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Galtymore or Galteemore () is a mountain in the province of Munster, Ireland. At , it is one of Ireland's highest mountains, being the 12th-highest on the Arderin list, and 14th-highest on the Vandeleur-Lynam list. Galtymore has the 4th-highest topographic prominence of any peak in Ireland, which classifies Galtymore as a P600, or "major mountain". It is one of the 13 .
The Galtee mountains are formed from sandstone and shale and contain 24 peaks above . It runs east-west for between counties County Tipperary and County Limerick; Galtymore is the highest point of both counties. The mountain is accessed by hillwalkers via the 3–4 hour Black Road Route, but is also summited as part of the longer 5–6 hour Circuit of Glencushnabinnia, and the at least 10–hour east-to-west crossing of the entire range, called the Galtee Crossing, which is climbed annually in the Galtee Challenge.
The mountain and its deep cirque lakes are associated with various Irish folklore tales regarding Saint Patrick and serpents.
Some guidebooks and other publications suggest that the name "Galty" or "Galtees" is an anglicisation of Sléibhte na gCoillte (mountains of the forests). The 19th century diarist Amhlaoibh Ó Súilleabháin recorded a different Irish name, Beann na nGaillti, and the names of three nearby places are derived from this: Glencoshnabinnia (P. W. Joyce, Irish Names of Places iii, 366), Slievecoshnabinnia and Carrignabinnia.
The range was historically named Sliabh gCrot (the hump mountains), anglicised as "Slievegrot"; or Crotta Cliach (the humps of Cliú), after the territory of Cliú. (2025). 9781898256151, Collins Press. ISBN 9781898256151
The summit of Galtymore is marked as Dawson's Table, named after the Dawson-Massey family who were large landowners in the area ( Tipperary Directory 1889), owning much of the land on and around the north section of the Galty range.
The area also originated Kerry Group's popular bacon food brand Galtee; and the term Galtee Mountains is still in common use.
The southern smooth slopes of the Galty range give way to a steep northern face, pocked with deep cirque and their accompanying moraine lakes. The long central ridge of the Galtys, which runs for about in an east-west direction, was too high to be overridden by the inland ice-sheets, and although it resulted in the creation of small corrie glaciers, its summits are capped by tors formed from conglomerate rock (known as the Slievenamuck Conglomerate Formation).
The Galty (or "Galtee") Mountains are a broadly straight east-west grass-covered range with a central ridge section, stretching from Greenane in the east, to Temple Hill in the west. This central ridge section includes the highest peaks of Galtymore , Lyracappul , Carrignabinnia , and Slievecushnabinnia . Many of the peaks of the central section have a moderate topographical prominence, which means that the central ridge maintains a reasonably sustained height; an attractive feature for hill walkers.
The 24 peaks of the Galty range with a height above , and include 13 peaks with a height above , and five that are classified as Marilyns – being peaks with a prominence above . The Galtys are described as Ireland's highest "inland" range.
Galtymore and Galtybeg sit near the middle of the range and their north faces show evidence of glacial erosion with a number of deep corries, most of which are now occupied by . Between Galtymore and Galtybeg lies Lough Diheen, while Lough Curra lies between Galtymore and Slievecushnabinnia. (1993). 9781852841102, Cicerone. ISBN 9781852841102
Galtymore is the 460th-highest mountain, and 12th most prominent mountain, in Britain and Ireland, on the Simms classification. Galtymore is regarded by the Scottish Mountaineering Club (SMC) as one of 34 Furths, which is a mountain above in elevation, and meeting the other SMC criteria for a Munro (e.g. "sufficient separation"), and which are outside (or furth), of Scotland; this is why Carrauntoohil is also referred to as one of the thirteen . Galtymore's prominence qualifies it as a P600, which classes Galtymore as a "major" mountain in Britain and Ireland. Galtymore ranks as the 5th-highest mountain in Ireland on the MountainViews Online Database, 100 Highest Irish Mountains, where the prominence threshold is .
