The view
On a clear day, from the granite at 522m, Cruagh gives a wide outlook over the city. Dublin, Dublin Bay and the far line of the Wicklow Mountains lay themselves out across the plain below. Cruagh (Irish: Coill na Craobhaí) is one of three local tops named as such on the Ordnance Survey map, alongside Kilakee and Glendoo, though in truth it rises only a little above the ground around it. The forest is on the southern edge of Dublin, run by Coillte, and opens straight onto the wider Dublin Mountains trail network.
History and the name
Cruagh turns up in the written record in 1184, when Prince John, son of Henry II, granted the lands of ‘Creevagh’ and its churches to the See of Dublin; Edward III confirmed the grant in 1337 and Richard II again on his visit to Dublin in 1395. This was borderland of the Pale, known as ‘the Harold’s country’ after the Anglo-Norman family whose name still sits on Harold’s Cross and Harold’s Grange down the hill. The old Cruagh graveyard nearby keeps a stone watch-house, built so a watchman could guard fresh graves against the body snatchers.
The walks
Start at the Coillte car park on Cruagh Road. The Dublin Mountains Partnership trail guide lists a 0.5 km native woodland trail and the 5 km moderate Slí na Sláinte (Path to Health) route. The Slí na Sláinte follows graded forest roads, with white waymarkers to keep you on course and a look across to Tibradden along the way. If you have only an hour or so, this is the one to do.
To reach the open top, the Cruagh Mountain Access Route climbs 2.5 km and meets the Dublin Mountains Way, which carries on to Massy’s Estate, Tibradden Wood and, in time, the Wicklow Way. A bog bridge near the 2 km mark is where the managed forest gives way to open mountain. You can also join the Dublin Mountains Way here for a longer walk.
What to see
- Picnic spots: Coillte lists a wheelchair-accessible picnic area at the car park, which faces the city. Others sit among the trees and beside the river on the edge of the forest.
- Wildlife: buzzards and red kites can be seen overhead, and spring brings a spread of bluebells. Coillte’s Dublin Mountains Makeover is slowly replanting native oak, ash and hazel among the Sitka spruce and larch.
- Dogs: keep them under control, as there are ground-nesting birds in the open ground above the treeline.
Getting there and parking
The car park is on Cruagh Road, reached off the R116 (Tibradden) or R115 (Kilakee). Come by the R116 for a look down over the city before you turn onto the narrow road up. The car park opens from 07:00 to 17:00 in the winter season, from November to March. Check the Dublin Mountains Partnership for seasonal gate hours, and arrive early on a fine weekend.
On Saturdays, the Local Link Kildare South Dublin SD4 service serves Cruagh Wood from Tallaght. Check the Local Link SD4 timetable for departures from Tallaght and for your return trip.
Before you go
Take everything home with you, dog waste included, and do not rely on facilities on site. The car park can close at short notice in snow or ice, and you should stay out of the forest during a Met Éireann red wind warning; the Dublin Mountains Partnership news page carries updates.
Check the forecast before you climb, as the view from 522m disappears the moment cloud rolls in off the bay.