Things to Do in Tipperary

The Knockmealdown Mountains and the Vee: Tipperary's Great Mountain Drive

A long purple ridge on the Tipperary–Waterford border, crossed by one of Ireland's most memorable mountain roads.

The Knockmealdown Mountains are a range running east to west along the border of County Tipperary and County Waterford. The highest point, Knockmealdown, is 794 m (2,605 ft) and sits on the Waterford side. The best-known way into the hills is the Vee, a high pass crossed by the R668 between Clogheen in Tipperary and Lismore in Waterford. If you only have an hour, drive the Vee; if you have a day, walk a ridge.

The range at a glance

The mountains were once known as Sliabh gCua, anglicised as Slieve Gua or Slieve Goe. Beyond Knockmealdown itself, Wikipedia lists the next-highest tops as Knockmoylan (768 m), Knocknafallia (668 m) and Sugarloaf Hill (663 m). Moorland, heather and forestry cover much of the range, and the slopes above the road are famously purple with rhododendron in late spring or early summer.

It is also working wildlife country. The range is an important breeding ground for two endangered birds, the red grouse and the hen harrier, and cuckoo, nightjar, crossbill, buzzard and grasshopper warbler can be seen too. Keep dogs on leads and stay on paths, especially in the nesting season.

The Vee Gap and the drive

A high pass called the Vee crosses the range on the western side of the summit; an old mail-coach road runs through it from Lismore to Clogheen. The modern R668 follows that line. According to the SABRE roads wiki, it was built as famine relief work in 1846–7 and climbs to about 350 m at the Gap, between Sugarloaf Hill and Knockshanahullion.

The Vee itself is a hairpin bend overlooking Bay Lough, a small lake that sits in the hollow below the road, and the views take in the Suir Valley, the Comeragh Mountains beyond, and on a clear day the plain towards Cashel. A hiking guide reports a car park and picnic facilities at the top, though public transport is limited. Expect sheep on the road, a fair amount of traffic in summer, and a road that is twisty but well surfaced.

Sugarloaf Hill and Grubb’s Monument

By local account, roughly two miles south of Clogheen on the R668, a signposted path leads up Sugarloaf Hill to Grubb’s Monument, a stone beehive-style structure with views over the Suir Valley. It commemorates Samuel Grubb, and local tradition says he asked to be buried there standing upright. It is a short walk for a long view, and it makes a good first stop before you commit to anything higher.

Walking in the Knockmealdowns

The 2023 Knockmealdown Active story map, produced with the Irish Uplands Forum and sponsored by the Heritage Council, combines written stories, drone footage and mapping of the range and is a good starting point for route ideas. As in any Irish upland, treat the weather seriously: it changes quickly on open ground, so carry a map, a waterproof and proper boots even on a bright morning.

Getting here from Ardfinnan

The Knockmealdowns rise directly south of Ardfinnan, a Norman castle village on the Suir, so you can drive to the foot of the range from the village and be on the Vee in well under an hour by road (check a live map for your day). Clogheen, the Tipperary gateway to the pass, is the natural stopping point, and Lismore Castle and village lie on the Waterford side. For more ideas close to the village, see things to do near Ardfinnan and the Journal’s Tipperary attractions.

Road and weather conditions change. Check local advice before you travel.