The 5–6 hour Circuit of Glencushnabinnia, which follows a loop around Galtymore's deep northern corries at Lough Curra and Lough Dihneen, is described as the "connoisseur's route". It starts at the forest car park () near the Clydagh Bridge in the north, and climbs Cush , Galtybeg , Galtymore and Slievecushnabinnia , before returning to the start (it can also be done anti–clockwise).
The annual Galtee Challenge organised by the Galtee Walking Club is the full , over 10-hour, east-to-west crossing of the range (also called the Galtee Crossing), and takes in all major peaks of the Galty Mountains. The challenge normally starts in Cahir in the east, and finishes in Anglesboro Village, in the west. Despite the distance, longer than the MacGillycuddy's Reeks Ridge Walk, the 10–hour estimate is reasonable as the variation in elevation is moderate.
In 1975, a white iron cross was erected on the north edge of Dawson's Table by Tipperary local Ted Kavanagh. The cross is situated a few metres away from the eastern summit cairn and looks into the glen of Aherlow. It is kept white by being painted every year.
To the west of the summit of Galtymore lies a dry stone wall known as the Galtee Wall, that was built in 1878 to separate the Dawson-Massey Estate in the north, from the Galtee Castle Estate in the south. It is recorded that it took 30–40 men more than 4 years to complete the wall, and that the reason for its construction was to give employment to local small farmers during a period of economic depression (hence why is it also called a famine wall). The Galtee Wall runs from below the west summit of Galtymore, across the top of Slievecushnabinnia, the top of Carrignabinnia, and on to the summit of Lyracappul, the second-highest peak in the Galtees.
Lake Muskry was formerly known as Loch Béal Séad (lake of the jewel mouth) and also as Loch Béal Dracon (lake of the dragon's mouth). The oldest mention of the name is in the tale entitled Aislinge Óenguso (The Dream of
Folk tales attribute the banishing of the serpent by Saint Patrick with the subsequent richness of farming in the area. In addition to local folklore, Lake Muskry also features in the Irish mythology tale of the Caer Ibormeith.
Hill walking
The most straightforward route to the summit of Galtymore is from the south via the 3–4 hour Black Road Route, which starts at the end of the Black Road car park () (accessed from the R639 road near the village of Skeheenarinky), and summits Galtybeg , before the main summit of Galtymore. It then retraces its route back to the Black Road car park.
(2025). 9781848893474, Collins Press. ISBN 9781848893474 (2025). 9781848892118, Collins Press. ISBN 9781848892118
List of peaks
The MountainViews Online Database list 24 Galty mountain peaks with an elevation, or height, above .
Peaks of the Galty Mountains (MountainViews Online Database, October 2018) 1
! style="background:#cfc;text-align:left" scope=row Galtymore
Cnoc Mór na nGaibhlte||big hill of the Galtys|| 918 || style="background:#cff;text-align:left"|898 || 3,011 || 2,946 ||74| 6
! scope=row Lyracappul Ladhar an Chapaill||fork/confluence of the horse|| 825 || 100 || 2,708 || 328 ||74| 22
! scope=row Carrignabinnia Carraig na Binne||rock of the peak|| 823 || 27 || 2,700 || 88 ||74| 5
! scope=row Greenane An Grianán||sunny spot|| 801 || style="background:#cff;text-align:left"|157 || 2,629 || 515 ||74| 9
! scope=row Galtybeg Cnoc Beag na nGaibhlte||The small hill of the Galtys|| 799 || 80 || 2,622 || 263 ||74| 16
! scope=row Greenane West —||—|| 787 || 39 || 2,582 || 129 ||74| 3
! scope=row Temple Hill Cnoc an Teampaill||hill of the church|| 783 || style="background:#cff;text-align:left"|188 || 2,569 || 617 ||74| 20
