Errisbeg rises behind Roundstone in Connemara, and the view is the whole reason to climb it, so save it for a clear day and do not bother in low cloud. Its position above the low bog and shore gives views down on the twin white-sand crescents of Dog’s Bay and Gurteen Bay, east to the Twelve Bens, and, if the air is clear, out across the Atlantic towards the Aran Islands. The catch, and it is a real one, is that the summit approach is unmarked. Treat this as proper open-bog navigation, not a stroll.
The walk
The hillside can be wet and rough, and the slopes are grazed. Confirm access and parking before starting. Follow Mountaineering Ireland’s access guidance, keep clear of livestock and leave gates as you found them. Wear waterproof boots and carry warm, waterproof layers even in summer, because the ground is wet and the route is unmarked.
One genuinely important point is that phone signal can be poor on upland ground. Download an offline map or bring a paper one and a compass, and do not rely on your phone to find the way down if the mist comes in. Check visibility and wind, and turn back if you cannot confidently navigate. For a shorter outing, use an established route around Roundstone or visit the coast separately.
What you’ll see
Errisbeg is listed as a Marilyn, a hill with at least 150 m of prominence, and on the South Connemara skyline it stands out for how much it shows you for so little height. Below sit Dog’s Bay, Gurteen Bay and the brown sprawl of Roundstone Bog, with the Twelve Bens filling the eastern horizon and the Atlantic the west. The Geological Survey Ireland site report describes the mountain’s contrasting granite and darker amphibolite. The 17th-century Connemara historian Roderic O’Flaherty noted the hill as a sea-mark, the landmark sailors picked out after the Twelve Bens.
The slopes are blanket bog and acid heath, too thin-soiled for trees, which is exactly why the views are unbroken. In late spring and early summer the hillside colours up with bell heather and gorse, and this corner of Connemara is one of the few places in Ireland for the rare Mackay’s heath and St Dabeoc’s heath. Buzzards and kestrels ride the updrafts along the ridge, and grey seals often haul out on the rocks down at Dog’s Bay.
Practical information
- Parking: confirm parking before you set out, and use only legitimate parking in or near Roundstone. Do not block gates or farm entrances.
- Dogs: the hillside is grazed sheep ground, so check the current access guidance before bringing a dog, and keep clear of livestock.
- Facilities: none on the hill. Stock up in Roundstone before you set off.
- Best conditions: late spring to early autumn gives the driest going and the longest light. In winter you will want full waterproofs and a head torch for a late return.
- Getting there: drive west from Galway on the N59, then the R341 to Roundstone; the hill rises behind the village. Check current bus services to Roundstone, as a car is the practical option.
Check the Met Éireann forecast before you start. The cloud can drop onto the summit fast, and on an unmarked hill that turns the descent from easy to awkward in minutes.