Purple Mountain

[Jim777]

This isn't a big walk and I don't have a lot of photos but here it is anyway.
Head West from Killarney to Beaufort Bridge and turn South to Kate Kearney's Cottage.
It's actually more of a tourist trap with the shops etc. Kate Kearney's Cottage was actually a pub when I was there.
Park up here and you're at 55m.
Go back down the road and take a track which was quite muddy to your right/East.
You are soon at the bottom of what I would call the North West ridge.
There isn't much of a path so I just made my way by the easiest looking route.
This is followed up to a first high point at 568m.

Looking from Tomies Mountain to Purple Mountain

Looking to Cnoc na dTarbh, Carrauntoohil and Beenkeragh

From there it is a straight ascent South South East to the summit of Tomies Mountain 735m.
Once you are up at this height the surface is mainly stony but quite easy going.
A descent South takes you to a col at 673m before rising in the same direction to the summit of Tomies South 757m.
From Tomies South it is almost directly South West to the summit of Purple Mountain at 832m.

R to L Cruach Mhor, The Big Gun,and Cnoc na Peiste from Purple Mountain

View of Reeks from summit of Purple Mountain 832m

The views from the summit of Purple Mountain are tremendous - just a pity I didn't take more photos
I descended South West passing Glas Lough at 472m to the Head of the Gap (of Dunloe) at 239m.

Head of Gap of Dunloe leading to Black Valley

Descending Purple Mountain SW, Glas Lough in background

Further down I was able to follow a ruined fence down to the Gap.
From there it is roughly a 6km walk back through the Gap of Dunloe to Kate Kearney's Cottage.
If you follow the the road further it splits, the road going right goes to the Black Valley around the back of MacGillycuddy's Reeks but comes to a dead end beneath Brassel Mountain.
However, it is not appreciated taking your car through the Gap of Dunloe as jarveys with their horses and jaunting cars ply this route with tourists from Kate Kearney's Cottage to as far as Lord Brandon's Cottage where they can get a boat back through the lakes to Killarney.