Carrauntoohil (Corrán Tuathail)

The highest mountain in Ireland, standing at 1,038.6 meters.

Carrauntoohil is the central peak of the MacGillycuddy's Reeks range in County Kerry. It is crowned by a 5-meter tall steel cross. The mountain offers challenging climbs, with the 'Devil's Ladder' being the most popular but strenuous route.

The name 'Corrán Tuathail' is often translated as 'Tuathal's Sickle' or 'Inverted Sickle', though the exact meaning is debated. It is a magnet for hikers and climbers, offering breathtaking views of the surrounding lakes and valleys from its summit.

At a glance

• Height: 1,038.6 meters (3,407 ft)
• Range: MacGillycuddy's Reeks
• Features a large metal cross at the summit.

In County Kerry

Carrauntoohil is in County Kerry, Ciarraí in Irish, which means “the people of Ciar (a son of Fergus)”.

More in Kerry

• Corca Dhuibhne (Dingle Peninsula) (Corca Dhuibhne): The Dingle Peninsula Gaeltacht, a Munster-Irish heartland rich in early Christian sites and Ogham stones.
• Skellig Michael (Sceilg Mhichíl): A jagged island monastery off the Kerry coast, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a modern film location.
• The Lakes of Killarney (Loch Léin): Three beautiful lakes ringed by mountains and ancient woodland at the heart of Killarney National Park.

Other places of this kind

• Croagh Patrick (Cruach Phádraig): Ireland's holy mountain, climbed by pilgrims for over a thousand years in honour of St Patrick.
• Slieve League (Sliabh Liag): Among the highest sea cliffs in Europe, rising almost 600 metres from the Atlantic in County Donegal.
• Benbulben (Binn Ghulbain): The dramatic flat-topped 'table mountain' of County Sligo, at the heart of Yeats Country and Irish legend.
• The Mourne Mountains (Beanna Boirche): A range of granite peaks in County Down, and the inspiration for songs and for the land of Narnia.
• The Sperrin Mountains (Sléibhte Speirín): A sweeping range of rounded hills across counties Tyrone and Derry, and one of the largest upland areas in Ireland.
• Mount Leinster (Stua Laighean): The highest peak of the Blackstairs Mountains, rising on the Carlow-Wexford border.

The Irish name

The Irish form of Carrauntoohil is Corrán Tuathail. You can hear it spoken, and take apart names like it, in the Placename Explorer. The authoritative record for any Irish place-name is logainm.ie.