Slieve Foye

Slieve Foye

Overview

Slieve Foye, 587 m, is County Louth’s highest point, with 505 m prominence. The true high cairn lies 115 m north of the trig pillar and is recorded by DoBIH as 1 m above its base. Carlingford Mountain is the ridge of which Slieve Foye is the high point, not a separate 492 m neighbouring summit.

Carlingford summit return

From Carlingford seafront, climb the Commons Loop lanes and join the Táin Way to the Foye–Barnavave saddle. Ascend rough upper ground to the trig pillar, then continue 115 m north to the highest cairn. Return to the saddle and descend the Táin Way lanes into Carlingford. Tough Soles gives 9 km, 600 m ascent and two-and-a-half to four hours for its shorter trig-point return; allow extra for the cairn extension. Upper paths fade among wet ground and small cliffs.

Extended ridge circuit

From Carlingford climb via Maeve’s Gap to Slieve Foye’s high cairn, 115 m north of the trig. Follow the ridge northwest to Eagles Rock, descend through White Bog and cross Raven’s Rock and Foxes Rock. Descend east to the Táin Way and return by forest tracks to Carlingford. Mountaintrails gives approximately 17 km, 800 m ascent and six to six-and-a-half hours for its full circuit. Follow forest diversion signs where present; altered sections can change distance and time.

Blue-arrow Slieve Foye Loop

From Carlingford harbour Tourist Office follow blue arrows via River Road into forestry, then the fence-edge path to the Táin Way. Descend via the parish church and village square to the harbour. This loop does not reach the summit. Sport Ireland publishes normal-loop figures of 9.8 km, 270 m ascent and two hours thirty minutes; these exclude unmeasured diversion changes. Storm damage requires signed diversions. Dogs are prohibited.

Access and mountain safety

Carlingford harbour car park beside the Tourist Office is the village trailhead. Parking can be busy in summer and on bank holidays. Slieve Foye Woods has separate forest car parks; routes starting there have different distances. Carlingford has cafés, pubs and shops. Public toilets are reported behind the harbour car park and playground. Slieve Foye Woods has picnic areas and forest car parks. Carry food and water for the mountain. Check current Bus Éireann timetables for services to Carlingford and plan the return journey before travelling.

Upper paths can be faint, with confusing sheep tracks, steep rock and small cliffs; carry a map and compass and navigate carefully in mist. Wet ground and rock can be slippery, and the exposed summit and ridge can be windy. Sport Ireland reports storm damage and diversions on the blue-arrow Slieve Foye Loop. This is a forest-route diversion warning, not a confirmed summit closure. Follow signs on affected Táin Way return sections. Dogs are prohibited on the official Slieve Foye Loop. The described summit approach also crosses commonage with possible livestock and is listed as no dogs. Upper ground can be very wet in winter. Check the forecast and daylight, carry waterproofs and warm layers, and allow for slower travel in poor conditions.

Landscape and history

Slieve Foye’s angular crags are formed from hard gabbro, an igneous rock associated with the ancient Carlingford volcanic complex. Erosion along a fault forms a cleft followed by the ascent; the same fault crosses Barnavave at Maeve’s Gap. The mountain is part of Carlingford Mountain Special Area of Conservation, with protected upland heath, bog and rocky habitats. Local folklore connects Slieve Foye with Fionn Mac Cumhaill, said to have thrown the Cloghmore boulder across Carlingford Lough during a battle with another giant. This is a legend; the mountain’s rocks record an ancient volcanic landscape.

Views and nearby tops

Views extend across Carlingford Lough to the Mourne Mountains and over the Cooley Peninsula, Dundalk Bay and the Irish Sea. The ridge continues to The Eagles Rock (530 m), The Ravens Rock [Split Rock] (456 m) and The Foxes Rock (403 m). These heights follow DoBIH v18.6.