Cookies. This website uses cookies, which are small text files that the website puts on your computer to facilitate operation. Cookies help us provide a better service to you. They are used to track general user traffic information and to help the website function properly.

Click to hide this notice for 30 days.
Welcome to MountainViews
If you want to use the website often please enrol (quick and free) at top right.
Overview
Detail
Zoom: ??
For more map options click on any overview map area or any detail map feature.
Detail Map Features
Showing 3 items:
Cuilcagh 666m, Benbeg 539m,
Tracks:
3180, 5km
Find Suggested Walks
Find hill, mountain, island, coastal feature.
Videos

Recent Contributions
Get Notifications

Glan Mountain: A Glan rocker......

Sea Hill: Surprisingly good sea views from this hill

Beenbane: Borreen to heaven

Kilcommon from the west

Carrigshouk: Lovely loop

Slieve Fyagh: Gaitor day out

Easy walk, with nice views towards Eagle Island

Bweengduff: The Shiddy Way?

Bweengduff: A good forest road to access this summit

Typical wet North Mayo Coastal Hill

Seefin East Top: An easy bog trot.

Seefin: An easy road with distant balcony views but nearby clutter

Conditions and Info
Use of MountainViews is governed by conditions and a privacy policy.
Read general information about the site.
Opinions in material here are not necessarily endorsed by MountainViews.
Hillwalking is a risk sport. Information in comments, walks, shared GPS tracks or about starting places may not be accurate for example as regards safety or access permission. You are responsible for your safety and your permission to walk.
See the credits and list definitions.
Video display
Breifne Area   N: Cuilcagh Mountains Subarea
Place count in area: 14, OSI/LPS Maps: 26, 27, 27A 
Highest place:
Cuilcagh, 666m
Maximum height for area: 666 metres,     Maximum prominence for area: 570 metres,

Note: this list of places includes island features such as summits, but not islands as such.
Rating graphic.
Cuilcagh Mountain Binn Chuilceach A name in Irish (Ir. Binn Chuilceach [DUPN], 'chalky peak') County Highpoint of Cavan & Fermanagh and in Cavan/ Fermanagh Counties in NI and in Ulster Province, in County Highpoint, Arderin, Vandeleur-Lynam, Irish Highest Hundred Lists, Cyclothemic sandstone, siltstone, coal Bedrock

Height: 666m OS 1:50k Mapsheet: 26 Grid Reference: H12356 28017
Place visited by 531 members. Recently by: 40Shades, GerSomers, Madles, Sperrinwalker, endab1987, mrfleetfoot, leetelefson, jimmel567, agnieszka.s11, Cecil1976, Alanjm, owen, ryanguinness10, Solliden, Barrington1978
I have visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.)

Longitude: -7.811428, Latitude: 54.201026 , Easting: 212356, Northing: 328017 Prominence: 570m,  Isolation: 2.6km,   Has trig pillar
ITM: 612303 828028,   GPS IDs, 6 char: Clcgh, 10 char: Cuilcagh
Bedrock type: Cyclothemic sandstone, siltstone, coal, (Lackagh Sandstone Formation)

Cuilcagh lies on the Shannon-Erne watershed. The Shannon rises on the north-western slopes of Cuilcagh at Shannon Pot, a steep-sided pool where the underground river emerges. Strictly speaking, there are streams a mile or two further uphill. Originating in Ulster, the Shannon’s journey through this province lasts less than ten miles, before it enters Connacht. It forms the boundary between Connacht and Leinster for much of its length, and ultimately meets the sea in the province of Munster. Thus it is both a boundary and a link between all four provinces of Ireland. In fact, it even formed the western boundary of the ancient fifth province of Meath. Around Cuilcagh there is a belief concerning the ‘Northern Shannon’, an underground river that supposedly connects the waters at Shannon Pot to the River Claddagh, which emerges at Marble Arch Caves and then flows into the Erne. If Cuilceach genuinely is a variant of cailceach, 'chalky', the name is rather puzzling, as the mountain consists predominantly of sandstone and shale, covered with much bog and heather. Where the rock does outcrop, as at the summit cliffs, it is mainly grey. However, it is possible that the name refers to the limestone rock on the lower northern flanks. Here a number of streams disappear below ground at swallow holes named Cats Hole, Pollawaddy, Pollasumera and Polliniska, all forming part of the Marble Arch cave system. If so, the name would mean 'calcareous' rather than 'chalky'.   Cuilcagh is the highest mountain in the Breifne area and the 169th highest in Ireland. Cuilcagh is the highest point in county Cavan and also the highest in Fermanagh.

Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/165/
COMMENTS for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach) 1 2 3 4 5 .. 7 Next page >>  
Follow this place's comments
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Cuilcagh (<i>Binn Chuilceach</i>) in area Breifne, Ireland
Picture: Cuilcagh from the ridge to Benbeg
 
The Roof of the Border
Short Summary created by Peter Walker  10 Dec 2019
Cuilcagh is a huge sprawling mountain of genuine geographical significance: it is the highest point on the border as well as the highest point in both Cavan and Fermanagh, and the source of the mighty Shannon lies on its slopes. It presents a conspicuous roof-like appearance from the north-east and south-west, and while much of its area is blanket bog and tough moorland, the mountain's edges are often starkly scarped.

There are various (and variable, of which more later) routes to the top. A good way is to traverse the lesser Arderin of Benbeg from the south: leave the road through the Bellavally Gap at H11960 24491 starA (decent parking a short distance west), follow the access track to the transmitter just below Benbeg's summit, pass the enclosure on its right before a short climb leads up to the ridge, from where the majestic east-facing scarp is followed on intermittent paths (and considerable muck) to the top of Cuilcagh with its trig column and huge tumulus.

A rougher way can be made from the Gortlughany Viewpoint car park (H16770 30037 starB), following the markers for the Ulster Way over much boggy ground. Another route comes in from H079280 starC at the townland of Eshveagh on the western side, passing the cliffs of Tiltinbane which are the highest source of the Shannon.

If the presence of crowds is desired, then the mountain can be visited using the Legnabrocky Trail, a gravel track that gives way to an obvious boardwalked section higher up. The rationale behind the boardwalk is to protect the blanket bog it crosses, but it remains deeply controversial due to its environmental impact (both visually and in terms of a footfall that has increased twentyfold since its opening). It should also be noted that the boardwalk ends a fair distance from the summit, and that access beyond the viewing area at its top is strongly discouraged owing to the erosion and littering that has taken place.

Surrounded by lowlands and with considerable isolation from higher ground, the views from Cuilcagh are incredibly extensive. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/165/comment/4925/
 
North and South: Geopark odyssey .. by kernowclimber   (Show all for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach))
 
Climbed 5.6.04 starting at Cuilagh Mountain Park .. by gerrym   (Show all for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach))
 
One of the finest walks on Cuilcagh is from the .. by Absalon   (Show all for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach))
 
Cuilcagh is sulky. Set amid a demented geology of .. by Bleck Cra   (Show all for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach))
 
Mountain Walking Route (from Marble Arch) Closed .. by murraynolan   (Show all for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach))
 
COMMENTS for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach) 1 2 3 4 5 .. 7 Next page >>
(End of comment section for Cuilcagh (Binn Chuilceach).)

OSi logo OSNI/LPS logo
Some mapping:
Open Street Map
(Various variations used.)
British summit data courtesy:
Database of British & Irish Hills
(Creative Commons Licence)
MountainViews.ie, a Hill-walking Website for the island of Ireland. 2300 Summiteers, 1460 Contributors, Newsletter since 2007