! scope=row Slievecushnabinnia Sliabh Chois na Binne||mountain beside the peak|| 775 || 28 || 2,542 || 92 ||74| 13
! scope=row Knockaterriff Cnoc an Tairbh||hill of the bull|| 692 || 51 || 2,269 || 168 ||74| 21
! scope=row Knockaterriff Beg Cnoc an Tairbh Beag||hill of the little bull|| 679 || 28 || 2,229 || 91 ||74| 4
! scope=row Cush Cois||side/flank|| 641 || style="background:#cff;text-align:left"|176 || 2,104 || 578 ||74| 7
! scope=row Monabrack Móin Bhreac||speckled moor|| 630 || 94 || 2,067 || 308 ||74| 18
! scope=row Laghtshanaquilla Leacht Sheanchoille||burial monument of the old wood|| 629 || 36 || 2,065 || 118 ||74| 11
! scope=row Knockeenatoung Cnoicín na Teanga||hill of the tongue|| 601 || 66 || 1,973 || 218 ||74| 23
! scope=row Lough Curra Mtn —||—|| 600 || 23 || 1,970 || 75 ||74| 24
! scope=row Laghtshanaquilla North-East Top —||—|| 598 || 19 || 1,962 || 62 ||74| 10
! scope=row Knockastakeen Cnoc an Stáicín||hill of the little stack|| 583 || 78 || 1,913 || 256 ||74| 14
! scope=row Sturrakeen An Starraicín||"the pointed peak" or "the steeple"|| 542 || 46 || 1,777 || 151 ||74| 8
! scope=row Benard An Bhinn Ard||the high peak|| 480 || 85 || 1,573 || 277 ||74| 12
! scope=row Slieveanard NE Top —||—|| 449 || 64 || 1,471 || 210 ||74| 15
! scope=row Seefin Suí Finn||Fionn's seat|| 447 || 42 || 1,465 || 136 ||74| 17
! scope=row Seefin N Top —||—|| 444 || 39 || 1,457 || 128 ||74| 19
! scope=row Slieveanard Sliabh an Aird||mountain of the height|| 438 || 33 || 1,436 || 108 ||74| 2
! scope=row Slievenamuck Sliabh Muice||mountain of the pig|| 369 || style="background:#cff;text-align:left"|234 || 1,211 || 768 ||66|
Summit
Galtymore's summit is described a large concave plateau separated by two peaks. The plateau consists of Old Red Sandstone and is known as Dawson's Table after the historical landowners, the Dawson-Massey family. This is similar to Percy's Table on the summit of Lugnaquilla, the highest mountain in County Wicklow and Leinster. There is a cairn on top of each peak and the eastern one marks the true summit of Galtymore. These twin summits give Galtymore a distinctive profile from a distance. The summit of Galtymore marks the boundary of Limerick and Tipperary.
Folklore
The mountains appear in Irish folk tales, and the deep corrie lakes of the Galtys were believed to be enchanted. In early Irish literature, the mountains are called Sliab Crotta Cliach (the mountain humps of Cliú), which was the name of the surrounding territory. As crotta can also mean a celtic harp, the name was interpreted as "mountains of Cliach's harps", and there is a tale of a legendary harper called Cliach playing his harps in the mountains to woo an otherworldly woman who lived in the summit cairn on Slievenamon. After failing, he plays his two harps together, and the hill bursts open and forms a lake. This lake is Lough Muskry, which is named after the Múscraige people that lived in the south of Ireland.
1976 air crash
On 20 September 1976, three airmen: Tom Gannon, Jimmy Byrne and Dick O'Reilly from Abbeyshrule, were killed when their plane crashed not far from O'Loughlin's Castle, a rock–formation near Greenane West, on the Galtys. The three were founding members of Abbyshrule Air Club. A stone monument in the shape of a plane's tailfin was erected () a short distance into the Black Road Route on the path to Knockeenatoung. The crash led to the founding of the South Eastern Mountain Rescue Association (SEMRA) in 1977. The event was remembered on its 40th anniversary by SEMRA in September 2016.
Notes
Bibliography
(1993). 9781852841102, Cicerone. ISBN 9781852841102
(2025). 9781848892118, Collins Press. ISBN 9781848892118
(2025). 9781848893474, Collins Press. ISBN 9781848893474
External links
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