I came here from Croaghan Hill. I hadn't planned to but it's the second closest hill to home and it was almost on my way home. Not being prepared I simply used Aidy's directions. I went further along the road and parked at the gate below the second mast (H 28871 89818 A) This brought me to within 275m of the mapped coordinates.

I crossed the gate which is part of an old cattle pen and headed along the edge of the field. A second fence also needs crossed. This is high on a banking with a deep, dry ditch on the far side. The single strand barbed wire fence on the first side is electrified which I discovered by touching it. I decided it was prudent to duck under rather than step over!

The top of the hill is rounded with a number of small humps, one of which is the highest. About 15m from the coordinates is a rocky outcrop with the remains of a concrete structure. Possibly the remnants of an earlier version of the nearby communication masts?

The hill, ditch and banking gave a feeling of something more than a field and looking at the OS map at home I wasn't surprised to see it marked as a Rath.

This field is now very much a farmer's field and I felt very uncomfortable being here without permission. I was glad it was late on a Sunday evening in October and unlikely to encounter an angry landowner. I did scout an alternative approach using a forest entrance on the western side (H 28221 89611 B) but didn't have time to explore further especially with little space to park along that road. That gate isn't particularly friendly either with the top bar wrapped in barbed wire.

For such a small hill and short walk the views are tremendous with a particularly fine view of Croaghan where I was less than an hour ago. It's definitely worth a visit but maybe with permission to access I would have stayed and enjoyed the view for longer.

Full report and photos on my blog: https://idlecyclist.wordpress.com/2021/10/10/hike-croaghan-hill-and-fearns-hill/
.
. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/1247/comment/23303/