Western approach to the heart of the Galtees

Visited July 2024. I decided to park at the community centre in Anglesborough, where there is plenty of parking, and some very informative boards telling the story of the importance of this area - and the volunteeers involved - in the Irish War of Independence.
I walked N back up the quiet road, looking out for the waymarked post and a gate on the right, leading up to a woodland walk. It's to be noted that after a while there is a sturdy metal stile inviting the walker to cross into an adjacent field. I looked over and there were no indications of a path, only some cattle further up the field. However, a sign which had been attached stated that the stile led only to private property, so I don't know what the story is. In any case, it seems that this stile should be ignored, as I followed the track and this led shortly to a point where the forestry track meets a fence with a stile giving access to the field and the approach to Temple Hill, clearly visible ahead. The climb is straightforward to the summit, approached finally from a slightly E direction. I spotted the thoughtfully provided visitor book in its metal casing and made a short and unprofound comment for posterity, with my name and place of origin! It was good to see that it has been regularly used by walkers.
After a photo stop, I dropped steeply down to the col (a depressing 800 feet/243 mtrs or so....to be repeated on the way back) and found a fair amount of deep peat hags to negotiate before the climb back up to my second top of Lyracappul.
From there it was brief hop over to Slievecushnabinnia, following the well-made wall marking the county border, and then all the way back to Temple Hill. This time with the detour to take in Knockaterrif Beg with its cross and memorial, and Knockaterriff just beyond.
The drop down to the col seemed to offer little option other than hitting the peat hags again, but I found that bearing as far left (WSW) as possible before losing too much elevation, the route was a little kinder and less hag-filled than on the outward journey.
However, the final pull up to Temple Hill is unavoidable, and a grind at the end of a few hours. So I would advise to keep plenty of water and some sustenance to top up for this final stretch. I returned the way I came at the end of a full and satisfying day in the Galtees. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/54/comment/24248/

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john_desmond on Temple Hill

Temple Hill is the most Westerly of the Galtee mtns. The picture shows to route off Temple Hill and on to Lyracappul. Be careful not to take the direct route. Keep on the high ground to the right to avoid some ravines. Not dangerous but you can lose a lot of height quickly. If it is misty, you might want to try going straight to Knockaterriff Beg (small 2 ft high metal post on its summit) and then onwards to Lyracappul. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/54/comment/1633/

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Log your visit!

Climbed Temple Hill for the first time on Sunday 10.10.10 during a week-end walking in the Galtees. The walk was part of a circuit which also included Knockaterrif Beg, Lyracappul,Carrignabinnia and Monabrack (also climbed for the first time). Unfortunately the low mist experienced the previous day on a horseshoe walk around Glen Cush still persisted. We parked at C (R86800 19700) and having walked N along the access road for about 400m we followed a track going off to the left E (R86900 19900). This led along and then down through thick woodland, past an old ruined farm house and then SW, through three small fields, to a track F (R86100 19900) where we turned right (N) and followed it along to cross a bridge. We then walked in a westerly direction for about 1km, with the Pidgeonrock River on the left, before swinging N, still along the river, into the Pidgeonrock Glen. About 600m along G (R84500 21000) we crossed the river and headed steeply up to gain the crest of the Temple Hill ridge. Now in mist we headed NNW along the moorland top following a bearing for the summit some 900m further away. By chance (later rather than sooner!) we came across a good track heading for the summit, but not marked on our map, which eased our dreary trudge. This led to a large stony area which we crossed to the summit cairn and Trig Pillar H (R83335 21830). Here we had ample room to settle in, out of the wind, for a short break. While on the summit we came across something unusual on an Irish hill, a piece of wood sticking up from a small pile of rocks with the the words "Sign Book" written on it (see photo). Under the rocks we found a tin box containing a book in which to write your name and date of climbing the mountain. We duly obliged and carefully replaced the tin for the next walker(s). From the top we headed down E with a touch of N to the coll I (R83900 22000) before climbing Knockaterrif Beg the next hill on our circuit. Had we wished to return to the start we could have headed S down the Pidgeonrock Glen to pick up our approach route to Temple Hill. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/54/comment/6409/

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jackill on Temple Hill

Climbed 22/02/04 - start woodland track ComBan Wd (R819 185) to track straight up side of hill at J (R833 202) - sharp turn left on track towards Temple Hill - the track goes further than shown on the map,when you run out of track a bearing of due north (useful in fog) will get you to the summit after approx 500 mtrs across a field of small rounded rocks - return by same route - 4 hrs & 12.5 kms
The photo was taken from the cairn on top of Temple hill (good shelter) with Galtys from Lyracappul on the left to Greenane on the right Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/54/comment/1056/

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Looking forward to the walk.

This picture was taken in 1998 during one of the Galty Walks from the summit of Temple Hill. The pointy hill left of centre on the skyline is Lyracappul, while the ground rising towards Lyracappul on the right are the Knockaterrifs, which is an area I can guarantee that you will rarely meet anyone on. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/54/comment/1368/

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