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.
A small change needed. The page you went to with a url that has mountainviews.ie/mv/index.php is now superceded by the url at the top. Use this new form of url in future. Change any shortcuts or bookmarks you may have for the old format.
Overview
Detail
Zoom: ??
For more map options click on any overview map area or any detail map feature.
Find Suggested Walks
Find hill, mountain, island, coastal feature.
Videos


Recent Contributions
Get Notifications

Meall nan Eun: Gentle slopes lead to this Munro

The mighty Slioch (The Spear)

Tinahely Hill: View from the North East.

Stob Coir'an Albannaich: A fine cliff top Summit in Glen Etive

A very tough outing in Glen Etive

Glas Bheinn Mhor: One of Glen Etive's finest

Met Eireann launches 10-day mountain forecast

Beinn nan Aighenan: Glen Etive's secretive mountain.

Esknabrock: Short and fairly sweet

Access via rocky trail

Esknabrock: Have you got an hour?

Knockalla: Anticlockwise loop walk.

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
Twelve Bens Area   N: Doughruagh Subarea
Rating graphic.
Garraun Mountain Maolchnoc A name in Irish (Ir. Maolchnoc [TR], 'bald hill') Galway County in Connacht Province, in Arderin List, Schists, grits, metavolcanics, mylonitic Bedrock

Height: 598m OS 1:50k Mapsheet: 37 Grid Reference: L76708 61036
Place visited by 156 members. Recently by: jimmel567, ahogan, elizauna, annem, pcoleman, derekfanning, Superterence, fingalscave, abcd, peter1, JoHeaney, upper, chrismcgivney, pcost, Joshua3
I have visited this place: NO (You need to be a logged-in member to change this.)

Longitude: -9.862585, Latitude: 53.584858 , Easting: 76708, Northing: 261036 Prominence: 553m,  Isolation: 0.6km
ITM: 476676 761056,   GPS IDs, 6 char: Garaun, 10 char: Garraun
Bedrock type: Schists, grits, metavolcanics, mylonitic, (Ben Levy Grit Formation)

Locally only the name Maolchnoc is used according to Tim Robinson, while the anglicised name Garraun marked on OS maps is no longer in use. There are several other hills in the area where the same discrepancy can be observed: Binn Fraoigh/Altnagaighera, Letter Hill/Tully Mountain. Garraun is clearly also a name of Irish origin. It may either be from Ir. garrán, 'grove', or, more likely, from Ir. géarán, 'fang'. The summit is flattish, but the eastern ridge leading to it is sharp enough to have deserved this name. If this suggestion is correct, the anomaly of two different Irish names for the peak is only an apparent problem, not a real one. The name Maolchnoc would aptly describe the rounded summit, while An Géarán would denote the sharp ridge descending to Lough Fee. Walks: see Paddy Dillon, Connemara, for routes approaching from the SE (45-50) and the NW (51-56).   Garraun is the 294th highest place in Ireland.

Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/
COMMENTS for Garraun (Maolchnoc) 1 2 Next page >>  
Follow this place's comments
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Garraun (<i>Maolchnoc</i>) in area Twelve Bens, Ireland
Picture: pic:fkaatje - Garraun false top
 
Flat and Featureless Summit
Short Summary created by simon3, Onzy  29 Dec 2015
Garraun is situated in the less-visited northern half of the Twelve Bens, separated from the more prominent hills by the N59. A flat and featureless summit with two small cairns. It is unlikely to be climbed by itself but will more usually be combined with either or both of Benchoona and Garraun South Top.

There are a number of obvious routes; perhaps the most straight-forward way is from parking on the road at the southern end of Lough Fee (L804 596 starA) and heading north along a farm track skirting the western side of the lake. Just before the only inhabited house, head west, over a number of false tops to the summit.

A more challenging route begins from the northern end of Lough Fee (L780 621 starB), and ascends the eastern spur of Benchoona before heading south to Garruan itself. This route is best left for a dry day with good visibility. It is also better for ascent than descent.

