something more than the pine trees ahead. The communication masts are visible here, peeking out above the trees.

The forest shade was a welcome break from hot sunshine as i passed trees of honeysuckle. The road meanders up the hillside coming out into a large area of clearfell, where ripe blackberries had to be eaten as i looked over to Slieve Gullion. With height the Cooley Mtns, Carlingford Lough and Slieve Martin come into view.

Leaving the trees it is a short walk to the communication masts - one has an impressive five padlocks all in a row! The summit itself is now visible across a sea of mature heather, a discernable track heads off from behind the first comms station. A few maker posts show the way but it is heavy going and the track can be easily lost in the deep heather. A final steep pull brings the summit itself.

The summit has the remains of a large wooden cross. Views are impressive over Cam Lough to Slieve Gullion, the Cooleys ending impressivley with S Foye, the Mournes from Slieve Martin all the way to Slieve Donard, away N & W to Lough Neagh and the Sperrins, the Belfast and Antrim HIlls. More immediate civilisation brought the busy A1 and Newry but in reality it was a world away.

Return was exactly the same route, taking just over a hour of walking with a few stops added on. A quiet hill with plenty of interest and recent history and stunning views to reward the effort.

Point A: J054 239

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(Comment Rating 4.50) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

Picture: Craigmore Viaduct from Camlough Mountain Expand pics.

by tsunami 12 May 2007 This magnificent little mountain was off limits to walkers for nearly a quarter of a century until late 2006 when the British army vacated it's summit. The fact that the army spent so long encamped on the mountain is testament to the wonderful views it provides across the Newry valley into Co Down and across South Armagh. The lesser known name for the peak is actually Slieve Gherkin! It provides a similar yet totally different aspect to Slieve Gullion. At present it is a very worhwhile walk because the forest drive around it's southern side remains closed to traffic. It can therefore be a very peaceful if not terribly challenging day on it's slopes. I myself am from Bessbrook and have grown up with the view of this mountain engrained in my memory. For those of you who are not too proud to tackle the smaller hills - definitely come along and see what Camlough has to offer.

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Picture: Camlough Mountain seen from Newry Railway Station - ticket to adventure Expand pics.

by pdtempan 23 Feb 2009 Another Sunday adventure on NI Railways with a Tracker ticket saw us heading for Newry. A Tracker ticket allows you to go anywhere for just £5.50 - that is, as long as it's not anywhere further afield from Belfast than, say, Derry, Newry, Larne or Bangor. But don't knock it, so far we have managed Ballymena to Larne via Slemish, another outing to Agnew's Hill and Sallagh Braes, and have even made forays south of the border into the Cooley Mountains by taking our bikes on the train and continuing on foot to Carnavaddy and Clermont Carn. Last Sunday our objective was Camlough Mountain aka Newry Mountain, or Slieve Girkin if you prefer. Yes, Slieve Girkin must be right up there with Vinegar Hill (Fiodh na gCaor), Lemon Rock (Lomán) and Carrawaystick Brook (Ceathrú Istigh?) as one of the most ludicrous anglicisations ever of an Irish place-name, which you will either love or hate, depending on your point of view as a purist or one who delights in the sometimes absurd results of linguistic contact. Needless to say, Slieve Girkin has nothing to do with cucumbers of the pickled or unpickled variety. It seems as though it derives from Sliabh gCuircín, 'mountain of the crest/comb', though I've never come across a source to confirm the Irish form (not even Art MacCooey's poems). The first four-fifths of the climb were a cinch, as a road leads up to the old British army masts on the western brow, but the last fifth is not to be underestimated. Leaving the road at the nearest point (hairpin bend at J054250 (Point C)), we made a beeline for the summit, but it took us half an hour to walk the final 800m and gain the last 100m of height. Not enough time has elapsed since the demilitarisation for walkers to have been beaten much of a path through the bog, heather and moor-grass. However, the fabulous view along the length of Carlingford Lough made it worth while (the Mournes were mostly in cloud). We made our way back to the road, but looping further north, thus avoiding the worst of the bog and heather. An excellent afternoon's outing, but we will have to come again to discover the steeper western flanks and to walk along the banks of Cam Lough. I didn't see the expected rock feature resembling a cock's comb which seemingly gives the mountain its name Sliabh gCuircín, but maybe that too will be revealed by more thorough exploration.

Point C: J054 250

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(Comment Rating 3.57) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

Picture: Summit of Camlough, with telecom towers & Carlingford in the background Expand pics.

by csd 6 Jul 2009 I parked at J05415 23936 (Point D), the southern start of the forest road. This is still gated off, so as tsunami says, it's a peaceful walk up to the summit. I elected to visit the telecom masts by taking the gravel track left off the main road at the summit at J05584 24614 (Point E), near the car park marked on the OS map. From the telecom masts it's a fairly straightforward cross-country, heather tramp over to the summit of Camlough proper. I can only echo the other comments in that it's easy to see why the army chose this place to keep an eye on things: there are great 360-degree panoramas to be had.Up and down is an easy 5.6 km, so an hour and a half is plenty of time.

Point D: J05415 23936

Point E: J05584 24614

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(Comment Rating 3.50) Your Score: Very useful << >>Average

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