Barranisky is a small hill but it is difficult to reach the summit due to dense gorse and forestry growth. It is advisable to use a GPS to help track down the elusive trig pillar, although a few of us plucky MountainViewers have torn ourselves to shreds to bring the route to you!

Start at the forest entrance at BrNisky N (T25529 80221) which has space for 5 or 6 cars. Go up the track and take first right after 270m. Follow the track up hill. Eventually you will see the ruin of an old house at A (T25533 79336).Turn right here up a small track between the trees (be warned – don’t take the larger green road before this track as you will regret it!)

The track stops after 300m and then you must plunge into the impenetrable gorse to find the trig pillar only about 75 metres away. A faint trail may be present – but this will more likely be a whisper of where us previous pioneers have passed through, and may consist of nothing more than a slight disturbance of the gorse. The trig pillar is at the summit top as given in the grid reference for the summit above.

You could also turn off the main road at B (T243 790) and follow it past a number of houses until it comes to a dead end at a gate at BrNisky W (T249 791), with a sign saying “Private, Keep Out”. However Eircom have an agreed access track from the “Private No Entry” gate up through the farmland to their masts at the summit of Barranisky East. From here it is an easy ramble across to the ruin mentioned earlier. Linkback: mountainviews.ie/summit/972/comment/5731/