I approached Slievekirk from New Buildings on Wed 11 Aug 2010 by a number of minor roads after I had climbed Clondermot Hill. I parked at
A (C45051 07676) on the minor road which runs W to E immediately S of the summit. There is room for one car without blocking the laneway. I walked E along the road for some 150 metres to a gate on the left and crossed over. Keeping the fence to my right I went up the field to another gate and the start of a somewhat overgrown, but very passable, track and certainly preferable to knee high heather on either side of it. This track led up to a wooden gate
B (C45203 07922) and into a field. Once over the gate I went diagonally up the field to a fourth and final gate and the start of a track
C (C45177 08063) which led me up towards the summit and ended just short of a fence. The trig pillar marking the top was about 30 metres beyond the fence at
D (C45172 08351). For such a short and easy walk up the views were spectacular. SE was the main Sperrins ridge while to the NW just across the River Foyle was Holywell Hill and Dooish Mountain with a great line of hills further back stretching from Inishowen around to the distant Derryveagh Mountains and more besides. This is a really excellent spot to while away an hour or so. When I was there I also walked out NNE for about 150 metres to another ring contour mentioned by three5four0 in his comments as possibly being higher
E (C45372 08429), but both visually and by my very basic GPS reading it is slightly lower. When I was going across to this point I saw tracks made by heavy machinery and a number of marker posts in place which might suggest it is a site for yet another communications mast on this part of the hill to add to those already in situ about 2k to the E. I descended by way of ascent. Up and back was only 1.74k. On my way down I noticed a standing stone in the field leading down to the wooden gate and went a few metres off route to go and have a look
F (C45141 07964). For anyone in the Derry area the three tops of Clondermot Hill, Gortmonly Hill and Slievekirk could all be visited in a morning or afternoon. For links see my comments on each of these hills.
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