Overview
The Slieve Mish Mountains form the eastern backbone of the Dingle Peninsula in County Kerry, with Tralee Bay to the north and Dingle Bay to the south. The National Parks and Wildlife Service describes a range made chiefly of Old Red Sandstone, with steep valleys and mountain habitats. Rounded, grassy hills and a handy position near Tralee make it the gentler end of the peninsula compared with the rockier MacGillycuddy’s Reeks further west, though the high ground is still serious mountain terrain.
The red backbone: geology and landscape
The Irish name Sliabh Mis means roughly ‘the mountains of Mis’, though the origin of the ‘Mis’ element is still argued over, possibly a woman’s name. The rock is not in doubt. The range is built mostly of Devonian Old Red Sandstone, laid down when this was a hot, semi-arid floodplain in the ancient Munster Basin. Iron oxidation has stained it a deep purple-red that intensifies in late-afternoon sun, which is the best reason to time a walk for the evening.
Glaciation in the last Ice Age cut the deep U-shaped valleys of Derrymore Glen and Curraheen Glen, with dark corrie lakes at the head of Derrymore Glen. The range is distinct enough to lend its name to the Slieve Mish Anticline, a large fold that geologists trace across the peninsula. The range is a Special Area of Conservation, protected for its mountain habitats.
Legends of the spinning fort
Slieve Mish carries the mythology of the Tuatha Dé Danann and the Ulster Cycle. The central site is Caherconree Fort, a stone promontory fort set high on the mountain, on the shoulder of the peak of the same name. Legend says it was built by the early Iron Age king Cú Roí Mac Daire, who enchanted it to spin on its axis at night so attackers could never find the entrance.
The story turns on Cú Chulainn, who raided the fort to rescue Cú Roí’s daughter Bláthnaid. In the tale she signals the moment of attack by pouring milk into the nearby Finglas stream until the water runs white; that stream, Fionn Glas, ‘the white brook’, is still a landmark in the story. Near the summit of Caherconree, the legends place a rock formation called Cú Roí’s Faces and a boulder known as Fionn MacCool’s Chair.
Walking the Slieve Mish Mountains
The foothills and the Dingle Way
The easiest way to explore the range is the waymarked Dingle Way, which climbs onto the flanks of the range from Tralee. Use the current trail map and notices to choose a stage. Parts of the route cross private land by permission, so follow the waymarks, keep gates clear and leave dogs at home.
The high ridges
The core massif, with peaks such as Baurtregaum and Caherconree, is for experienced hillwalkers. The high ridges are exposed and can be difficult to navigate in cloud. This is a genuine mountain outing: there is navigation on the tops and no shelter if the weather turns. If heading into higher ground, confirm access for the approach, bring a map and compass, and turn back if visibility deteriorates.
Practical information
The weather turns fast, and the ground includes boggy stretches and cattle paths, so the gear list matters.
- Maps and navigation: a map and compass are essential on high ground, and a GPS device or hiking app is worth having as a back-up. Check which Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series sheet covers your route.
- Gear: sturdy waterproof boots are essential, gaiters help on the muddier stretches, and a windproof layer is worth bringing even in summer.
- Dogs: the Dingle Way rules say leave dogs at home, and livestock graze the lower slopes, so check local signs.
- Access: the approaches to the high ground cross farmland. Use waymarked routes and confirm access locally rather than parking or crossing land informally.
Arrive in the late afternoon if you can. That is when the sun catches the Old Red Sandstone and the ridges go purple and gold, the difference between a good photograph and a forgettable one.