Abbey Hill

Overview

Abbey Hill (Cnoc na Mainistreach in Irish) is a hill located in the very north of County Clare, Ireland. The hill is situated southwest of the small town of Ballyvaughan, west of of Kinvara and just south of the highway/route N67. The name of the Abbey Hill refers to Corcomroe Abbey, which is located on the south side of the hill, near Bell Harbour (Bealaclugga). You will be hiking in a karst landscape. The geologic bedrock type in the area is bedded & massive fossiliferous limestone. Abbey Hill is the most northerly summit in the West Clare area and is 1,177th highest summit in Ireland according to mountainviews.ie. While no means tall, Abbey Hill is a popular hike that provides a quick nature fix with excellent views out to Galway Bay and into The Burren. Earn that pint.

Getting There

From Route N67 get yourself to the intersection of Route N67 and Road L5407 and Road L1014. Go immediately south on Road L1014 and travel about a 565 meters (0.35 miles). Look for the first road on your right. There is also a small brown hiking symbol sign at this intersection on the south side of L1014 at this intersection that points down the road you want to take. Take this right, there is room for parking for about five (5) cars down this road, very near the turnoff you just made.

Route

There appear to be at least three principle hiking routes up Abbey Hill. This one mentioned in the Getting There section above appears to be the quickest and perhaps easiest: After parking at the "five cars" parking area, walk west down the road. At a little less than a half mile (?, I'm doing this from memory), look for a break in the stone wall to your left. Start hiking uphill and follow the lay of the land upwards.


On a clear(er) day, the route and summit will be easily apparent. It's probably a 2.5 hours round trip for an enjoyable hike with great views.


Two other hiking routes are mentioned here by user fkaatje at mountainviews.ie's page on Abbey Hill.
Map per Mountainview.ie's page on Abbey Hill: Ordinance Survey 1:50k Mapsheet: 51 Grid Reference: M30110 10369

Red Tape

None known. As I'm not too familiar with public/private land access in Ireland, I'm assuming there is some sort of public access easement/right of way for hikers if there is private land south of the stone wall. Please be courteous and considerate to private property owners that may own the land near the stone fences.

When to Climb

It appears that you can hike Abbey Hill year round. Obviously, snow, weather storms and fog may require appropriate planning.

Camping

Not sure if there are public campgrounds near Abbey Hill. You could probably bivy on top of Abbey Hill for an interesting night out.

Here's a list of campgrounds in County Clare, Ireland.
Here's a list of campgrounds in County Galway, Ireland

I can recommend the Aille River Hostel in Doolin, County Clare. There are both rooms and tent camping available. Lots of folks from around the world. A good place to clean up, decompress with a cuppa Lyons and rest-uppa for the next day's adventure.

External Links/Other Stuff to Do:

Abbey Hill on Google maps
Mountainviews.ie's page on Abbey Hill
Abbey Hill on Peakery.com
Mountaineering Ireland: Irish Hill and Mountain Names (pdf file, list of Ireland's Mountains & Hills)
West of Ireland Walks by Kevin Corcoran, Walks 43-50, The O'Brien Press, 192 pages
Burren Country – Travels through an Irish limestone landscape by Paul Clements

Mountaineering Ireland

The Way That We Climbed: A History of Irish Hillwalking, Climbing and Mountaineering by Paddy O'Leary

List of campgrounds in County Clare, Ireland
List of campgrounds in County Galway, Ireland

Ireland's County High Points: A Walking Guide by Kieron Gribbon
The Mountains of Ireland by Paddy Dillon
Summitpost's List of The Mountains of Ireland
Place Names of Ireland online database
Irish Place Names by D. Flanagan & L. Flanagan

Side note: found this to be the most detailed guidebook for Carrauntoohil:
Carrauntoohil & MacGillycuddy's Reeks: A Walking Guide to Ireland's Highest Mountains
Amazon link: here

Videos:
The Burren - Abbey Hill pan
Walking Ireland - The Burren

Here's a short list of resources for things to do in the area:
Corcomroe Abbey on Trip Advisor
Aillwee Cave
Poulnabrone Dolmen
The Burren
Burren National Park
The Burren Outdoor Education Centre

Doolin, Ireland (Sounds, Suds and Pubs)
Wild Atlantic Way

Images

View Abbey Hill Image Gallery - 8 Images