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Iveragh NW Area , N: Knocknadobar Subarea
Feature count in area: 18, all in Kerry, OSI/LPS Maps: 83, 84
Highest Place: Knocknadobar 690m

Starting Places (15) in area Iveragh NW:
Cahernaman, Cahersiveen, Cnoc na dTobar Pilgrims Path, Coonanna Harbour, Cooncrome Harbour, Coosatemple Cove, Coulagh Bridge Road, unuseableCúm an Easpaig, Ducalla, Killurly SW, Kimego Forest E, Puffin Island, Roads Lough, Tetrapod CP, Villa Nuovo

Summits & other features in area Iveragh NW:
Cen: Cahirsiveen: Beenduff 479m, Beentee 376m, Foilclogh 497m
N: Castlequin: Castlequin 361m
N: Killelan: Killelan Mountain 275m
N: Knocknadobar: Kells Mountain 633m, Kells Mountain East Top 612m, Knocknadobar 690m, Knocknadobar North Top 602m
SW: Ballinskelligs: Bolus 410m, Killurly 331m
SW: Portmagee: Formaoil 206m, Knocknaskereighta 395m, Puffin Island 159m
SW: Skelligs: Skellig Rock Little 131m, Skellig Michael 217m
SW: Valentia: Bray Head 239m, Geokaun (Valentia Island) 266m

Note: this list of places may include island features such as summits, but not islands as such.
Rating graphic.
Knocknadobar, 690m Mountain Cnoc na dTobar A name in Irish,
Place Rating ..
(Ir. Cnoc na dTobar [OSI], 'hill of the wells'), Kerry County in Munster province, in Arderin, Vandeleur-Lynam, Irish Highest Hundred Lists, Knocknadobar is the highest mountain in the Iveragh NW area and the 128th highest in Ireland.
Grid Reference V50648 84513, OS 1:50k mapsheet 83
Place visited by: 238 members, recently by: Ansarlodge, Padraigin, bowler, Jai-mckinney, rosduke, patman1974, garybuz, Paddym99, farmerjoe1, Aidan_Ennis, discovering_dann, knightsonhikes, maryblewitt, Marykerry, RosieMc
I visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member for this.)
Longitude: -10.175084, Latitude: 51.993055, Easting: 50648, Northing: 84513, Prominence: 565m,  Isolation: 1.1km, Has trig pillar
ITM: 450631 584569
Bedrock type: Purple sandstone & siltstone, (Ballinskelligs Sandstone Formation)
Notes on name: Knocknadobar is a hill of pilgrimage. The stations of the cross were erected by Canon Brosnan in 1855. One of the wells referred to in the name is St. Fursey's Well, located at the foot of the mountain, near the start of the pilgrimage route to the summit. It is visited for a cure for eye complaints. See Máire MacNeill, 'The Festival of Lughnasa' (pp. 137-39) for details of the mountain pilgrimage.
  Short or GPS IDs, 6 char: Kncknd, 10 char: Knckndbr

Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/123/
Gallery for Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar) and surrounds
Summary for Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar): High, bulky coastal peak with commanding views from its grassy summit
Summary created by markmjcampion, Colin Murphy 14 Sep, 2023
            MountainViews.ie picture about Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)
Picture: The summit area
Knocknadobar, adjacent to the Ring of Kerry and near Cahersiveen has a well-known pilgrim trail to the S and is noted for its views of Iveragh, various islands and Corca Dhuibhne. There are no obvius dangers in the vicinity although the terrain to the SE of the summit is quite steep.

SW. Park at CnocTobar (V48095 82957) or root around for a free alternative. The sign-posted pilgrims' path starts here - it's long and twisty and not the easiest track to follow in places and can be rough. It continues to the summit area which is marked by a couple of large crosses. The high point is a few hundred metres to the east of the main cross, marked by a trig pillar surrounded by stones....for those wishing to avoid this path, an alternative is to strike E soon after having passed farming country to pick up the well-defined SW ridge which will give a more direct descent. Both routes are around 4k and should take circa 2 hrs. If returning the same way, be sure to head first to A (V51205 84757) for a fine view of Glendalough Lake.