Garraun can also be reached from Lettergesh to the northwest ascending over Benchoona to the summit. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/5041/
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Garraun (<i>Maolchnoc</i>) in area Twelve Bens, Ireland
Picture: Garraun ridge and Mweelrea
Brendan777 on Garraun, 2007
by Brendan777  24 Sep 2007
I climbed Garraun on 8th September 2007 using the ridge leading up from Lough Fee. It was a gloriously sunny day and the views in all directions were outstanding. There are a couple of false summits on this ascent which can be a bit disheartening if you aren't expecting them. As has been said before, the actual summit is a bit featureless but the beauty and solitude make this part of the Northern Bens well worth a visit. See the attached photo, taken from the southern side of the Lecknavarna valley which shows the ridge, with majestic Mweelrea in the top left background. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2827/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Garraun (<i>Maolchnoc</i>) in area Twelve Bens, Ireland
Picture: Eastern ridge to L Fee
 
gerrym on Garraun, 2008
by gerrym  2 Mar 2008
Approached from L Fee, first climbing up the steep grassy ridge to the summit of Benchoona. This is a varied and sizable top with a number of small loughs and cairns - in stark contrast with the top of Garraun which is non descript. There is a drop down to the SE to the col containing another small lough. There is a short climb to the summit of Garraun with its two small cairns a short distance apart. The only saving grace in the contrast with Benchoona are the views which open up even further. There are endless swathes of nothingness in the low ground beween the high mountains in every direction. The vista takes in the Bens, Partrys, Bengorm, Sheffreys and Mweelra with the Bens having the strongest magnetism.
Descent was by the E ridge which drops down steeply. I dropped off onto the steep grassy ground heading down to L Fee, heading for an isolated house on the shore and followed a wall skirting around to the track leading to the car. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2982/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Garraun (<i>Maolchnoc</i>) in area Twelve Bens, Ireland
CaptainVertigo on Garraun, 2006
by CaptainVertigo  6 Dec 2006
The so-called Northern Bens offer excellent returns for relatively little effort. In August 2006 my teenage sons and I followed the route suggested in WWI No.72 which involved parking near Creeragh Church on the Letterfrack to Leenane road (L802594 starC), and walking along a boreen which runs roughly parallel to the south western shore of Lough Fee. Circa L795605 starD, almost in front of a lonely but very much inhabited cottage turn left (westerly) and ascend the long spur that narrows as it heads for Garraun (598 m). It was a short hop across to Ben Choona and then back across Garraun to Binn Fhraoigh (of which more anon). Perhaps the most rewarding viewpoint was at the spot height marked 556 on Harvey's Map. During our time on the summits we saw the Renvyle peninsula with Tully Mountain to the west (and on to Inisbofin); Mweelrea and Killary to the north; to the east Lough Fee and the stately Turks; to the south Kylemore lake and the Twelve Bens. We descended another long spur (to the south of Lecknavarna river): the photo shows the great canvas of the northern Inagh Valley , bounded by the Turks and the Twelve Bens. When the Navan Trekkers arrived in Tully Cross for our October Weekend it was decided to repeat the route with all grades participating. Although the morning was wet the day cleared in time for the descent, and I was once again treated to the view in the photo. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/2572/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
MountainViews.ie Picture about mountain Garraun (<i>Maolchnoc</i>) in area Twelve Bens, Ireland
 
simon3 on Garraun, 2003
by simon3  26 Dec 2003
Garraun is roughly as exciting as Lemnaheltia. Which is to say that it is flattish and featureless. The photo shows the two small cairns on the summit. An easy way to get to Garraun is via a distinctive spur that stretches from the summit to the east. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/778/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
Christmas Climb
by maurice12  28 Dec 2015
Climbed Garraun on 27/12/'15. We parked between the two churches on the Leenane to Lettertfrack road as described by WWI and Captain Vertigo in a related post. The house at the end of the farm road is now uninhabited but the people who lived there were remembered in Gaynors bar in Leenane. There is a small gate just before the old cottage which give access to the mountain but the way across the nearby stream is being taken over by Rhododendron and will become impassable eventually. There is a second gate leading onto the spur after the stream and from here it is relatively easy climbing to the summit. We walked in fog for most of the walk over 1000ft and we noticed small steaks have been driven into the ground to mark the trail to the summit and beyond. While I'm not a fan of these, they may be useful to somebody with less navigational experience. We got a viewing window of a bout 15 mins at the top and Inis na Bo Finne , Inis Toirc and the Bens came in to view which were spectacular in the clear winter air. We did a circuit of the aforementioned stream Leicnabhearna and descended the spur south of Binn Fhraoigh.(Heathery Top). The open ground between the spur and the church was heavy going and put a slight dampener on the day. The views from the top although absent on the day are worth the trip. Bain taitneamh as, Maurice Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/281/comment/18409/
Your Score: Very useful <<  >>Average
 
COMMENTS for Garraun (Maolchnoc) 1 2 Next page >>
(End of comment section for Garraun (Maolchnoc).)

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