The saddle and its lake
The Pass of Maumahoge is a saddle on the Maumturks ridge in Connemara, with a small corrie lake caught just above it, set between Binn idir an dá Log (702m) and Knocknahillion (607m). The col itself sits below both peaks, so this is high, exposed ground rather than a summit. Lough Maumahoge is a glacial tarn, fed by springs and seasonal meltwater, so its level rises and falls through the year.
The Maumturks are quieter than the Twelve Bens across the Lough Inagh Valley, which is much of their appeal. That also means help is a long way off if the weather turns. The surrounding ridge is rough, exposed mountain ground, and Mountaineering Ireland describes the demands of traversing the range.
Before you think of going up
We cannot point you to a public route to the lake. The ground is rough, boggy and exposed, and the cloud in Connemara can come down fast. Anyone heading into the Maumturks needs a paper OS map and compass and the skill to use them, sturdy boots, waterproofs and a warm layer, and the sense to turn back when conditions close in. There is no shelter, shop or water on the high ground, and stream or lake water should not be drunk untreated. Winter conditions on the ridge call for ice axe, crampons and real navigation skills.
The name, the pilgrimage and the rock
Sléibhte Mhám Toirc, the Irish for the Maumturks, means ‘the mountains of the boar’s pass’. Máméan (Maumeen) nearby has a small stone chapel and a pilgrimage site traditionally tied to St Patrick’s journey west. The peaks around the pass are quartzite, the pale, hard rock that gives the Maumturks their bald, stony ridgelines.
Waymarked alternatives
For a signed walk in this part of Connemara, choose a route at Diamond Hill from the Connemara National Park visitor centre near Letterfrack. Check the grade and weather before setting out. Connemara National Park and Ballynahinch Lake are also within reach for an easier day.
If you are walking the Western Way in Galway, check its separate notices for repairs at Mám Éan and the boardwalk closure near Lackavrea. The Western Way is covered on its own page, and Killary Harbour, Ireland’s only fjord, lies to the north.