Birreencorragh West Top is an unremarkable peak one km west of the main peak and only a short detour from the main circuit of the Glendorragha Valley. It has spectacular views of the north west face of Birreencoreragh.

It will normally be climbed from the south and in conjunction with the main peak. The best approaches are from the Coillte forest at the mouth of the valley. There are parking places here, at G042 027 A A and G035 024 B B, a good way along forest tracks from the road. From the second of these spaces head north up a grassy rise towards sh336, west to Birreencorragh South Top and north to West Top, contouring around Birreencorragh itself.. It should take under 1.5hours to the top.

The obvious option from here is to tackle the main summit and then the ridge curving from north to south east around the valley and reaching Knockaffertagh. From here a descent to the valley floor and a return to the car using forest tracks is possible. Be careful of the descent off Knockaffertagh; it may be better to head east from the summit and contour over gentler ground than to tackle the steep ground directly south. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/357/comment/5116/

The NW ridge is only a short detour off the route around the Glenlar - Birreencorragh - Knockaffertagh horse shoe. It took me 10 mins to reach the top but it was definitely worth it to get another perspective on Birreencorragh, with its impressively long and scree covered N ridge sweeping down into the dividing river valley. The NW ridge continues down towards Letterkeen Wood and I suppose could be used as a different access point for the climb - it did look impressive from the valley to the W the next day when I was climbing Buckoogh. The view from here is also captivating - from the big hills of Connemara across a sun dappled Clew Bay to the rugged peaks of the rest of the Nephin Begs and N across the lowlands to the N Mayo coast. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/357/comment/1964/

From Birreencorragh South Top (see for first part of Horseshoe walk) it is a relatively easy walk to its sister summit. Dropping down from the South-Top onto Spot Ht 539 IG02398 03694 you proceed onwards to the col dividing the main summit from the West Top (now a short distance directly North) and the spur dropping down to Mount Eagle to the west. The West top is (as gerrym suggests) just a short distance away necessitating a short drop to a narrow saddle IG01651 04811 and then an equally short climb to a featureless grassy domed top. The views, however, into the main Nephin Beg range to the west/north-west, north towards the Ox Mountains and across a beautiful narrow secluded valley to the main summit are anything but plain. Picture shows view north over Bullaunmore towards the Ox Mountains in the distance, from Bireencorragh West Top. Having taken the mandatory GPS reading and a few photographs I retraced my steps to the narrow saddle with a view to making my way onwards to Birreencorragh's main top. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/357/comment/2855/

A view of Birreencorragh's West Top from the Glenlara - Birreencorragh ridge, showing the long shoulder down from Birreencorragh proper on the right. Linkback: https://mountainviews.ie/summit/357/comment/1253/