NE. There is parking for 3-4 cars in a lay-by at Roads Lgh (V53025 87288). Follow an indistinct path for about 200m to a fence corner marked by a 'yellow man' post. Follow the obvious track which heads steadily uphill to the col over Glendalough lakes at B (V52009 85016). Head roughly SW steeply to reach a cairn at C (V51189 84719). The trig point is 50m higher and approx 600m further. Allow 2hrs+

Track/3625 is an 18k loop that takes in 4 peaks and finishes in a 4k road walk. Track/936 is a linear route taking in 3 peaks...add 2k to include K Nth Top. Track/2345 is also noteworthy from the N.
Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/4883/
Member Comments for Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)

Approach from the North
by liz50 16 Feb 2016
Leave the N72 Ring of Kerry road between Kilorglin and Cahersiveen and head towards Kells Bay. Pass the sign for the beach and where the road forks take the higher road. There is parking for 3-4 cars in a layby at Roads Lgh (V53025 87288).
Walk back along the road for approx 300m where you will see a stile at D (V53349 87382). Follow an indistinct path for about 200m to a fence corner marked by a 'yellow man' post. Follow the obvious track which makes it way steadily uphill to the col overlooking Glendalough lakes at B (V52009 85016). There are fine views over to the Dingle peninsula. At the col head roughly SW steeply to reach a cairn at C (V51189 84719). The trig point is approx 600m further on with another 50m of ascent. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/18438/
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            MountainViews.ie picture about Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)
Picture: Top of Knocknadobar
Great views
by Wilderness 27 Feb 2017
You can park your car on the west side of Knocknadobar either at Coonanna Harbour or the Pilgrims car park. I started my climb up Knocknadobar North Top from the harbour. The beginning of the climb is a little tricky as you have a few fences to climb over but overall a good challenging climb with amazing views. I came down the Pilgrims route expecting it to be a quick descent, but it turned out to be longer and twistier than I thought. At the top I got some of the best views I've ever seen. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/18852/
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            MountainViews.ie picture about Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)
Picture: Glendalough Lake from the Knocknadober "arête".
osullivanm on Knocknadobar
by osullivanm 14 Aug 2005
Knocknadober, nestling on the very west of the Iveragh Peninsula offers the possibility of some very pleasant walking plus magnificent views (weather permitting). One approach is to follow the N70, cross Darby's Bridge and start from the coast road at approx. E (V525 875). There is a fairly gentle ascent up the valley to the Glendalough Lakes then veering westwards to the ridge for Knocknadober. Being a committed "500M bagger " a quick twirl to include Knocknadober North Top (point 602) was included before ascending Knocknadober itself. Somewhat unexpectedly, there was a steep descent from Knocknadober to the ridge leading to Kells Mountain (must read the map more carefully in future) which Seán O'Suilleabháin describes as an "arête" in his book "Walk Guide - Southwest of Ireland". Whatever the description, reasonable care is required in making the descent but it is well worth the effort as it affords spectacular views of the Glendalough Lakes and the Dingle Peninsula beyond. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/1885/
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            MountainViews.ie picture about Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)
conorobyrne on Knocknadobar
by conorobyrne 2 Jun 2004
This is my favourite walk in Ireland (I have done it several times, mostly in summer).
On a fine day the views from the summit are second to none. To the NW you can see
the Blasket Islands. To the SW you look across over Caherciveen and Valentia Island
to the Skelligs. To the E you can see the Carrantuohill range. Also fantastic views
of the coastline of the Iveragh peninsula itself (see picture below, taken from the north top).

The walk itself is not too taxing - it can easily be done in less than 4 hours. There
is a track going up the SW ridge which follows stations of the cross all the way to the summit
(this sounds awful but it doesn't spoil the walk too much). If you are feeling like a bit more
walking you can walk to the next summit to the east, Kells mountain (I haven't done this but
my guess is that it would add about 2 hours onto your walk). If not then follow the
ridge around to the north and then decend the NW ridge. The NW ridge doesn't have a
marked track on it so the decent is through some rough heather but it is not difficult.

This ridge brings you down to the pier at Coonana harbour. If the tide is in this is
fantastic place for a swim to round the day off!

Note: Be careful to stick to the path on the SW ridge - we had an unpleasant encounter with a
South Kerry farmer (not generally known for their love of hillwalkers!) on one occasion
when we tried crossing a field to access this ridge. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/982/
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            MountainViews.ie picture about Knocknadobar (Cnoc na dTobar)
simon3 on Knocknadobar
by simon3 12 Dec 2004
Richard Mersey [The Hills of Cork & Kerry] like other guidebook writers mentions the fourteen “Stations of the Cross” (places for prayer, with white crosses) which start from the road to Cloonana and lead up nearly to a cross near the top of Knocknadobar. He had some difficulty finding them and says somewhat tongue in cheek “The crosses were positioned to give the worst possible ascent – as an additional penance, presumably.”

This terrain simulation shows the relationship of the main summits around this area. Note that you are looking approximately East in this view. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/123/comment/1362/
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(Various variations used.)
British summit data courtesy:
Database of British & Irish Hills