Croghan Hill

An extinct volcano with 360° views and a 2,000-year-old secret.

Croghan Hill (Cnoc Cruacháin / Brí Éile) rises from the Bog of Allen – the remains of a volcano active around 340 million years ago. A summit mound is believed to be a Bronze Age burial, and the hill has strong links with St Brigid, said to have been born nearby, and Bishop Mac Caille. It may have been an inauguration place of the O’Connor kings of Uí Fháilghe. Old Croghan Man, an Iron Age bog body who died between 362 and 175 BC, was found nearby in 2003 and is on display in the National Museum of Ireland, Dublin. Walk the 1.8 km loop from Croghan Community Centre. (Height: 234 m per Wikipedia, 232 m per Visit Offaly.)

Why it matters: ties Daingean to the O’Connor story and to peatland heritage – a must-do walk.

Sources: Wikipedia; Visit Offaly; GSI; NMI